Question 1

How do I cite EXIOBASE?

Accepted Answer

Cite both the paper and the specific dataset version you used. The main references are: EXIOBASE 3: Stadler et al. (2018), Journal of Industrial Ecology 22(3): 502-515 (doi:10.1111/jiec.12715); EXIOBASE 2: Wood et al. (2015), Sustainability 7(1): 138-163 (doi:10.3390/su7010138). The data: cite the Zenodo record for your version (each release has its own DOI). Use of EXIOBASE also requires attribution under its licence: credit EXIOBASE and XIO Sustainability Analytics, and don't republish the raw coefficients.

Question 2

Where do I see what changed in a release, and are older versions still available?

Accepted Answer

Every release ships a changelog and release notes (on Zenodo, and in the additional-files folder for the factor dataset). Older versions stay archived on Zenodo with their own DOIs, so past analyses remain reproducible, though for current reporting we recommend the latest version (see which version for commercial use?). As of v3.12, for the pre-calculated emissions and impact factors: where a release gives you a new version of factors you already hold, it also comes with a change workbook (one row per region, sector and scope, covering every cell rather than a list of the largest movers, with the factor before and after, the quality flag in both releases, and why it changed) and a guide to presenting that change to an auditor. A release that only adds categories new to you replaces nothing, so there is no movement to report and none of that comparison material comes with it.

Questions, answered

Current release at a glance

Getting Started

Data Coverage & Structure

Choosing the Right Emission Factor

Citing & Reproducibility

Citing & Reproducibility