Properly Citing Data from the World Bank

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MLA

APA

Chicago

The World Bank's global development data are freely accessible to researchers on the internet. If you're working on a research paper, especially in an economics or political science course, utilizing this open data can be highly beneficial. In general, citing World Bank data is similar to citing data from other sources. However, the citation format may vary based on whether you're using the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), or Chicago Style citation method.

Steps

MLA

Reference the data with 'World Bank' as the author or compiler. MLA doesn't provide specific instructions for citing data. As the World Bank's data are accessible online, follow the formatting guidelines for electronic sources in general. Begin your Works Cited entry by naming 'World Bank' as the author, followed by a period. Do not include the word 'the' before 'World Bank.'

Example: World Bank.

Format the Page, Dataset, or Table Title

Include Publication Details and a Direct URL. Italicize 'World Development Indicators.' Then, list 'The World Bank Group' followed by the publication date in day-month-year format, and the direct URL without 'http://' at the beginning, ending with a period.

Example: World Bank. 'C02 Emissions (Metric Tons Per Capita).' World Development Indicators, The World Bank Group, 2015, data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC.

End with the Date of Page Access. After the URL, write 'Accessed' followed by the date you last accessed the page in day-month-year format, abbreviating months longer than 4 letters.

Example: World Bank. 'C02 Emissions (Metric Tons Per Capita).' World Development Indicators. The World Bank Group, 2015, data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC. Accessed 24 Jan. 2019.

MLA Works Cited Format:

World Bank. 'Page/Table Title.' World Development Indicators, The World Bank Group, Publication Date, URL. Accessed Access Date.

Utilize In-Text Citations for MLA Style. In MLA in-text citations, include the author's last name and relevant page number in parentheses. Here, use 'World Bank' unless more specificity is needed due to multiple sources or text mentions.

For example, if referencing multiple World Bank data pages, add part of the title for clarity, like this: '(World Bank, 'C02 Emissions').'
If the World Bank or page/table name is mentioned in your text, omit it from the in-text citation. If both are mentioned, no in-text citation is necessary.

APA

Begin with the author and database name. In your reference list, list 'World Bank' as the author, followed by a comma. Then write 'World Development Indicators' as the database name and end with a period.

Example: World Bank, World Development Indicators.

Note the publication year of the specific page. After the period, include the publication year of the data in parentheses. This information can be found in the page's publication details or use the latest available year. End with a period outside the closing parentheses.

Example: World Bank, World Development Indicators. (2017).

Include the title of the page with a brief description. Italicize the title and use sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and proper nouns. Then, describe the document in square brackets, typically as 'Data file' for World Bank data. End with a period outside the closing brackets.

Example: World Bank, World Development Indicators. (2017). Individuals using the internet (% of population) [Data file].
If there's a version number for the dataset, include it in parentheses after the title before '[Data file].'

Finish with the direct URL to the accessed page. Paste the URL exactly from your browser's address bar. Do not add a period at the end of the URL, as it may confuse readers.

Example: World Bank, World Development Indicators. (2017). Individuals using the internet (% of population) [Data file]. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS

APA Reference List Style:

World Bank, World Development Indicators. (Year). Title of page in sentence case [Data file]. URL

For APA in-text citations, use 'World Bank' and the year. In APA format, include the author and year in parentheses at the end of sentences where the source is referenced. Signal phrases can also be used to integrate citations without full parentheticals.

For instance, mentioning the World Bank in your text would require only the year in parentheses, usually following 'World Bank.'
When citing multiple indicators from the same year, add part of the title in parentheses for clarity or mention the indicator's subject in your paper.

Chicago

In Chicago Style, begin with 'World Bank' as the author. In bibliographic citations, the World Bank is considered the author for all its compiled data. Author names are listed first in Chicago Style citations, ending with a period.

Example: World Bank.

Include the page title in double quotes and 'The World Bank Group' as the publisher. Use title case for the page title, capitalizing major words. End the title with a period inside the quotes. Then, list 'The World Bank Group' as the publisher and end with a period.

Example: World Bank. 'Firms Using Banks to Finance Working Capital (% of Firms).' The World Bank Group.

Note the date of your last page visit. Write 'Accessed' followed by the complete date of your last access in month-day-year format without shortening month names. End with a period after the date.

Example: 'Firms Using Banks to Finance Working Capital (% of Firms).' The World Bank Group. Accessed January 24, 2019.

Conclude with the direct URL of the page. Copy the URL of the accessed page exactly as it appears in your browser's address bar. If the URL is not a permalink, use the root URL for easy searching by your readers. End the URL with a period.

Example: World Bank. 'Firms Using Banks to Finance Working Capital (% of Firms).' The World Bank Group. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.FRM.BKWC.ZS.
To verify if a URL is a permalink, copy and paste it into a different web browser. If you have access to only one browser, clear your browsing history and try to visit the URL again.

Chicago Style Bibliography Format:

World Bank. 'Title of Page or Table.' The World Bank Group. Accessed Month Day, Year. URL.

In Chicago Style footnotes, use commas instead of periods. Footnotes or endnotes in Chicago Style should replicate the bibliographic citation but with commas separating citation elements instead of periods. End the footnote with a period. Note that the word 'accessed' is lowercase after a comma instead of ending with a period.

Example: World Bank, 'Firms Using Banks to Finance Working Capital (% of Firms),' The World Bank Group, accessed January 24, 2019, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.FRM.BKWC.ZS.

Tips

The World Bank provides its own style guide, which serves as an addendum to the Chicago Manual of Style. You can access it for download at http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/154921467999692668/World-Bank-editorial-style-guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I access the World Bank's global development data for my research?

You can access the World Bank's global development data online through their official website. The data is freely available to researchers and can be beneficial for studies in economics and political science.

What is the proper MLA citation format for World Bank data?

In MLA format, start with 'World Bank' as the author, followed by the title of the data. Include the publication details and a direct URL, ending with the access date. For example: World Bank. 'C02 Emissions (Metric Tons Per Capita).' World Development Indicators. The World Bank Group, 2015, data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.CO2E.PC. Accessed 24 Jan. 2019.

What are the steps for citing World Bank data in APA format?

In APA format, begin with 'World Bank' as the author, followed by the database name and publication year in parentheses. Include the title in italics, describe the document, and end with the direct URL without a period. For example: World Bank, World Development Indicators. (2017). Individuals using the internet (% of population) [Data file]. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.ZS.

Can you provide an example of a Chicago Style citation for World Bank data?

Certainly! In Chicago Style, format your citation like this: World Bank. 'Firms Using Banks to Finance Working Capital (% of Firms).' The World Bank Group. Accessed January 24, 2019. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.FRM.BKWC.ZS. This structure includes the title and access date, along with the URL.

Is it necessary to include the access date when citing World Bank data?

Yes, including the access date is important for transparency. It helps indicate when the data was last viewed, ensuring that readers can reference the same information you accessed.

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