How to Cite the Community Needs Assessment

Need to cite data found in your reports? We’ve got you covered.

Identify Original Sources

Retrieve Relevant SparkMap URL

Construct Your Citation

Step 1 – Identify Original Sources to Cite

Once you’ve selected the specific section of your report you wish to reference, identify its original source to cite.

In the report, each indicator’s source is listed beneath its relevant table (Figure 1, circled in red).

*Figure 1 – Source for “Population Commuting to Work Alone in a Car”*

Want to cite your entire report? Download your report’s source and methodology breakdown! If you also need to cite your SparkMap report in a one-line citation, simply skip step 1 and follow steps 2 and 3 of this tutorial.

Step 2 – Retrieve Relevant SparkMap URL

After identifying your data’s source, retrieve your report’s URL. You can access a shortlink by clicking the “Share” button at the top right corner of your report (Figure 2, circled in red).

*Figure 2 – “Share” button on final report page*

Step 3 – Construct Your Citation

Use the indicator source to build your citation. We recommend the following format: Data source (year) [insert data set name]. Courtesy of SparkMap, retrieved Month Day, Year, url.

Example: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2016-20) [Population Commuting to Work Alone in a Car]. Courtesy of SparkMap, retrieved November 15, 2022, https://cares.page.link/Kkb5.