NIP-A4

Citations

draft

This NIP defines the basic structure of citations required for embedded quotes, footnotes, endnotes, in-line references, appendices, and prompt records.

It covers internal (to Nostr addresses) and external (to the wider web or printed material) citations.

In-Event References

The fixed citations MAY be documented in-event, in whichever format the event normally handles, such as plain-text, Markdown, or Asciidoc. In-event references to nostr addresses MUST be formulated with similar information as in kind:30 (see below), according to the following format:

[author]. Nostr: "[title]". [published on].
nostr:[npub]
nostr:[event identifier, human-readable]

Example:

John Smith. Nostr: "The Truth About Time". 18 January 2024.
nostr:npub11038193028767404737...
nostr:naddr1992p01098091432700...

Ex-Event References

Ideally, citations SHOULD be documented ex-event, within the following structure, to ensure completeness, reusability, discoverability, and applicability of the citation.

kind:30 internal reference,
kind:31 external web reference,
kind:32 hardcopy reference,
kind:33 prompt reference

Event Structure

Internal Nostr reference

{
  "kind": 30,
  "pubkey": "<citation-writer-pubkey>",
  "tags": [
    ["c", "<kind>:<pubkey>:<hex event id>", "<relay hint>"]
    ["published_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format>"],
    ["title", "<title to display for citation>"],
    ["author", "<author to display for citation, such as a handle name or proper name of the npub>"],
    // additional, optional tags
    ["accessed_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format>"],
    ["location", "<where was it written or published>"],
    ["g", "<geohash of the precise location>"],
    ["summary", "<short explanation of which topics the citation covers>"]
  ],
  "content": "<text cited>"
}

External Web Reference

{
  "kind": 31,
  "pubkey": "<citation-writer-pubkey>",
  "tags": [
    // mandatory tags
    ["u", "<URL where citation was accessed>"]
    ["accessed_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format>"],
    ["title", "<title to display for citation>"],
    ["author", "<author to display for citation>"],
    // additional, optional tags
    ["published_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format>"],
    ["published_by", "<who published the citation>"],
    ["version", "<version or edition of the publication>"],
    ["location", "<where was it written or published>"],
    ["g", "<geohash of the precise location>"],
    ["open_timestamp", "<`e` tag of kind 1040 event>"],
    ["summary", "<short explanation of which topics the citation covers>"]
  ],
  "content": "<text cited>"
}

Hardcopy Reference

{
  "kind": 32,
  "pubkey": "<citation-writer-pubkey>",
  "tags": [
    ["accessed_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format>"],
    ["title", "<title to display for citation>"],
    ["author", "<author to display for citation>"],
    // additional, optional tags
    ["page_range", "<pages the citation is found on>"],
    ["chapter_title", "<chapter or section the citation is found within>"],
    ["editor", "who edited the publication"],
    ["published_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format>"],
    ["published_by", "<who published the citation>"],
    ["published_in", "<journal name>", "<volume>"],
    ["doi", "<DOI number>"],
    ["version", "<version or edition of the publication>"],
    ["location", "<where was it written or published>"],
    ["g", "<geohash of the precise location>"],
    ["summary", "<short explanation of which topics the citation covers>"]
  ],
  "content": "<text cited>"
}

Prompt Reference

{
  "kind": 33,
  "pubkey": "<citation-writer-pubkey>",
  "tags": [
    ["llm", "<language model used for the prompt, like ChatGPT>"]
    ["accessed_on", "<date-time in ISO 8601 format"],
    ["version", "<version or edition of the model>"],
    ["summary", "<prompt conversation script>"],
    // additional, optional tags
    ["u", "<website llm was accessed from>"]
  ],
  "content": "<text cited>"
}

Markup Scheme

Traditional Citations

[[citation::end::nevent018472...]] Endnotes, placed in full, in the "References" section, at the end of the publication.

[[citation::foot::nevent018472...]] Footnotes, placed next to the text they will reference, and replaced by the client with a superscript number or similar, and then listed in full at the bottom of the corresponding section.

[[citation::foot-end::nevent018472...]] Footnotes that link to a corresponding endnote. Only a brief reference, at the bottom of the section.

[[citation::inline::nevent18478...]] In-line reference, such as "(Jackson, 2005, p. 16)", placed within a paragraph, with the complete data listed under "References".

[[citation::quote::nevent018472...]] Content quoted, with associated quote-header and corresponding endnote.

AI Citations

[[citation::prompt-end::nevent018472...]] AI citation, appearing in the "References" section, with full data listed.

[[citation::prompt-inline::nevent018472...]] AI citation, appearing next to the text they reference, with full data listed under "References". E.g. "(OpenAI, 2023)".

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