Bibcode
Encyclopedia
The bibcode is an identifier used by a number of astronomical
data systems to specify literature references. The bibcode was developed to be used in SIMBAD
and the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
(NED), but is now used more widely, for example, in the NASA Astrophysics Data System
. The code has a fixed length of 19 characters and has the form
YYYYJJJJJVVVVMPPPPA ,
where YYYY is the four-digit year of the reference and JJJJJ is a code indicating where the reference was published. In the case of a journal reference, VVVV is the volume number, M indicates the section of the journal where the reference was published (e.g., L for a letters section), PPPP gives the starting page number, and A is the first letter of the last name of the first author. Periods (.) are used to fill unused fields and to pad fields out to their fixed length if too short; padding is done on the right for the publication code and on the left for the volume number and page number. Some examples of the code are as follows:
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
data systems to specify literature references. The bibcode was developed to be used in SIMBAD
SIMBAD
SIMBAD is an astronomical database of objects beyond the Solar System...
and the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database is an on-line astronomical database for astronomers that collates and cross-correlates astronomical information on extragalactic objects...
(NED), but is now used more widely, for example, in the NASA Astrophysics Data System
Astrophysics Data System
The Astrophysics Data System , developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , is an online database of over eight million astronomy and physics papers from both peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed sources...
. The code has a fixed length of 19 characters and has the form
where YYYY is the four-digit year of the reference and JJJJJ is a code indicating where the reference was published. In the case of a journal reference, VVVV is the volume number, M indicates the section of the journal where the reference was published (e.g., L for a letters section), PPPP gives the starting page number, and A is the first letter of the last name of the first author. Periods (.) are used to fill unused fields and to pad fields out to their fixed length if too short; padding is done on the right for the publication code and on the left for the volume number and page number. Some examples of the code are as follows:
| Bibcode | Reference | |
| 1974AJ.....79..819H | ||
| 1924MNRAS..84..308E | ||
| 1970ApJ...161L..77K |