Recognizing the role of software in research: Inria scientists get involved in Nature

Software now plays a central role in scientific research, regardless of the field concerned. Simulation, data analysis, modeling, and digital experimentation: code has become a research tool in its own right.

However, unlike publications or datasets, software produced as part of research work does not yet benefit from a consistent framework for dissemination, citation, or academic recognition.

In France, initiatives have been launched at the instigation of numerous institutional players, but there is still a long way to go. It is in this context that several scientists, including researchers from Inria, have called for a profound cultural change in a commentary published in the journal Nature entitled « Stop treating code like an afterthought: record, share and value it ».

The commentary in Nature presents a roadmap (the full version of which can be read on HAL), taking into account the entire research ecosystem, to improve the visibility, support, and reusability of scientific software production, and thereby its impact.

Among the levers considered, the authors mention in particular the provision of appropriate infrastructure for archiving and referencing software, the adoption of citation standards and persistent identifiers, and the integration of software contributions into academic evaluation criteria. It also highlights the role of the various stakeholders (institutions, funders, libraries).

These guidelines are in line with many initiatives already underway at Inria, whether through Software Heritage, research projects dedicated to scientific reproducibility such as the French network for reproducible research, or training courses such as the MOOC on reproducible research practices.