On Wednesday 5 March, Dr. Justin Chun Ting Ho, a postdoctoral researcher at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research, gave an insightful talk about the challenges and rewards of developing research software. Justin, whose work focuses on computational tools for social scientists, shared his experience in creating academicTwitteR, an R library that helped researchers explore Twitter content. Although Twitter no longer provides the open access it once did, Justin's story highlighted the valuable lessons researchers can learn from developing their own tools, regardless of platform or programming language. 

While building research software tools can be highly rewarding, the process does not end with their release. Constant maintenance is required, especially to ensure compatibility with evolving software environments and to address frequent bugs. In the case of social media-based tools like academicTwitteR, software development is also vulnerable to broader shifts in how platforms operate and share data. Justin emphasised that such tools, even if initially successful, may ultimately become obsolete as platforms change, requiring researchers to adapt and move forward. 

However, Justin also pointed out the significant benefits of creating research software, notably the extensive networking opportunities it can provide. Developing tools often connects researchers with a global community, fostering collaborations and increasing the chances of securing funding. Although software is rarely cited in academic publications, with strategic publishing in venues dedicated to software development, researchers can gain visibility and recognition, often achieving a level of engagement and citations that is difficult to achieve through traditional research papers alone. 

Back on Wednesday 12 March, Roxanne Guildford, PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh's School of History, Classics, and Archaeology, gave us a comprehensive presentation on the importance of appropriate software usage, both individually and in collaborative settings, as well as venues for finding suitable software, professional help, or networking opportunities. Roxanne especially highlighted the challenges faced by early-career researchers and students in accessing support systems, stressing the need for greater awareness of university resources like research computing, library services, and specialized training programs. She also explored broader collaboration opportunities, such as interdisciplinary research groups and institutional networks, and the benefits of connecting with researchers from different disciplines and provided examples of successful collaborations at UK universities. The event was concluded with a set of practical strategies for early-career researchers to engage in research communities, such as attending workshops, using online platforms, and participating in collaborative grant applications, emphasizing the growing importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Roxanne also provided the list of resources to check, from specific software to help sites and collaboration options. You can also download the presentation pdf here.

On Thursday 13 March, we hosted Harry Peaker, a senior researcher at Smart Data Foundry. Harry talked about both the challenges and best practices of managing coding environments for scientists, highlighting the importance of creating structured, reproducible environments that allow projects to be easily shared and maintained over time. By taking a proactive approach, scientists can ensure their work remains accessible and functional long after initial development.  

Without careful setup, dependencies can become really difficult to manage, leading to issues when revisiting old projects or collaborating with other people. However, there are tools such as Docker for containerization or Conda for package management, both of which greatly help in maintaining consistency across different machines. Appropriate documentation and version control are also crucial in supporting long-term reproducibility. A well-documented code, combined with structured workflows and automation, reduces issues when onboarding new team members or revisiting past research. 

However, effective management goes even beyond technical strategies, requiring a shift in mindset toward sustainable coding practices. Rather than treating environment management as an afterthought, scientists should integrate it into their workflow from the very start. The long-term perspective ensures that projects remain manageable and reproducible, preventing unnecessary frustration in the future. By prioritising clarity and structure, researchers can create coding environments that support not only their own work but also the broader scientific community. 

On Wednesday 19 March, we concluded our talk cycle with a talk by Dr Mike Spencer, the research team leader at Smart Data Foundry. While many data professionals recognise the need for better documentation and report sharing, the challenge lies in actually getting started. To address this, Mike explained the main advantages of Quarto, a powerful tool for publishing and sharing data science work, such as its flexibility in generating reports, presentations, and interactive documents. He provided a step-by-step overview of the key resources and practical techniques for adopting Quarto, showing how it can streamline workflows and improve communication. 

Due to its ability to integrate code, visualisations, and text into seamless, reproducible documents, Quarto is especially valuable for professionals, particularly in making complex data more accessible and enhancing collaboration between technical and non-technical audiences. Mike encourages everyone to experiment with the tool, integrate it into their workflows, and leverage community resources to overcome initial learning barriers. 

You can download the presentation pdf from Zenodo:  

• Spencer, M. (2025, March 19). Quarto for Python and R. Research Software Practices in the Social Sciences - Software Sustainability Institute. Zenodo.

You can download and install Quarto here.