Conduct primary or secondary research to identify accurate, representative information about the socio-demographic profiles of research software engineers #5
Potential Activity Scope
Primary research might involve surveys, interviews, or focus groups with current research software engineers, hiring managers, or educators in the field.
Secondary research would involve a deep dive into existing resources, including academic articles, industry reports, job postings, online forums. The task would involve sifting through these resources, extracting relevant information, and piecing together a coherent picture of the career paths.
Investigating the career paths of Research Software Engineers (RSEs) could address specific topics, including but not limited to:
Demographic Diversity: Assessing the demographic profile of RSEs within a particular geographic or industry domain, including variables such as gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and educational level of parents.
Educational Background: Understanding the types of degrees, disciplines, and specific courses or training that RSEs typically have. This could provide insights into the foundational knowledge and skills required in this field.
Skills and Competencies: Identifying the technical and non-technical skills and competencies that are most important for success as an RSE. This could also involve understanding how these skills are acquired and developed over time.
Potential Objectives
Design a robust methodological approach to the research.
Implement the data collection and data management following an open science approach.
Analyze the data with the aim of identifying accurate and relevant information about these careers.
Identify trends, patterns, and gaps in the current understanding of research software engineer careers.
Compile and present findings in a clear, engaging manner. This could be a report, a presentation, and/or an interactive online resource.
Document existing (including known successful/viable, known failures) career paths for individuals creating research software. (e.g., 10 1-page case studies)
Targeted Impacts
Establish an accurate, representative picture of the profiles of research software engineers, providing baseline measurement for change over time.
The end product would serve as a valuable resource for anyone interested in a career as a research software engineer, providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their career path.
The research could also help funders, educators, employers and policymakers seeking to understand and support the development of this field, including targeting gaps in socio-demographic representation that may indicate social inclusion challenges.
The findings of this research could also influence RSE employers’ practices. The research could give specific insights into the most important problems that employers need to address in order to create more supportive and inclusive work environments, provide better career development opportunities, and adopt more equitable and transparent hiring and promotion practices. In the long term, this could lead to improved RSE job satisfaction and retention, and contribute to the overall health and productivity of the sector.
By identifying gaps in the current understanding of RSE profiles, the study could pave the way for future research. It could contribute to the ongoing development of this field as a distinct and recognized profession, sparking new lines of inquiry and inspiring further investigations. This could lead to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the field, benefiting not only RSEs themselves but also the broader research community that relies on their work.
This potential activity was curated as part of "Charting the Course: Policy and Planning for Sustainable Research Software," a Sloan Foundation-funded project within URSSI dedicated to supporting the future of research software through evidence-informed policy work (Project contacts are: @danielskatz and @dr-eric-jensen). If you are interested in working on this, please add a comment.
Potential Activity Scope Primary research might involve surveys, interviews, or focus groups with current research software engineers, hiring managers, or educators in the field.
Secondary research would involve a deep dive into existing resources, including academic articles, industry reports, job postings, online forums. The task would involve sifting through these resources, extracting relevant information, and piecing together a coherent picture of the career paths.
Investigating the career paths of Research Software Engineers (RSEs) could address specific topics, including but not limited to:
Potential Objectives
Targeted Impacts
This potential activity was curated as part of "Charting the Course: Policy and Planning for Sustainable Research Software," a Sloan Foundation-funded project within URSSI dedicated to supporting the future of research software through evidence-informed policy work (Project contacts are: @danielskatz and @dr-eric-jensen). If you are interested in working on this, please add a comment.