When Maps and GIS Data Appear in Malaysian Research
Malaysian postgraduate researchers in geography, urban planning, environmental studies, agriculture, and public health frequently use maps and geographic information system (GIS) data in their research — either as analytical tools that produce outputs used in the thesis, or as primary sources documenting geographic patterns relevant to the research problem. Knowing how to cite online maps and GIS data in APA correctly ensures these spatial sources are attributed with the same precision as any other data source.
Citing a Map From a Government Portal or Mapping Service
For a specific map produced by a government agency or authoritative mapping organisation, APA 7th treats it similarly to other institutional documents, with the producing organisation as the author and the map type in square brackets as the descriptor. The format is: Organisation Name. (Year). Title of map [Map]. Publisher. URL
Example: Jabatan Ukur dan Pemetaan Malaysia. (2023). Digital topographic map of Selangor [Map]. JUPEM. https://www.jupem.gov.my/maps/selangor-topo
For a map from an online platform like Google Maps or OpenStreetMap, where the platform itself generates the map view: Platform Name. (Year). Descriptive title of the specific map view [Map]. Platform Name. URL of the specific map view.
Example: Google Maps. (2024). Location map of postgraduate research institutions in Kuala Lumpur [Map]. Google Maps. https://maps.google.com/maps?…
Citing GIS Datasets
For GIS data downloaded from a repository — shapefiles, raster datasets, or vector data used in spatial analysis — cite the dataset using the same format as other research datasets: Organisation or Author. (Year). Name of dataset [Data set]. Repository Name. DOI or URL
Example: Department of Statistics Malaysia. (2023). Population census administrative boundaries shapefile 2020 [Data set]. DOSM Open Data Portal. https://www.dosm.gov.my/opencensus/…
Include the version of the dataset where version information is available, since GIS datasets are frequently updated as new survey data becomes available. The version number ensures your citation refers to the specific dataset you used rather than a later revision that may contain different boundary definitions or attribute data.
In-Text Citations for Maps and GIS Data
In-text citations for maps and GIS data follow the standard APA author-date format: (JUPEM, 2023) or (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023). In your methodology or findings chapter, briefly describe how the map or GIS data was used: “District administrative boundaries were obtained from the DOSM Open Data Portal (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023) and imported into ArcGIS 10.8 for spatial analysis.” This description connects the citation to its methodological function and provides the information needed to evaluate how the spatial data contributed to the research findings.
