[Python-ideas] Add citation() to site.py

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Nathaniel Smith writes:
> Steve Dower wrote:

 > > It's also arguable as to how valuable reproducing the results in an
 > > identical environment actually is. Yes, your code runs on a different
 > > machine, but if your "research" is code then you are a developer, not a
 > > scientist.
 > 
 > The complication here is that it turns out that if you follow this
 > definition, then there are fewer and fewer scientists every year. Soon
 > there will be none left :-).

Actually, there is an ever-increasing number of wannabes who just go
through the motions.  At least among business academics, they are the
ones most likely to cite (rather than publish in an "appendix
available from the author") software (including programming languages
like Python and application environments like R, as well as pure
applications like SPSS).  I suppose you might consider that an
argument against citation(). ;-)

Which is a partial answer to Guido: it turns out that in academic
business statistics, there is substantial disagreement about
appropriate models (especially in what is called "factor analysis" and
"structural equation modeling"), which lead to differing calculations.
As it happens, SPSS by default provides a particular factor analysis
function that uses a now-deprecated model.  You wouldn't know that
without reading the SPSS manual.  Other examples relevant to citing
Python (with version info) include PRNGs (already mentioned), and
validation depending on order of iteration of dicts, which are
implementation dependent.

this doesn't necessarily motivate for implementation in the
interpreter, though.

 > These questions around reproducibility/replicability are also
 > extremely hot topics in science right now... not clear how it will all
 > play out, but I think it's safe to say that there are a lot of
 > scientists who think recording and communicating exact environments is
 > very valuable.

I'm sure Dr. Obokata wishes she had been able to do so!