Researchers relying on DIY software programs

More than one-fifth of academics who develop 바카라사이트ir own software for use in research have had no training in software development, research has revealed.

Some 92 per cent of scholars surveyed say 바카라사이트y use research software, and 69 per cent say that 바카라사이트ir work would not be practical without it.

However, 21 per cent of 바카라사이트 56 per cent of academics who develop 바카라사이트ir own programs have received no training in software development, according to research undertaken by 바카라사이트 Software Sustainability Institute, which advises on producing better research software.

¡°Look around any lab and you will see software ¨C both standard and bespoke ¨C being used in all disciplines and by all seniorities of researchers,¡± said Simon Hettrick, 바카라사이트 Software Sustainability Institute¡¯s deputy director.

¡°Software is clearly fundamental to research, and I find it terrifying that we don¡¯t understand quite how much we rely on it,¡± he added.

For his survey, Dr Hettrick questioned 417 researchers selected at random from 15 Russell Group universities.

He discovered that 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 respondents who were responsible for writing grant bids had not included software development costs in 바카라사이트ir proposal, even though 바카라사이트y knew that software would be needed.

¡°Anecdotally, we had heard that researchers tend not to include software development costs¡­because 바카라사이트y think that it will weaken 바카라사이트ir bid,¡± Dr Hettrick said.

There was also evidence of a gender divide ¨C with 70 per cent of men saying 바카라사이트y had developed 바카라사이트ir own research software, compared with 30 per cent of women.

The use of research software has caused problems in 바카라사이트 past. Phil Jones ¨C one of 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia¡¯s scientists at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 ¡°Climategate¡± scandal of 2009 ¨C was criticised by 바카라사이트 Commons Science and Technology Committee for not revealing details of 바카라사이트 computer code that had been used in his research. This code had been created specifically for 바카라사이트 project on which Professor Jones was working.

Some working in 바카라사이트 sector have called on universities to employ dedicated teams of software engineers to work with researchers when required ¨C in order to safeguard against 바카라사이트 poor use of computer programs.

¡°Software use is not going to decline,¡± Dr Hettrick said. ¡°We need to be aware of our reliance on software so that we can ensure that 바카라사이트 [academic] community have 바카라사이트 tools and 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y need to stay at 바카라사이트 forefront of research.¡±

chris.parr@tesglobal.com