Scientific software needs quality control

Scientific software needs quality control

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As computational tools become more important for researchers, we contend that the verification and validation of researcher-built software should happen long before it is published (_Nature_ 501, 472; 2013). The time and effort needed to fix errors increases exponentially the later they are identified. Exposing such computational errors only when a research paper is peer reviewed threatens to undo years of hard work. To unlock the full potential of computer-based science, software engineering must be at peak quality throughout. This depends on linking computer modelling with reality, demonstrating fitness for purpose, tracking and understanding scientific abstractions and assumptions, and considering all these factors when weighing up the value of software-derived results. Software-based science is necessarily cross-disciplinary: scientists ensure that the research is relevant and software engineers make sure that it is correct. Their skills should be combined from the outset. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * University of Birmingham, UK Kieran Alden * Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Australia Mark Read Authors * Kieran Alden View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Mark Read View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Kieran Alden. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Alden, K., Read, M. Scientific software needs quality control. _Nature_ 502, 448 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/502448d Download citation * Published: 23 October 2013 * Issue Date: 24 October 2013 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/502448d SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

As computational tools become more important for researchers, we contend that the verification and validation of researcher-built software should happen long before it is published (_Nature_


501, 472; 2013). The time and effort needed to fix errors increases exponentially the later they are identified. Exposing such computational errors only when a research paper is peer


reviewed threatens to undo years of hard work. To unlock the full potential of computer-based science, software engineering must be at peak quality throughout. This depends on linking


computer modelling with reality, demonstrating fitness for purpose, tracking and understanding scientific abstractions and assumptions, and considering all these factors when weighing up the


value of software-derived results. Software-based science is necessarily cross-disciplinary: scientists ensure that the research is relevant and software engineers make sure that it is


correct. Their skills should be combined from the outset. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * University of Birmingham, UK Kieran Alden * Charles Perkins Centre, University of


Sydney, Australia Mark Read Authors * Kieran Alden View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Mark Read View author publications You can also


search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Kieran Alden. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE


Alden, K., Read, M. Scientific software needs quality control. _Nature_ 502, 448 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/502448d Download citation * Published: 23 October 2013 * Issue Date: 24


October 2013 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/502448d SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link


is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative