Indicating Software Quality (plenary session)

[pancetta]

On behalf of Florian Mannseicher from DFG I'm adding the details for a plenary session on indicating software quality here:

I propose a "World Café" to identify criteria that help to indicate the quality of research software. The plan is to provide some basic dimensions that could allow for structuring what can be understood as research software quality (e.g. Software Engineering Concept or FAIRness etc.). The dimensions would be distributed upon different tables ("coffee tables") and the group splits up to gather around the tables. After a while, the groups leave one table and join another. There, the table moderator briefly summarizes the previous discussion to facilitate the further discussion process. The objective at each table is, to identify specific criteria (or attributes, or properties) to each of the dimensions and to identify if these criteria can be assessed quantitatively or qualitatively (e.g. "Test Strategy, qualitative" or "Developer Community, qualitative"). Additionally, it should be assessed if the criteria can be collected in an automated manner. As a result of the session, the group will have provided a criteria-catalog or indicators of how the quality of software that is fit for research could be assessed.

90 minutes should be sufficient for this. We'd require a few more moderators, though, so volunteers go ahead and ping us here.

[HeidiSeibold]

I added a label to this break-out. Can you check if you feel it is appropriate and change it if not? Let me know if you have any questions.

[HeidiSeibold]

@pancetta can you check if you are happy with thie following? If so, can you add the label "ready"

Everyone, if you would like to take on an active role here, please feel free to get in touch! 🤝

Who could be interested in collaborating on this?

@HeidiSeibold can moderate 😉

How much time do you need for this?

90 minutes

Abstract

A "World Café" to identify criteria that help to indicate the quality of research software. The plan is to provide some basic dimensions that could allow for structuring what can be understood as research software quality (e.g. Software Engineering Concept or FAIRness etc.). The dimensions would be distributed upon different tables ("coffee tables") and the group splits up to gather around the tables. After a while, the groups leave one table and join another. There, the table moderator briefly summarizes the previous discussion to facilitate the further discussion process. The objective at each table is, to identify specific criteria (or attributes, or properties) to each of the dimensions and to identify if these criteria can be assessed quantitatively or qualitatively (e.g. "Test Strategy, qualitative" or "Developer Community, qualitative"). Additionally, it should be assessed if the criteria can be collected in an automated manner. As a result of the session, the group will have provided a criteria-catalog or indicators of how the quality of software that is fit for research could be assessed.

[pancetta]

Thanks @HeidiSeibold!

[pancetta]

Here is the main hub for taking notes: https://pad.gwdg.de/FkFJTslFQhq-UF3Es6q4rw#

[led02]

Added a session pad for this session: https://pad.gwdg.de/P2TDLjmxR7K9oEzX9dmhag