dbouquin/cite_astro_software

Software associated with Credit Lost: Two Decades of Software Citation in Astronomy

Credit Lost: Two Decades of Software Citation in Astronomy

Scripts and Datasets

This folder contains files related to a case study examining software citation practices in Astronomy.

If you would like to cite this repository, please link to the archival copy on Zenodo

Citation infomation is also available in the codemeta.json file.

Summary:

CfA Library staff identified nine software packages developed in whole or in part at the CfA. The packages selected represent codes with varying degrees of complexity and would be expected to be cited across different timeframes within a 23 year period.

Software packages included in the study:

1. AstroBlend
2. Astropy
3. PlasmaPy
4. RADMC-3D
5. SAOImage DS9
6. spec2d
7. Stingray
8. TARDIS
9. WCSTools

Library staff gathered "aliases" for the selected software packages through interviews with developers and online searches to build a list of search terms that could be used to refer to the software packages in articles. Staff also added identifiers and links associated with each package to the aliases list; associated identifiers and links include those tied to ADS bibcodes, Zenodo records, ASCL records, arXiv eprints, and URLs to many different types of websites. Preferred citations were also noted when they exist.

Two different types of searches were conducted to better understand software citation practices in astronomy. The results of this case study will be used to:

• recommend comprehensive reviewer and editor guidelines/inform policy development among publishers
• develop training and other resources for article authors and software developers to improve software citation practices
• inform the prioritization and development of tools that could be used to support software citation