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How to Cite Thermo-Calc Products

How to Cite Thermo-Calc Products

It can be difficult to know how to reference the tools used to calculate results that are to be published. Below are suggestions about how to reference Thermo-Calc products in a publication.

General Reference to Thermo-Calc and DICTRA (as of June 2016 DICTRA is also Referred to as the Diffusion Module):

  • Andersson J.O., Helander T., Höglund L., Shi P.F., and Sundman B., (2002). Thermo-Calc and DICTRA, Computational tools for materials science. Calphad, 26, 273-312.
  • It is also recommended to include the software version number, for example, Thermo-Calc version 2024a. Now that the Add-on Modules are included in the software, this is the only version citation required.

Specific References for the DICTRA Homogenization Model in Thermo-Calc:

  • Larsson, H., (2014). ‘A Model for 1D Multiphase Moving Phase Boundary Simulations under Local Equilibrium Conditions’, Calphad, 47, 1–8.
  • Larsson, Henrik, and Lars Höglund, (2009). ‘Multiphase Diffusion Simulations in 1D Using the DICTRA Homogenization Model’, Calphad, 33, 495–501.

For Other Concepts, Features, Add-on Modules, or SDKs it is Suggested You Reference the Documentation. For Example:

  • In text: Name of the guide + software version number + (accessed date month year)
  • In a list of references: Name of the guide + software version number + main documentation URL + (accessed date month year)

* Note about the main documentation URL: On the Documentation page, the Current documentation URLs link to PDFs for the most recent version of the software guides. Each release, the specific PDF documentation for each type of guide is renamed and moved to an archive, also located on the documentation page. We therefore recommend you link to the main Documentation page rather than to a PDF, as the main page URL does not change. 

Examples:

  • In text:
    • The Precipitation Module (TC-PRISMA) User Guide 2024a (accessed 21 January 2024)
    • The TC-Python API Programmer Guide 2024a (accessed 21 January 2024)
    • Thermo-Calc Documentation Set, version 2024a (accessed 21 January 2024)

* More recent Add-on Modules or products, such as the Process Metallurgy Module, Steel Model Library, and Nickel Model Library, can use the Thermo-Calc Documentation Set as the citation as there are no stand-alone guides.

General Reference to Databases:

  • In text: Thermo-Calc Software + Database Name + version number
  • In a list of references: Thermo-Calc Software [Database Name] version [number], [main Database page URL] (accessed date-month-year)

* Note about the Database page URL: When you cite a database, use the URL from the page on our website that discusses that specific database, rather than PDFs associated with the database. This is because PDF URLs are updated with each new version, but the webpage URLs stay the same. You can find links to all of the database pages from this page: https://thermocalc.com/products/databases/

Examples:

DICTRA and TC-PRISMA Renamed as Add-on Modules

The integration of TC-PRISMA into Thermo-Calc in 2016a has prompted a module-based approach to naming these powerful features that require Thermo-Calc as the core software.

Diffusion_2016_RGB_35mm

In order to make it clearer as to how these two modules enhance Thermo-Calc, DICTRA has been renamed to the Diffusion Module (DICTRA). Although the DICTRA name is well-known and established in the literature, this module-based approach more clearly defines how DICTRA and Thermo-Calc work together.

Precipitation_2016_RGB_35mm

The same concept applies to TC-PRISMA, which is now called the Precipitation Module (TC-PRISMA). It is particularly relevant to this Add-on Module because when you purchase a license for the Precipitation Module you get the Precipitation Calculator. The Precipitation Calculator is integrated into the Graphical Mode interface, which is part of the Thermo-Calc tree structure and calculation engines and not a standalone piece of software.

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