Embarking on the path to verify, replicate, or build upon the results presented in papers published in IEEE Transactions can be daunting if you are unable to access the codes used to generate those results. While not all authors share their code, there are strategic methods to increase your chances of locating the code. This article outlines several strategies to help you discover the code behind your favorite IEEE Transactions paper.

Introduction

The reproducibility of research results is fundamental in the scientific community, and accessing the underlying code is a crucial step in this process. However, many researchers do not make their code publicly available. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to find and access the code when the paper does not explicitly state its availability.

Strategies for Finding Code

Check the Papers Supplementary Material

Many authors provide additional information, including code, in the supplementary materials or appendices. Look for a dedicated section or file that may contain the code. This is often the first place to start as the authors are required to include supplementary material if they want to satisfy the publication requirements.

Look for a GitHub Repository

Considering the popularity of platforms like GitHub, many researchers share their code here. Typically, you can find a reference to the GitHub repository in the paper or the supplementary materials. Searching directly on GitHub can also be an effective method. Use the paper title or key terms to construct a search query.

Visit the Authors' Personal or Institutional Webpage

Researchers usually share their work on their personal or institutional webpages. A quick Google search with the author's name and the paper title often leads to the desired results. Additionally, many institutional webpages have sections dedicated to publications and research, where you might find a link to the code.

Contact the Authors

If the code is not readily available online, reaching out to the authors directly is a viable option. Email the corresponding author with a polite request to share the code. Many researchers are willing to share their work if they receive such requests, especially if it expands the impact of their research. Be prepared that commercial software or proprietary information might restrict code distribution.

Search for Related Works

The code may also be included in related papers or follow-up studies. Review the references in the paper to identify these. Searching the references might lead you to other publications where the code is available, either in the main text or in the supplementary materials.

Use Code Sharing Platforms

Sites like CodeOcean Papers with Code and Model Zoo host code and datasets linked to specific papers. These platforms can be a valuable resource for finding code that is not explicitly mentioned in the paper.

Explore Preprint Servers

Preprint servers like arXiv often host manuscripts that include more details than the final version. The preprint version may contain links or references to the code, making it a useful resource to check before contacting the authors.

IEEE Xplore

While IEEE Xplore itself may not host code, authors occasionally provide links or references to their code within the paper. This is especially true for papers that are part of a larger research project or have supplementary material.

Obtaining Data, Algorithms, etc., for Journal Results

Access to data, algorithms, and other computational tools used to produce results published in journals requires communication with the authors. Typically, you would write to the corresponding author and request the information. The availability and distribution of code and data can depend on several factors:

Commercial Software: If the authors used a commercial package (e.g., a finite element code), you may need to purchase a license to use it.Internal Restrictions: The code may be part of a proprietary intellectual property that the authors cannot or do not want to distribute. They may also have institutional processes to follow before releasing the code.Funding Constraints: If there is no funding left to follow the release process, or the code contains proprietary information, the authors may not be able to release it.NASA Requirement: In some cases, especially with NASA funding, a requirement is that data and algorithm theoretical basis descriptions (ATBDs) be placed in a public repository. Sometimes this includes the code, and sometimes it doesn’t.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly increase the likelihood of finding and obtaining the code behind your preferred IEEE Transactions paper. Always be respectful and polite when contacting the authors, as many researchers are willing to share their work but may have constraints to consider.