Proper citing of the data used to create a map When map has
multiple data that comes from different sources, is it important
to cite it? If 'yes', then where is the best location to place a
citation within a map? Can legend place be used for that
purpose? Mapping Center Answer: If you did not create the data
yourself, citing it is absolutely the right thing to do. That
said, the citation text should be unobtrusive, i.e., the sort of
thing that nobody notices until they look specifically for it.
Usually this means a small type size and instead of using black
text, maybe a 70% gray text. For maps in languages where the
text is read left to right, usually assume the map is read from
the upper left to the lower right of the page or screen. The
lower left is often the last place map readers will look. That
said the geography your map depicts may also dictate
opportunities for a less noticeable location for citation
information. Also, since this topic has come up recently here,
it is good to cite not only the organ