Crediting the original source of data or content as required by its licence or terms of use.
Many open data licences — including Creative Commons BY licences and the Open Government Licence – Canada — require users to credit the data provider when they use, publish, or redistribute the data. Attribution typically includes the name of the data provider, the dataset title, and a link to the original source.
Attribution requirements vary by licence. Some licences require attribution in all uses; others only require it for public redistribution. Some licences (like CC0) waive attribution entirely.
Example: A developer builds a web application using transit data from a city's open data portal. The portal's licence requires attribution. The developer includes a note in the application: "Transit data provided by the City of Ottawa under the Open Government Licence – Canada."
Failing to provide required attribution is a licence violation, even when the data is freely available. Always read the licence before publishing work that uses open data.