Research Software Support Masterclass

The workshop will take place at Science Park 402, 1098 XH Amsterdam on September 10th and at cursus- en vergadercentrum Domstad, Koningsbergerstraat 9, Utrecht on October 1st. Please note that lunch and drinks at the end of the workshops are included.

Research software is a topic of growing interest for many researchers. This masterclass is tailored for support staff who are already familiar with Research Data Management and the FAIR principles but would like to learn more about how to manage software better and help researchers manage their research software/code.

The masterclass will cover the following key aspects:

• How is software being developed? What is research software and how much do I need to know?
• What are Software Management Plans (SMPs) and how can researchers benefit from them? How can I help researchers to fill in SMPs?
• What is FAIR software, and what do I need to know to support researchers?
• What software licenses exist, why are they important and how do I help researchers pick the right one?
• Why is software publication and citation important? How should software be published and cited?
• Why is it important to adopt good software development practices?
• The masterclass will cover hands-on exercises and many opportunities to ask questions that are relevant to you, your experience, and your field.

The workshop is based on the teaching style of the Carpentries, and learners will follow along while the instructors write the code on screen. More information can be found on the workshop website (will be activated once registration is live, usually 3 weeks before the start of the workshop).

Cancellation and No-Show Policy

Please be advised that by signing up, you agree to our Cancellation and No-Show Policy, which states that cancellations made less than 2 workings days prior to the event will incur a no-show fee. Please read the full policy here for more details.

If you won’t be able to attend, please cancel your registration (by following the instructions here) so that we can offer your seat to someone on the waiting list.

Audience

The workshop is aimed at PhD candidates and other researchers or research software engineers. We offer tickets for researchers who are affiliated with Dutch research institutions. We also offer industry tickets for attendees who are not affiliated with Dutch research institutions. We do not accept registrations by Master students.

Ticket prices

Ticket prices are as follows:

• For participants affiliated with Dutch research institutions: €375.00

Prerequisites

This masterclass is aimed at research support staff, that want to learn about research software and be able to better support researchers who write code in their research.

For example (but not exclusively): University Library staff, Digital Competence Center staff, Data Stewards, Research Software Engineers, etc.

Recommended prior knowledge:

• Basic understanding of the research cycle and academic landscape (if you are not familiar, read the following: https://datasupport.researchdata.nl/en/start-the-course/i-a-birds-eye-view/data-jargon/research-lifecycle )
• Basic understanding of the FAIR principles for data management (if you are not familiar, read the following: howtofair.dk/what-is-fair)

Syllabus

• Research Software
• FAIR software
• Software Management Plans
• Good Practices in Software Development
• Software Documentation
• Software Licensing
• Software Publication
• Software Citation

NOTE

The masterclass is split over two seperate days:

• 10th of September at the eScience Center, start at 11:00, finish around 16:30 including lunch and drinks at the end
• 3 weeks in between homework exercises
• 1st of October at cursus- en vergadercentrum Domstad, walk in from 09:00, start at 9:30, finish around 16:30 including lunch and drink at the end