Track 2 Lightning Talk: Should CITATION files be standardized? DruskatStephan 2017 This paper proposes and discusses the standardization of files that contain reference information for research software: <i>CITATION</i> files. While some research software provides files with information on how to reference the software for the purposes of citation, these files vary enormously in their syntax, format, contents, names and extensions. A standardization of <i>CITATION</i> files could boost the visibility of the contained information through machine-readability, and consequently possibilities for re-use. A standardization that would preserve human-readability at the same time would provide a compromise between free form text files and more elaborate systems for transitive credit.