Cite the extract as a dated, reproducible snapshot by recording the database, the exact query or filters, the access date, the exported file, and any snapshot or version identifier, so a reviewer can reconstruct the same extract instead of only reaching the current interface. The citation and evidence register should describe the extract itself, not just the database's home page.
What to record in the citation
- Database and interface. Name the database and the interface or API used, since the same records may be reachable through different query systems. DataCite's REST API, for example, exposes DOI metadata and supports queries and filters across works, repositories, providers, clients, and related entities.
- Query or filters. Write out the search terms, field filters, and any result selection or paging settings. Crossref documents bibliographic queries, filters, result selection, and cursor paging for retrieving and narrowing scholarly metadata, so those parameters belong in the record.
- Access date. State the date the extract was run, because records retrieved later may differ.
- Exported file. Identify the file produced by the export, including its name and format, and keep it with the evidence register.
- Snapshot or version identifier. Record any identifier the database supplies for the result set or record version.
How to format the reference
Follow the citation style your briefing uses for databases and datasets. Citing Medicine provides structured examples and rules for citing databases, websites, datasets, and other publication types, which gives you a consistent template for the database name, access date, and extract description.
What the register should let a reviewer do
A reviewer should be able to rerun the recorded query with the same filters and reach the same set of records, or open the saved export when the live records have changed. Pair each cited claim with the specific record identifiers it came from, so a changed record can be traced back to the statement it supported.
When records change after publication
If a record changes after the briefing is published, the access date and saved export document what the analyst saw at the time. Note the change and the new access date in the register when the extract is refreshed, and keep the earlier export so the original citation remains checkable.