Software vs. data in the context of citation

Abstract

Software is data, but it is not just data. While "data" in computing and information science can refer to anything that can be processed by a computer, software is a special kind of data that can be a creative, executable tool that operates on data. However, software and data are similar in that they both traditionally have not been cited in publications. This paper discusses the differences between software and data in the context of citation, by providing examples and referring to evidence in the form of citations.

Towards FAIR principles for research software

“…As such, they share particular characteristics that allow them to be treated alike for certain aspects of FAIR, such as the possibility of having a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) assigned, or having a license. However, as elaborated by Katz et al [4], there are also several significant differences between data and software as digital research objects: Data are facts or observations that provide evidence. In contrast, software is the result of a creative process that provides a tool for doing something, for example with data.…”

Taking a fresh look at FAIR for research software

“…As discussed by Katz et al (2016), software is data, but it is not just data. While "data" in computing and information science can refer to anything that can be processed by a computer, software is a special kind of data that can be a creative, executable tool that operates on data.…”

Jupyter Notebooks as Discovery Mechanisms for Open Science: Citation Practices in the Astronomy Community

“…Together, they promote best practices that address the unique characteristics of software such as using a DOI associated with a specific software release to implement the unique identification principle [4]. Software packages, including code, scripts, and algorithms, are executable entities, making them difficult to describe as fixed digital objects [11], [12]. From a computational science perspective, each software layer depends upon the robustness of the all the layers below it.…”