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Anzt H, Bach F, Druskat S, Löffler F, Loewe A, Renard BY, Seemann G, Struck A, Achhammer E, Aggarwal P, Appel F, Bader M, Brusch L, Busse C, Chourdakis G, Dabrowski PW, Ebert P, Flemisch B, Friedl S, Fritzsch B, Funk MD, Gast V, Goth F, Grad JN, Hegewald J, Hermann S, Hohmann F, Janosch S, Kutra D, Linxweiler J, Muth T, Peters-Kottig W, Rack F, Raters FH, Rave S, Reina G, Reißig M, Ropinski T, Schaarschmidt J, Seibold H, Thiele JP, Uekermann B, Unger S, Weeber R. An environment for sustainable research software in Germany and beyond: current state, open challenges, and call for action. F1000Res 2020; 9:295. [PMID: 33552475 PMCID: PMC7845155 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.23224.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Research software has become a central asset in academic research. It optimizes existing and enables new research methods, implements and embeds research knowledge, and constitutes an essential research product in itself. Research software must be sustainable in order to understand, replicate, reproduce, and build upon existing research or conduct new research effectively. In other words, software must be available, discoverable, usable, and adaptable to new needs, both now and in the future. Research software therefore requires an environment that supports sustainability. Hence, a change is needed in the way research software development and maintenance are currently motivated, incentivized, funded, structurally and infrastructurally supported, and legally treated. Failing to do so will threaten the quality and validity of research. In this paper, we identify challenges for research software sustainability in Germany and beyond, in terms of motivation, selection, research software engineering personnel, funding, infrastructure, and legal aspects. Besides researchers, we specifically address political and academic decision-makers to increase awareness of the importance and needs of sustainable research software practices. In particular, we recommend strategies and measures to create an environment for sustainable research software, with the ultimate goal to ensure that software-driven research is valid, reproducible and sustainable, and that software is recognized as a first class citizen in research. This paper is the outcome of two workshops run in Germany in 2019, at deRSE19 - the first International Conference of Research Software Engineers in Germany - and a dedicated DFG-supported follow-up workshop in Berlin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hartwig Anzt
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Felix Bach
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stephan Druskat
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Löffler
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Axel Loewe
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Bernhard Y. Renard
- Hasso Plattner Institute, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Gunnar Seemann
- University Heart Centre Freiburg Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Franziska Appel
- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Lutz Brusch
- Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Peter Ebert
- Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Volker Gast
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephan Janosch
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dominik Kutra
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Linxweiler
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thilo Muth
- Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Fabian Rack
- FIZ Karlsruhe - Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Malte Reißig
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Timo Ropinski
- Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Heidi Seibold
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, München, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefan Unger
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Quedlinburg, Germany
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Anzt H, Bach F, Druskat S, Löffler F, Loewe A, Renard BY, Seemann G, Struck A, Achhammer E, Aggarwal P, Appel F, Bader M, Brusch L, Busse C, Chourdakis G, Dabrowski PW, Ebert P, Flemisch B, Friedl S, Fritzsch B, Funk MD, Gast V, Goth F, Grad JN, Hegewald J, Hermann S, Hohmann F, Janosch S, Kutra D, Linxweiler J, Muth T, Peters-Kottig W, Rack F, Raters FH, Rave S, Reina G, Reißig M, Ropinski T, Schaarschmidt J, Seibold H, Thiele JP, Uekermann B, Unger S, Weeber R. An environment for sustainable research software in Germany and beyond: current state, open challenges, and call for action. F1000Res 2020; 9:295. [PMID: 33552475 PMCID: PMC7845155 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.23224.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Research software has become a central asset in academic research. It optimizes existing and enables new research methods, implements and embeds research knowledge, and constitutes an essential research product in itself. Research software must be sustainable in order to understand, replicate, reproduce, and build upon existing research or conduct new research effectively. In other words, software must be available, discoverable, usable, and adaptable to new needs, both now and in the future. Research software therefore requires an environment that supports sustainability. Hence, a change is needed in the way research software development and maintenance are currently motivated, incentivized, funded, structurally and infrastructurally supported, and legally treated. Failing to do so will threaten the quality and validity of research. In this paper, we identify challenges for research software sustainability in Germany and beyond, in terms of motivation, selection, research software engineering personnel, funding, infrastructure, and legal aspects. Besides researchers, we specifically address political and academic decision-makers to increase awareness of the importance and needs of sustainable research software practices. In particular, we recommend strategies and measures to create an environment for sustainable research software, with the ultimate goal to ensure that software-driven research is valid, reproducible and sustainable, and that software is recognized as a first class citizen in research. This paper is the outcome of two workshops run in Germany in 2019, at deRSE19 - the first International Conference of Research Software Engineers in Germany - and a dedicated DFG-supported follow-up workshop in Berlin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hartwig Anzt
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Felix Bach
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stephan Druskat
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, Germany
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Löffler
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Axel Loewe
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Bernhard Y. Renard
- Hasso Plattner Institute, Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Gunnar Seemann
- University Heart Centre Freiburg Bad Krozingen, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Franziska Appel
- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Lutz Brusch
- Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Peter Ebert
- Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Volker Gast
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephan Janosch
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Dominik Kutra
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Linxweiler
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thilo Muth
- Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Fabian Rack
- FIZ Karlsruhe - Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Malte Reißig
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Timo Ropinski
- Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Heidi Seibold
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, München, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefan Unger
- Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Quedlinburg, Germany
| | | |
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