How to create a tracking code for code published to GitHub and KB articles

Summary

This article describes the steps needed to generate a tracking code (DOI) that can be used in your code and KB articles, so they can be easily found in future publications that cite your work.

Steps

One-Time System Setup

1. Go to the GitHub Organization settings page, expand Repository on the left side, and click Custom properties
   1. Add a custom property called DOI
2. In TDX admin, under Knowledge -> Custom Attributes, add a text attribute called DOI. For the description, enter Digital Object Identifier

One-Time Per User Setup

1. Create account in orcid.org
2. Create account in figshare.com
3. Link Figshare account to orcid account
4. Link Figsahre account to GitHub account

Individual Repository / Article Setup

1. Import GitHub repository into Figshare, and enable sync
2. Go into repo in figshare, click "Request DOI", review all metadata, and Publish.
   1. WARNING: The matadata you enter in this page stays there forever.... There is no way to change it!
   2. Copy the DOI number that is generated (it will be a link starting with https://doi.org/)
3. Once published, return to "My Data" in Figshare, click the checkbox next to your repository, and select Edit in Batch from the Actions dropdown
   1. Change the license to GPLv3 and click Save / Publish
4. Go to the GitHub repository's settings, and add the DOI # under the "DOI" custom property
5. Edit the repository's README file and add the proper citation example with the DOI#, then commit to main. Example:

   Citation

   If you find this repository, code, article or paper useful for your research, please cite it.

   Eisenberg Family Depression Center, Mongefranco, Gabriel, et al. (2024). MDEN. University of Michigan. https://github.com/DepressionCenter/MDEN. https://doi.org/10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.25438714

   DOI: 10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.25438714

6. In the corresponding KB article, go to edit -> settings and enter the DOI# (full doi.org URL) into the DOI custom attribute. Save & Publish.
7. Edit the KB article and add a Citation section at the bottom with the same wording used in GitHub, but change the github URL to that of the article.

Notes

• Any papers that cite your code or KB article should, in theory, include the DOI#. In the future, you can use the DOI# to find citations in published works at Michigan Research Experts, PubMed, Research Gate, etc.

Resources

• Scribbr Citation Generator

About the Author

Gabriel Mongefranco is a Mobile Data Architect at the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center. Gabriel has over a decade of experience in data analytics, dashboard design, automation, back end software development, database design, middleware and API architecture, and technical writing.   |   |