Citing software with biblatex

Question

I want to cite software in APA style, this is what APA requires (Example for R):

R Core Team. (2019). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Version 3.6.1 [Computer Software]. Vienna, Austria. Retrieved from https://www.R-project.org/ (EPEL Repo)

The following prints [Computer Software Manual] - is there are way to have "Manual" removed?

@Manual{RCT2019,
  author       = {{R Core Team}},
  title        = {{R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Version 3.6.1}},
  year         = {2019},
  howpublished = {Vienna, Austria},
  date         = {2019},
  organization = {R Foundation for Statistical Computing},
  location     = {Vienna, Austria},
  url          = {https://www.R-project.org/ (EPEL Repo)},
}

Ref: https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2015/01/how-to-cite-software-in-apa-style.html

\documentclass[doc,natbib,floatsintext,12pt,noextraspace]{apa6}

\section*{REFERENCES}
\label{sec:REFERENCES}
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{REFERENCES}
\end{center}
\renewcommand{\bibsection}{}    % hides/removes References from the bibliography 
\urlstyle{same}                 % needed to surpress the typewrite style of ULR
\raggedright % without it, spaces between authors and titles too wide.
\bibliography{../Diss-Bibliography.bib}

Can you please post the code of a small, compilable dokument that shows the problem as well as your document setup? — gernot, Nov 14 '19 at 20:42
A minimal working example with bibliography (MWEB) would be nice — DG', Nov 14 '19 at 21:29
From the code shown so far it is pretty clear that you are not using biblatex, but it isn't quite clear to me which style you are using. Could you turn the code snippets shown so far into a fully compilable example document (an MWE https://tex.meta.stackexchange.com/q/228/35864 or MWEB https://tex.meta.stackexchange.com/q/4407/35864), please? — moewe, Nov 14 '19 at 22:22

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 01 '21 at 23:19

In case anyone is facing the same problem in 2021: I don't know which APA version the original question was referring to, but according to APA 7, the software's name should be in italics and followed by the software version in parentheses (See [https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7DatasetsSoftwareTests#s-lg-box-wrapper-24941466] for reference). So the entry should look like this:

R Core Team. (2019). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (Version 3.6.1) [Computer Software]. Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org %20(EPEL%20Repo)

I'm using biblatex with biber backend, and the following bibtex entry produced the desired output:

@software{RCT2019,
  author       = {{R Core Team}},
  year         = {2019},
  title        = {R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing},
  url          = {https://www.R-project.org/ (EPEL Repo)},
  version      = {3.6.1},
  note         = {Computer Software},
  howpublished = {Vienna, Austria},
  date         = {2019},
  organization = {R Foundation for Statistical Computing},
  location     = {Vienna, Austria}
}

Example for software developed by a single person (leaving out location):

@software{Birkholz.2020,
  author = {Birkholz, P.},
  year = {2020},
  title = {VocalTractLab},
  url = {https://www.vocaltractlab.de/index.php?},
  version = {2.3},
  note = {Computer Software}
}

Output:

Birkholz, P. (2020). VocalTractLab (Version 2.3) [Computer Software]. https://www.vocaltractlab.de/index.php?

gernot · Answer 2 · 2019-11-14T23:31:59.563

1

Here are four solutions.

Add a type field to the bib-entry of the manual

Add type = {Computer Software} to the bib-entry of the manual such that it reads

@Manual{RCT2019,
  author       = {{R Core Team}},
  title        = {{R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Version 3.6.1}},
  year         = {2019},
  howpublished = {Vienna, Austria},
  date         = {2019},
  organization = {R Foundation for Statistical Computing},
  location     = {Vienna, Austria},
  url          = {https://www.R-project.org/ (EPEL Repo)},
  type         = {Computer Software}
}

Redefine the command \bibcomputersoftwaremanual

If you don't want to edit all bib entries as required for the solution above, add the line

\let\bibcomputersoftwaremanual\bibcomputersoftware

before the \bibliography command.

Patch the bibliography style apacite.bst

Copy the bibtex style apacite.bst (located e.g. in /usr/local/texlive/2019/texmf-dist/bibtex/bst/apacite/) to the directory where you run bibtex. It contains the function definition

FUNCTION {manual}
{ %
  % If type is empty, assume that it is a computer software manual.
  %
  type empty$
    { "\bibcomputersoftwaremanual"  'type.2 := }
    'skip$
  if$
  misc
}

Replace the string \bibcomputersoftwaremanual by \bibcomputersoftware.

Change bib entry type @Manual to @Misc

With type @Misc, no extra strings like Computer software manual will be added by the bibliography style, you have to add them manually to the bib entry to the appropriate field.

edited Nov 14 '19 at 23:31

answered Nov 14 '19 at 22:38

gernot

49,614

Thanks, but the title is in italics with your solution, at least on my end. What is loading apacite.bst? Is that in the picture because I am using natbib in the documentclass? Or would it be anyways present in any Latex document? – togedo Nov 14 '19 at 23:22
2

Sorry, but this doesn't lead anywhere. Since you did not provide a small compilable sample document that illustrates your problem, we work with different settings. The sample document that I composed from the few clues in your posting does not have italic titles. – gernot Nov 14 '19 at 23:42
3

@togedo So, compose a small compilable document that shows what is wrong, and then ask a new question. Do not try to guess 'what matters' - you can't. – gernot Nov 14 '19 at 23:43
Ok, I'd like to provide a small doc, but my *.bib file is external,not sure how I can include bib entries directly in the tex file without adding an extra package do to this. – togedo Nov 15 '19 at 03:24
@togedo - Read this: https://tex.meta.stackexchange.com/a/4408/29873 and prepare your code accordingly – DG' Nov 15 '19 at 08:03
@DG, tried to add the packages and got a whole list of errors and warnings. I already achieved what I wanted. Will not spend more time on this issue. I appreciate very much your efforts to help. – togedo Nov 15 '19 at 08:27

togedo · Answer 3 · 2019-11-14T22:20:30.003

0

I found a solution, in case anyone needs this:

@Software{RCT2019,
  author       = {{R Core Team}},
  date         = {2010-02-19},
  howpublished = {{R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Version 3.6.1 [Computer Software]. Vienna, Austria}},
  note         = {EPEL Repo},
  url          = {https://www.R-project.org/ },
}

edited Nov 14 '19 at 22:20

answered Nov 14 '19 at 22:09

togedo

101

1

This does not seem to be a solution to the problem as stated in your posting. bibtex complains that @Software is an unknown entry type. Maybe you use a bibtex style other than the default apacite.bst that defines it, but this is not clear from your posting. – gernot Nov 14 '19 at 22:43
yes, bitex complains, but the output is correct. I found this solution here: https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/254610/how-can-i-use-bibtex-to-cite-a-software – togedo Nov 14 '19 at 23:12
What happens is that bibtex treats the unknown entry type @Software as @Misc. So better use this one from the outset. – gernot Nov 14 '19 at 23:26
hm, ok, works for me too, Thank you!! – togedo Nov 14 '19 at 23:32

Citing software with biblatex

3 Answers3