Citing Our Data: Credit Formats for Writers

A short credit line

For a caption, a chart footer or a web page, this is enough:

Source: Smoke Atlas, [page title], reviewed [date]. [Page address].

Reference formats

Pick the layout your publication uses and fill in the brackets. We do not require any particular style.

Web page

Smoke Atlas. (Year, Month Day reviewed). Title of the page. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from [page address]

Downloadable dataset

Smoke Atlas. (Year). Name of the file, for example tobacco-tax-per-carton.csv [Data set]. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from [address of the data page]

In running text

According to Smoke Atlas (reviewed 27 October 2026), the page title says X.

Which date goes where

Each page shows when its facts were last reviewed, and each row in our CSV files carries the date we read the official source. Use the reviewed date for the version of the page you saw, and add your own access date. Tax rates and laws change; a figure that was right in October may not be right next April.

Cite the official source too

Our pages summarize laws, regulations and government notices, and each lists its official sources at the bottom. If your reader will act on a legal rule, tax figure or fine, cite that source alongside ours, or instead of ours. Our methodology and editorial policy explain how we check facts.

Using the downloads

You may reuse the files described on the open data page with credit and a link. If you change the data, say that you did. If you notice a figure that looks wrong, tell us so we can fix it for everyone who uses it.