Conservation sources

Citing Red List and Red Data Book Sources
Regional or national Red Data Books (e.g., country-level assessments of threatened taxa) are treated as conventional books and should be cited accordingly, with full bibliographic details and titles italicized in the reference list and, when used in full, in the main text.

In contrast, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is a dynamic, continuously updated online database, and individual species accounts are treated as authored contributions and should be cited as such. Red List citations should list the assessors/authors of the account, year of the assessment (or amended version), the species name (italicized), the database title (not italicized), and a DOI where available. An access date may be included but is not required when a DOI is provided.

When citing the Red List as a general resource rather than a species account, the International Union for Conservation of Nature should be listed as the author. The name "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species” should not be italicized in either the reference list or the main text.

Examples

Regional Red Data Book, in-text format:
“Conservation status was contextualized using the National Red Data Book of Mammals in Jordan (Eid et al. 2020).”

Regional Red Data Book, bibliography:
Eid E, Abu Baker M, Amr Z. 2020. National Red Data Book of Mammals in Jordan. IUCN Regional Office for West Asia, Amman, Jordan. doi:10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.12.en

IUCN Red List species account, in-text format:
"Actions were taken following the assessment of Lutra lutra on the IUCN Red List (Loy et al. 2022).”

IUCN Red List species account, bibliography:
Loy A, Kranz A, Oleynikov A, Roos A, Savage M, Duplaix N. 2022. Lutra lutra (amended version of 2021 assessment). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T12419A218069689.en

General citation to the Red List without author, in-text format:
The 2024 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2024) was included as a resource.

General citation to the Red List without author, bibliography:
International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2024. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Version 2024-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on 1 December 2024.