One way to ensure your data can be cited, (whether by someone else or by you), to track usage and to ensure any data citations are added to journal citations is to give your data a persistent identifer, such as a DOI (Digital Object Identifier).
Giving your data a DOI:
- means that usage of your data can be followed as others use and cite your data.
- makes the data uniquely identifiable.
- means you will always be identified as the creator of the cited data.
- means your data can always be located with a simple web search.