Four simple recommendations to encourage best practices in research software

Rafael C. Jiménez, Mateusz Kuzak, Monther Alhamdoosh, Michelle Barker, Bérénice Batut, Mikael Borg, Salvador Capella-Gutierrez, Neil Chue Hong, Martin Cook, Manuel Corpas, Madison Flannery, Leyla Garcia, Josep Ll Gelpí, Simon Gladman, Carole Goble, Montserrat González Ferreiro, Alejandra Gonzalez-Beltran, Philippa C. Griffin, Björn Grüning, Jonas HagbergPetr Holub, Rob Hooft, Jon Ison, Daniel S. Katz, Brane Leskošek, Federico López Gómez, Luis J. Oliveira, David Mellor, Rowland Mosbergen, Nicola Mulder, Yasset Perez-Riverol, Robert Pergl, Horst Pichler, Bernard Pope, Ferran Sanz, Maria V. Schneider, Victoria Stodden, Radosław Suchecki, Radka Svobodová Vařeková, Harry Anton Talvik, Ilian Todorov, Andrew Treloar, Sonika Tyagi, Maarten van Gompel, Daniel Vaughan, Allegra Via, Xiaochuan Wang, Nathan S. Watson-Haigh, Steve Crouch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number876
JournalF1000Research
Volume6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017

Keywords

  • Best practices
  • Code
  • FAIR
  • Guidelines
  • Open Science
  • Open Source
  • Quality
  • Recommendations
  • Software
  • Sustainability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Immunology and Microbiology
  • General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

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