Visible chart source
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPIAUCNS)
Free chart source-line builder
Turn provenance into a source readers can actually follow.
Generate a concise on-chart source, a fuller data citation, and a separate methodology note. Built for newsletter writers, data journalists, researchers, and analysts working with official data, company filings, or original surveys.
1. Describe the data source
Start with a common source or enter the provenance fields from your dataset notes.
Publication-ready output
Three layers of provenance.
Full citation or caption
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers”, series/table CPIAUCNS, distributed via FRED, accessed July 20, 2026. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCNS
Method note
Method: 12-month percentage change calculated from monthly observations.
Rights check: Attribution does not automatically grant reuse permission. Review the original provider’s license or terms before publication.
A three-layer source record
Keep the image readable and the evidence reproducible.
Visible source
A short line on the chart names the producer, dataset, and useful identifier. It should remain legible after export.
Full citation
The caption, article, report, or chart record keeps the direct URL, access date, distributor, and release details.
Method note
A separate sentence explains calculations, filters, joins, estimates, averaging, indexing, or other transformations.
Need the complete sourcing standard?
Learn how to handle transformed data, multiple providers, revisions, vintages, rights, and source placement across newsletters, social graphics, reports, and slides.
Common sourcing questions.
What should a chart source line include?
Name the original data producer and the specific dataset, series, table, filing, or survey when space allows. Preserve the URL, identifier, retrieval date, and rights information in the longer record.
What is the difference between a source and a method note?
The source identifies where the observations came from. The method note explains what you changed, including averaging, indexing, filtering, inflation adjustment, joining, or estimating values.
How should I cite a FRED series?
Check the FRED Notes for the original producer, suggested citation, series ID, and copyright status. A concise chart line can credit the original producer via FRED and include the series identifier.
Should I include a retrieval date?
Include one when a database updates continuously, observations can be revised, or the page does not represent a fixed release. A vintage or release date may be even more important for historical analysis.
Does a citation give me permission to reuse the data?
No. Attribution and reuse rights are separate. Review the provider’s license, copyright notice, and terms—especially for commercial databases and reproduced graphics.
Does this create an APA, MLA, or Chicago citation?
The builder creates practical editorial source lines and data records for charts. It is not a replacement for a formal citation-style guide required by a journal, school, or publisher.