Complex Citation Object (CCO) Generator

Overview

The Complex Citation Object (CCO) Generator is a modular software application designed to solve the "data citation scaling problem" in scientific publishing.

Modern research often relies on hundreds or thousands of distinct datasets and software tools. Traditional citation lists in journal articles cannot scale to support this volume, leading to lost credit and broken provenance. This tool enables researchers to collate these references into a single, citable Complex Citation Object (CCO) based on the OAI-ORE (Object Reuse and Exchange) standard.

This work is informed by the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Complex Citation Working Group Recommendations:

• https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00130

Architecture & Design

This project follows a "Core Library + Service Wrapper" architecture to ensure portability and scalability. The system is designed to be deployed by diverse entities including journals, data repositories, and research institutions, without being tightly coupled to a single infrastructure.

Key Documentation

• Product Requirements: Detailed breakdown of functional, non-functional, and broader business requirements.
• Architecture Decision Record (ADR-001): The technical blueprint for the system, including the C4 model, data structures, and core design patterns.

System Components

The architecture is composed of three primary layers:

1. cco-core (Python Library): A standalone Python package responsible for the domain logic: parsing BibTeX/Lists, validating inputs, and generating the OAI-ORE graph. It allows for offline, script-based CCO generation.

2. cco-service (API & Worker): A FastAPI-based web service that wraps the core library. It manages user sessions, handles asynchronous metadata enrichment (fetching titles for raw DOIs), and provides authentication for repository adapters.

3. cco-frontend (User Interface): A React-based Single Page Application (SPA) providing a human-friendly interface for creating, editing, and publishing CCOs.

Quickstart

Step 1: Start the Environment

docker-compose up --build

Step 2: Verify Access

• Frontend: Open http://localhost:3000.
• Backend Docs: Open http://localhost:8000/docs (Automatic Swagger UI).
• Redis: Connect via localhost:6379 using a tool like TablePlus or RedisInsight.

Step 3: Develop!

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed development workflows, architectural guardrails, and testing instructions.