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How to cite Lovelace's Square resources

In science, proper citation is not just a formality; it is a fundamental expression of respect and integrity. Recognition is the currency of scientific work. When we cite others’ contributions, we acknowledge the effort, creativity, and expertise that went into developing methods, writing code, or generating datasets.

Failing to cite properly not only disrespects the original authors but also undermines the collaborative nature of scientific progress. This is why, at Lovelace’s Square, we take documentation and attribution very seriously. We aim to ensure that credit goes where it deserves and to contribute to a culture of fairness, openness, and transparency in research.

Some considerations

It often happens that someone develops an idea, invests significant effort into it, and publishes it in a peer-reviewed journal. Later, another person implements that idea in code and shares it publicly. This latter contribution also requires substantial effort and deserves recognition.

When citing code implementations, it is important to give proper credit to the authors who developed the code. However, this should not replace citing the original method or idea. The code author is sharing an implementation of someone else’s concept, so the original authors must be acknowledged first.

Therefore, we distinguish between two different types of contributions:

  1. The proposal of a novel method or idea, and
  2. The implementation of that method in code.

Both contributions are valuable, but the second should never overshadow the first. This principle should be made clear in all code documentation and in any resource shared within Lovelace’s Square.

To clarify this distinction, we provide below a set of guidelines on how to properly cite resources from Lovelace’s Square.

I want to cite a resource from Lovelace’s Square and I am not the author

When you use code, methods, or datasets from Lovelace’s Square, the first and most important step is to always check the author’s instructions. If the documentation of the code is properly done, the author should have provided clear guidance on how to cite their work. Please respect those instructions.

In case there are no citation instructions provided, we recommend following these rules:

Citing novel methods available at Lovelace’s Square

If the author of the code, toolbox, or resource has built a novel method and makes it available at Lovelace’s Square, please check if there is a reference to the method in a peer-reviewed journal. This is the most important citation and should always take priority. The original scientific publication that describes the method is the primary source of credit.

Example: citing a novel method

Imagine you use a new spectral analysis technique called Adaptive Noise Filtering (ANF), developed and published by its authors in 2024 and shared at Lovelace’s Square.

Step 1: Check the code documentation. The author provides a citation to their original paper.

Smith, L., & Zhao, T. (2024). Adaptive Noise Filtering for Nonlinear Spectral Denoising. Journal of Analytical Algorithms, 12(3), 155–170.
DOI: 10.1234/jaa.2024.155

Step 2: Cite the paper in your work, since it presents the novel method:

“Data were denoised using the Adaptive Noise Filtering (ANF) method proposed by Smith and Zhao [5].”

Step 3: Optionally, mention the code source from Lovelace’s Square for reproducibility:

“The implementation of the ANF method used in this study is available at Lovelace’s Square [Smith, L., & Zhao, T., 2024. Adaptive Noise Filtering (ANF). Lovelace’s Square. Last accessed: January 15, 2025].”

Citing existing (non-novel) methods available at Lovelace’s Square and I am not the author

If the author of the code, toolbox, or resource published it but it is not a novel method (for example, it implements a widely used or well-known approach), you should first cite the original peer-reviewed publication that describes the method, and then, the code. The authors of the method deserves credit but so does the author who implemented it in code.

You can cite it as follows:

“The [title of the code] code we have used is available at Lovelace’s Square [Author(s), Year. Title of the code. Lovelace’s Square. Last accessed: Date] in the corresponding section of the paper, such as Methods or Acknowledgements.”

At this moment, Lovelace’s Square does not provide DOIs for code implementations, but we are working to enable this feature in the future. So, it the author of the code provides a DOI for their implementation, please use it instead.

Example: citing a non-novel method

Imagine you used an implementation of the asymmetric least squares method for baseline correction, available at Lovelace’s Square, shared by a user but not by the original authors of the method.

Step 1: Check the code documentation. The author indicates that the method was originally published by Eilers & Boelens (2005).

Step 2: Cite the original peer-reviewed paper first:

Eilers, P. H. C., & Boelens, H. F. M. (2005). Baseline correction with asymmetric least squares smoothing. Leiden University Medical Centre Report, 1(1), 5.

Step 3: Mention the code availability. Priorize if exists in repositories with DOIs (e.g., Zenodo, Figshare). If not, cite the Lovelace’s Square resource as follows:

“The asymmetric least squares baseline correction code we have used is available at Lovelace’s Square [García, M., 2024. ALS baseline correction. Lovelace’s Square. Last accessed: January 15, 2025].”

Citing modified or derived implementations

If you adapt or extend someone else’s code, cite both the original implementation and your modified version. Make your modifications explicit in your documentation and clarify how they differ from the original work.

This ensures transparency, respects prior contributions, and prevents confusion about authorship or originality.

Example

Suppose you modify the ALS baseline correction code to add automatic parameter tuning. In that case, you should cite:

  1. The original paper describing the ALS method (Eilers & Boelens, 2005)
  2. The code implementation you built upon (e.g., García, 2024, Lovelace’s Square)
  3. Your own modified version, if shared publicly, with a note clarifying that it extends García’s implementation.

I am the author of a resource available at Lovelace’s Square and I want to make it citable

As an author contributing to Lovelace’s Square, it is your responsibility to provide clear citation instructions for your work. Here are some guidelines to help you make your resource citable:

  1. Cite the original method: If your code implements a method or idea from a peer-reviewed publication, always include a citation to that original work in your documentation.
  2. Provide citation instructions: In your code documentation (README file, docstrings, etc.), include a section on how to cite your work. Specify whether users should cite the original method, your implementation, or both.
  3. Use standard formats: Provide citation information in standard formats (e.g., APA, MLA, BibTeX) to make it easy for users to include in their references.
  4. Use persistent identifiers: Whenever possible, include persistent identifiers (DOI, ORCID, ROR) for your project and contributors.
  5. Be clear about contributions: Clearly distinguish between the original method and your implementation to avoid confusion among users.
  6. Encourage transparency: Document versions, dependencies, and any data used for testing your implementation.

Example citation section for a README file

If you use this code, please cite both the original method and this implementation:


Eilers, P. H. C., & Boelens, H. F. M. (2005). Baseline correction with asymmetric least squares smoothing. Leiden University Medical Centre Report, 1(1), 5.


Implementation:
García, M. (2024). ALS baseline correction. Lovelace’s Square. https://lovelacessquare.org/resources/als-baseline

Promoting fairness and inclusion

Lovelace’s Square is founded on the belief that open science thrives when recognition is shared fairly and transparently. We encourage all contributors and users to uphold the principles of equity, respect, and inclusivity in every collaboration.

Many of the advances shared on Lovelace’s Square come from the collective effort of researchers, students, developers, and enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds. We therefore ask all users to actively acknowledge contributions from early-career scientists, students, independent developers, and members of underrepresented communities whose work might otherwise be overlooked.

Open Science is not only about sharing knowledge freely; it is also about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to be seen, heard, and credited for their contributions.