# How to cite crossref and its api in my publication **URL:** \ **Category:** Interfaces for Machines\ **Tags:** rest-api, references, metadata-retrieval\ **Created:** [1 May 2023 20:00 UTC](https://community.crossref.org/t/how-to-cite-crossref-and-its-api-in-my-publication/3547 "2023-05-01T20:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@pop](https://community.crossref.org/u/pop)\ **Post date:** [1 May 2023 20:00 UTC](https://community.crossref.org/t/how-to-cite-crossref-and-its-api-in-my-publication/3547/1 "2023-05-01T20:00:37Z")
I have discovered _Crossref_ and its _API_, which I am trying to use it from Python. For now I tried _[Crossref Commons for Python](https://gitlab.com/crossref/crossref_commons_py)_ It looks like I will get tons of information useful for a paper I am writing, so I want to cite them all in my references. But I didn’t find citation guidelines for any of them: Crossref + Crossref api + Crossref commons Can you tell me the proper way to citate each of them in a bibliography? Thanks a lot in advance ---
**Author:** ![ifarley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.crossref.org/ifarley/32/44_2.png) [@ifarley](https://community.crossref.org/u/ifarley)\ **Post date:** [1 May 2023 20:48 UTC](https://community.crossref.org/t/how-to-cite-crossref-and-its-api-in-my-publication/3547/2 "2023-05-01T20:48:38Z")
Hi @pop , Thanks for your message, and welcome to the forum! Very happy to hear that you’ve found what you’ve been looking for using our REST API. Are you citing the works themselves that you found metadata records for in our API (I assume you’re not necessarily wanting to cite the API itself, but, rather, the works that you have found there? Your message reads that way to me. If so, you’ll just cite the DOIs in your bibliography - just as you would any other work/DOI. My best, Isaac ---
**Author:** ![pop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3be4f8/32.png) [@pop](https://community.crossref.org/u/pop)\ **Post date:** [1 May 2023 21:45 UTC](https://community.crossref.org/t/how-to-cite-crossref-and-its-api-in-my-publication/3547/3 "2023-05-01T21:45:17Z")
Hi @ifarley Thanks for your prompt reply. No, I am not asking how to cite the works returned by the API (that’s the only thing I already knew). You understood me the opposite way … looks like I was not explicit enough. - Yes, I do want to **cite the API itself** - Plus I want to know how to **cite Crossref itself** - And I also want to **cite the software package “Crossref Commons for Python” _itself_** (I ask it here because the API page says it is authored by Crossref) I couldn’t find any “how to cite us” information in any of their web pages. BTW, I take the opportunity to ask why I cannot put their links in this message (I tried in my first post but I was not allowed to post it). Thanks a lot ---
**Author:** ![ifarley](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/community.crossref.org/ifarley/32/44_2.png) [@ifarley](https://community.crossref.org/u/ifarley)\ **Post date:** [4 May 2023 02:45 UTC](https://community.crossref.org/t/how-to-cite-crossref-and-its-api-in-my-publication/3547/4 "2023-05-04T02:45:09Z")
Hi @pop , Thanks for clarifying. Sorry for my confusion. We do not have a specific way that we prefer people to cite our API or [crossref.org](http://crossref.org), citation format is specific to a discipline so you can apply whichever is specific to yourself. That said, citation best practices for citing data and software can be found here: [http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2015/01/how-to-cite-software-in-apa-style.html](http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2015/01/how-to-cite-software-in-apa-style.html) software: [Software citation principles [PeerJ]](https://peerj.com/articles/cs-86/) data: [https://www.force11.org/node/4771](https://www.force11.org/node/4771) > BTW, I take the opportunity to ask why I cannot put their links in this message (I tried in my first post but I was not allowed to post it). We receive a fair amount of spam into the community forum, so we require interaction in the forum before posting links. I have promoted your account, so you should be able to post links now. Thanks for your patience with us on that. Take a look at those links I provided and let me know if you have any follow-up questions, Isaac