I create my experiments in PyGame so I figured I would cite it just like the people who create their experiments in software like E-Prime.
On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 8:30 AM, Joe Ranalli <[email protected]> wrote: > I think one thing to pay attention to also is the purpose for citing it. > Because that really guides the information that appears in the citation. > > If you're writing about some software you've created USING pygame, then the > purpose of that citation is to identify what pygame is for people who > haven't heard of it. In that case, the main purpose of the paper is your > software, not pygame, and the most important part of the citation is > communicating with readers how to find out about pygame. While you'll list > the year and author and everything, ultimately all people need to know to > follow your work is the pygame website. > > If instead you're writing about technical details of pygame, then it would > be much more important to format the citation in a more elaborate way, > including things like version number, maybe platform, etc. Since PyGame > isn't really research software, those facts are probably more important than > the exact way you choose to credit the authorship. That is, the reason > you're crediting the authors in this case is more to acknowledge the hard > work of the people who created and contribute to PyGame, and where they can > get it, rather than directing readers to somebody who conducts technical > research on this particular software. > > There are indeed groups out there who are extremely picky about exactly how > every single citation is listed and will throw a fit if you exchange a comma > with a period. In my experience with technical writing in the sciences > though, it's largely not addressed in such a specific manner. You said that > you don't have an explicit citation format for open source software. I don't > think it's unreasonable for you to use good judgment in trying to create a > citation that approximates the closest specified citation format (maybe > general software), but provides enough information to allow readers to > figure out what you've done. If that means listing the version when not > explicitly called for, or omitting something not relevant from the style, > you're well justified in doing so. If anybody bitches about it, explain > your reasoning, and ask them to explain what they'd like to see > added/removed. > > > > On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 6:08 AM, René Dudfield <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Maybe "PyGame Development team" would be best. >> >> From this thread there are some examples of how some projects are cited: >> http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1230811 >> >> """R Development Core Team (2005). R: A language and environment for >> statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, >> Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL http://www.R-project.org. """ >> >> """ GRASS Development Team (<year>). Geographic Resources Analysis Support >> System (GRASS), GNU General Public License. http://grass.osgeo.org """ >> >> It's very interesting that there is no standard way to cite FOSS >> projects. Or maybe that thread shows the standard way? >> >> Maybe the original author is Mark Baker, the original author of pysdl that >> pygame is derived from? How are derivative works handled? >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 11:44 AM, Florian Krause >> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> I personally would always cite with the original author(s), because >>> (at least for APA style) there is no clear rule when it comes to >>> citing Open Source software. >>> PyGame would then look something like this: >>> >>> Pete Shinners (2011). PyGame - Python Game Development. Retrieved from >>> http://www.pygame.org >>> >>> Hope this helps, >>> Florian >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Nov 7, 2011 at 12:09 AM, Ryan Hope <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > I realize its an open source project. However, I can't cite 40+ >>> > authors nor is there any sort of unifying group which I could cite. >>> > >>> > On Sun, Nov 6, 2011 at 10:30 AM, René Dudfield <[email protected]> >>> > wrote: >>> >> Hi, >>> >> >>> >> I don't know of a preferred way, or what is usual for open source >>> >> projects... >>> >> >>> >> That entry looks like it could be fine I guess? >>> >> >>> >> Does the year have to be the start year, or just the current year? It >>> >> is >>> >> published continuously from the year 2000 until now. >>> >> >>> >> Also, for Author I see pygame as a community open source project these >>> >> days >>> >> with many contributors. At least 30-40 people have made significant >>> >> contributions to the source code, and many more to other parts of >>> >> pygame >>> >> (releasing projects, wiki edits, writing tutorials, etc). >>> >> >>> >> cheers, >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> >>> >> On Sun, Nov 6, 2011 at 3:30 PM, Ryan Hope <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> Is there a preferred way to cite PyGame in a journal article? At the >>> >>> moment I am using the following BibTex entry but I am not sure how >>> >>> correct this is. >>> >>> >>> >>> @Misc{pygame, >>> >>> author = {Pete Shinners}, >>> >>> title = {PyGame}, >>> >>> howpublished = {\url{http://pygame.org/}}, >>> >>> year = {2011} >>> >>> } >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Ryan Hope, M.S. >>> >>> CogWorks Lab >>> >>> Department of Cognitive Science >>> >>> Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute >>> >> >>> >> >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > -- >>> > Ryan Hope, M.S. >>> > CogWorks Lab >>> > Department of Cognitive Science >>> > Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute >>> > >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> www.fladd.de - fladd.de: Homepage of Florian Krause >>> blog.fladd.de - fladd's Blog: Blog of Florian Krause >>> intermezzo.fladd.de - Intermezzo: Music by Florian Krause and Giacomo >>> Novembre >> > > -- Ryan Hope, M.S. CogWorks Lab Department of Cognitive Science Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
