![Add source line to charts: Place source line directly below chart after export.; Use ABS format: Publisher (Period) Title [URL], accessed DD Month YYYY.; Cross-check all labels and values against the original data table.](/covers/preparing-a-chart-with-a-visible-source-and-date-1600.webp)
Original Research
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Preparing a chart with a visible source and date
A chart should make one supported pattern easier to see. It must also tell a journalist what was measured, when, where and from which data version. Without those …
Before exporting, put a visible source line directly beneath the chart. Identify the publisher and title, the reference period, and the access date; include the provider’s version or revision label when one is supplied.
Key elements for a chart with visible source and date
- Source line placementDirectly beneath the chart image
- Required source detailsPublisher, title, reference period, access date, version/revision label if provided
- ABS citation format exampleAustralian Bureau of Statistics (June 2020) Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, ABS Website, accessed 11 December 2020
- URL best practiceUse URL with reference period; avoid latest-release URLs for ABS data
Choose a form that fits the comparison
Use a line for a time series with consistent intervals, bars for discrete groups and a table when exact values matter. Keep the chart’s units and comparison period labelled.
Place the source line immediately below the chart image so it stays with the chart when shared. For an ABS webpage, use: Australian Bureau of Statistics (Reference period: Month YYYY) Title of webpage [URL], ABS Website, accessed DD Month YYYY.
Example: Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (June 2020) Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, ABS Website, accessed 11 December 2020. Here, June 2020 is the reference period and 11 December 2020 is the access date.
Link the title to the relevant issue URL; for printable material, display the full URL. The ABS’s How to cite ABS sources gives formats for webpages, time series spreadsheets, data cubes, census material and maps.
If the provider supplies a dataset version or revision label, place it after the reference period and copy it exactly; do not infer a label. For ABS material, use a URL containing the reference period rather than a latest-release URL, because ABS content is continuously updated.
Choosing the right chart type for your data
- Time series with consistent intervals
- Line chart
- Discrete groups or categories
- Bar chart
- Exact values required
- Table
Cross-check the finished image
Compare every label and plotted value with the data table used to make the chart. If the dataset has been revised, replace the old image so the chart and its source line refer to the same data.
Add a short text description alongside the chart stating what was measured and the main pattern for the reference period. The Australian Government Style Manual’s Alt text, captions and titles for images is an image-text reference.
Final verification steps before exporting a chart
- Verify all labels match the source dataCheck against original dataset
- Confirm plotted values are accurateCross-reference with data table
- Update if dataset has been revisedReplace old image to reflect current data
- Add descriptive textState what was measured and main pattern for the period
