Authors who choose to cite the research data behind their published reports have a variety of options to entertain: domain style guides, publisher requirements, and data provider citation recommendations. Instructions from these sources may differ in terms of the range of required citation elements and guidance to authors on when and how research data merit citation. This presentation will compare the elements of recommended data citations with actual citations in published articles drawn from targeted disciplinary bodies of literature. By creating a window into the practice of data citation, this presentation seeks to understand what guidance is offered to authors who want to cite data and how authors actually compose these citations.