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Research Software

Research software includes all software code (including scripts, applications, models, tools, algorithms, etc.) that is being used to produce research results, but also software code that is the research result in itself. In addition to making publications and data openly available, it is also common to make research software available for reuse.

FAIR research software​

Although not all FAIR principles are directly applicable to research software, the philosophy remains the same:

  • Your software should be findable by publishing it in a publicly accessible repository and assigning it a persistent identifier (for each version), for example a citable DOI.
  • Rich metadata should be provided, as well as appropriate documentation.
  • Publish your research software in one of the available software repositories to achieve findability, accessibility and reusability. This will also help you manage version control.
  • In order to facilitate machine readability and data exchange, research software and its associated metadata should use a formal, accessible, shared and broadly applicable language.
  • Software and its associated metadata are accessible using a standardized communications protocol that is open, free and universally implementable.
  • Develop your software using standardized formats, protocols, and data structures to enhance its compatibility with other tools and systems. Here you can find a list of preferred formats that the Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) recommends.
  • Software and its associated metadata should have independent, clear and accessible usage licenses compatible with the software dependencies.

More information can be found here.

Software repositories​

There are several popular and well-regarded software repositories that researchers commonly use to host and share their research software. The choice of repository depends on factors such as the nature of your software, and your desired level of visibility and collaboration.

GitHub or GitLab are great places for keeping track of your code, and for making your code available for others. As a TU/e researcher, you can use TU/e GitLab server and GitHub with Enterprise access. Need to decide which platform to use? Check out the GitLab or GitHub (login required) page on the Research Cockpit.

Publish your code on Data Repositories​

You can publish your code through Zenodo or 4TU.ResearchData, so that you can get a DOI for a snapshot of your codebase, which usually corresponds with your release. Check out GitHub's Referencing and citing content page on how to make your software citable in GitHub through Zenodo.

FAQ​

Does TU/e have its own Gitlab server?
Yes, see TU/e GitLab.

Tools and Further Reading​