[Python-ideas] Add a __cite__ method for scientific packages

[Nathan Goldbaum]

On Thu, Jun 28, 2018 at 11:26 PM, Alex Walters <tritium-list at sdamon.com>
wrote:

> But don't all the users who care about citing modules already use the
> scientific python packages, with scipy itself at it's center?  Wouldn't
> those engaging in science or in academia be better stewards of this than
> systems programmers?  Since you're not asking for anything that can't be
> done in a third party module, and there is a third party module that most
> of the target audience of this standard would already have, there is zero
> reason to take up four names in the python runtime to serve those users.
>


Not all scientific software in Python depends on scipy or even numpy.
However, it does all depend on Python.

Although perhaps that argues for a cross-language solution :)

I still think it would be very nice to have an official standard for
citation information in Python packages as codified in a PEP. That would
reduce ambiguity and make it much easier for tool-writers who want to parse
citation information.

> -----Original Message-----
> > From: Adrian Price-Whelan <adrianmpw at gmail.com>
> > Sent: Friday, June 29, 2018 12:16 AM
> > To: Alex Walters <tritium-list at sdamon.com>
> > Cc: Steven D'Aprano <steve at pearwood.info>; python-ideas at python.org
> > Subject: Re: [Python-ideas] Add a __cite__ method for scientific packages
> >
> > For me, it's about setting a standard that is endorsed by the
> > language, and setting expectations for users. There currently is no
> > standard, which is why packages use __citation__, __cite__,
> > __bibtex__, etc., and as a user I don't immediately know where to look
> > for citation information (without going to the source). My feeling is
> > that adopting __citation__ or some dunder name could be implemented on
> > classes, functions, etc. with less of a chance of naming conflicts,
> > but am open to discussion.
> >
> > I have some notes here about various ideas for more advanced
> > functionality that would support automatically keeping track of
> > citation information for imported packages, classes, functions:
> > https://github.com/adrn/CitationPEP/blob/master/NOTES.md
> >
> > On Thu, Jun 28, 2018 at 10:57 PM, Alex Walters <tritium-list at sdamon.com>
> > wrote:
> > > Why not scipy.cite() or scipy.citation()?  I don't see any reason for
> these
> > > functions to ship with standard python at all.
> > >
> > >> -----Original Message-----
> > >> From: Python-ideas <python-ideas-bounces+tritium-
> > >> list=sdamon.com at python.org> On Behalf Of Steven D'Aprano
> > >> Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2018 8:17 PM
> > >> To: python-ideas at python.org
> > >> Subject: Re: [Python-ideas] Add a __cite__ method for scientific
> packages
> > >>
> > >> On Thu, Jun 28, 2018 at 05:25:00PM -0400, Andrei Kucharavy wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > As for the list, reserving a __citation__/__cite__ for packages at
> the
> > > same
> > >> > level as __version__ is now reserved and adding a citation()/cite()
> > >> > function to the standard library seemed large enough modifications
> to
> > >> > warrant searching a buy-in from the maintainers and the community at
> > >> large.
> > >>
> > >> I think that an approach similar to help/quit/exit is warranted. The
> > >> cite()/citation() function need not be *literally* built into the
> > >> language, it could be an external function written in Python and added
> > >> to builtins by the site.py module.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Steve
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Python-ideas mailing list
> > >> Python-ideas at python.org
> > >> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-ideas
> > >> Code of Conduct: http://python.org/psf/codeofconduct/
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Python-ideas mailing list
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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Adrian M. Price-Whelan
> > Lyman Spitzer, Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow
> > Princeton University
> > http://adrn.github.io
>
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