Difference between revisions of "Best practices"
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====Understand==== | ====Understand==== | ||
=====Who created this software?===== | =====Who created this software?===== | ||
| − | Add the project, organization, person, or initiative that helped create this software. You are encouraged to add multiple entities (i.e. organization and all | + | Add the project, organization, person, or initiative that helped create this software. You are encouraged to add multiple entities (i.e. organization and all individuals). For individuals, use given name and surname. Be careful to spell names correctly! Note, an drop down auto-complete field helps with this. The content of this field is searchable by the "Filter Software List" "Author" field. |
=====Are there any additional contributors of note for this software?===== | =====Are there any additional contributors of note for this software?===== | ||
| + | Add major contributors to the software project. These entities can be of the same types listed under "Who created this software?" (i.e. project, organization, person, etc.). The content of this field is searchable by the "Filter Software List" "Author" field. | ||
| + | =====What useful features of this software are worth highlighting?===== | ||
| + | Describe some of the useful features users may want to know. This is a free text field, the content of which is not searchable. | ||
| − | |||
=====(Optional) Who is the publisher of this software if not the author?===== | =====(Optional) Who is the publisher of this software if not the author?===== | ||
=====(Optional) How can a user get support for the software?===== | =====(Optional) How can a user get support for the software?===== | ||
Revision as of 11:14, October 10, 2018
Return to IM Code Registry main page
Overview
Below are a set of best practice (BP) recommendations for the IMCR.
Discovering software
Recommendations for discovering software in the IMCR.
IMCR
Use the "Filter Software List" search tool to find software in the IMCR. Add multiple search terms to narrow the search scope. Notes on the search tool:
- Search only supports search across software names. Free-text searching is not supported.
- Author supports search across software authors, including individuals, organizations and initiatives. Separate multiple terms with commas. An auto-complete drop down field lists software authors found in the IMCR.
- Keywords supports search across keywords keywords tagged to each software item of the IMCR. Browse the IMCR Controlled Vocabulary for a list of keywords and definitions.
- Language
- License
- Operating System
- Publisher
Developing software
No software development standards are enforced in the IMCR, however community recommended BPs are list below for anyone interested in learning and applying them.
ESIP software assessment guidelines
Publishing software
BPs for publishing software in the IMCR and software repositories (e.g. GitHub).
IMCR
Publishing in the IMCR is easy but some guidance on how to best supply information about your software goes a long way to helping others discover and reuse it. Below are recommendations for completing the form fields for your software registration in the IMCR.
Identify
What is the software called?
Enter the name of the software. Content in this field is not searchable, however the name of the software entered at the time of registering the software is searchable.
What is a short description for this software?
Add a brief description of the software (< 20 words). Content of this field is not searchable.
What are general categories (keywords, labels) for this software?
Use the IMCR Controlled Vocabulary to keyword your software. Keywords are the primary mechanism by which users find your software. Add broad terms and narrower terms to improve search and discovery. Be careful to spell the keywords correctly! If you can't find a suitable keyword in the controlled vocabulary, please suggest it and it's corresponding definition to the IMCR chairs.
Is there a project website for the software?
Add the URL to where the software project is being developed/maintained or is downloadable.
Understand
Who created this software?
Add the project, organization, person, or initiative that helped create this software. You are encouraged to add multiple entities (i.e. organization and all individuals). For individuals, use given name and surname. Be careful to spell names correctly! Note, an drop down auto-complete field helps with this. The content of this field is searchable by the "Filter Software List" "Author" field.
Are there any additional contributors of note for this software?
Add major contributors to the software project. These entities can be of the same types listed under "Who created this software?" (i.e. project, organization, person, etc.). The content of this field is searchable by the "Filter Software List" "Author" field.
What useful features of this software are worth highlighting?
Describe some of the useful features users may want to know. This is a free text field, the content of which is not searchable.
(Optional) Who is the publisher of this software if not the author?
(Optional) How can a user get support for the software?
(Optional) Has the software been adopted in a project, organization or by a person?
(Optional) Is there any information about uses of this software?
(Optional) Are there any statistics of its use?
(Optional) Are there any publications where the software is used?
(Optional) Is there any benchmark information about the software?
(Optional) What are the funding sources for this software?
(Optional) What are the ratings for this software?
Execute
What is the URL for the code?
What license is the code released under?
(Optional) Is there a URL for the executable?
Is there any on-line documentation about the software?
What language(s) is the software written in?
What operating system can the software run on?
How can one install the software?
What other software does the software require to be installed?
(Optional) Are there estimates of how long it takes to run this software on average?
(Optional) Are there any memory requirements for this software?
(Optional) Are there any other important details about the implementation of this code?
Is there any test data available for the software ?
(Optional) Are there any specific instructions for testing the software?
Do Research
What input files does the software require?
What are the input parameters used for this software?
What output files does the software produce?
(Optional) Are there any relevant data catalogs that can be used with this software?
What other software can interoperate with this one?
(Optional) Is this software typically used with other software in a workflow?
Is there a preferred publication or citation for this software?
Get Support
What is the e-mail contact for this software?
What is the support offered for this software?
Update
(Optional) How is the software being developed or maintained?
(Optional) Are there any on-line resources for accessing the developer community for this software?
What versions does the software have?
Project repository
Considerations for features to include in the project repository.
README
README are essential for orienting the user to what the project addresses.
Vignette
Vignettes are useful for demonstrating the projects functionality.
DOI
Periodic releases of the project code can be accompanied by the minting of a DOI. GitHub supports archive in with generation of a DOI, thereby making the project citable.
Test data
Test data facilitates experimentation and understanding of the projects functionality.
Tagging
Tagging the project repo with good keywords facilitates discovery. See the IMCR Controlled Vocabulary.
