A versioned dataset source note should name the relation type, not only the DOI

A versioned dataset source note should name the relation type, not only the DOI. A DOI identifies a record, but version metadata explains whether that record is the current release, a previous release, a supplement, or one item in a chain.

DataCite relationType documentation defines relations such as IsNewVersionOf and IsPreviousVersionOf. Those relation names are not decorative. They tell a curator whether a cited dataset version is newer than another version or has been superseded by a later one. DataCite schema version pages also make clear that metadata itself has versions, so the source trail should be explicit about both the object version and the metadata view checked.

A practical dataset note should include DOI, title, repository, version label, release date, access date, relationType, related identifier, and the claim supported by that version. If a summary says “the dataset contains 2024 survey responses,” the note should say which dataset version was checked. If a newer version adds 2025 data, the old claim may remain historically true but should not be presented as the current dataset scope.

This is important for reproducibility. A reader trying to recreate a chart, table, or policy summary needs the same version, not only the same project name. Relation type turns the source trail from a link list into a version map.

A versioned dataset source note should name the relation type, not only the DOI

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