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Update from UTwente: Small is beautiful (and reproducible)

On the stormy morning of 26th September, despite disrupted train schedules, a small but determined group of codecheckers assembled at the Faculty of Geosciences and Earth Observation at the University of Twente for the second codecheck workshop of our project. The trains may not have run that day, but the code sure did!

We began our morning with a round of introductions, and an intro to the project by Frank Ostermann, our PI. Shortly after, Stephen Eglen, one of the founders of codecheck, joined us virtually to introduce the concept and logistics of codecheck, and how it aligns with the goals of reproducibility in science. Following Stephen, Frank took over again to run us through a practical application of codecheck, drawing on examples from codechecks he has done as part of reproducibility reviews at previous AGILE conferences.

We took a break for an excellent warm lunch in the faculty canteen – much needed in the gloomy weather – and then delved straight into breakout groups for the afternoon. Four authors joined us with their submissions, which the breakout groups began to codecheck. Three were finished on the spot, and a fourth was begun and we agreed to complete it after the session. And voila! Completed codecheck certificates from the workshop are already available, have a look!

We wrapped up the day with an interesting reflection session. Along with the authors and codecheckers, we were also joined by Prof. Dr Alfred Stein, editor of the Journal of Spatial Statistics, and (virtually) Daniel Nuest, another founder of Codecheck. One of our goals in this project is to explore ways in which the codecheck workflow can be incorporated into journal submission processes, and a lively discussion followed on what codecheck can add to the review process, where in the review workflow codecheck could fit, and who would conduct them. As always, issues of reward and recognition were central to our discussions about codecheck. Have an idea about this? Join us at the next codecheck session in Rotterdam!

CALL FOR PAPERS/PREPRINTS/CODE: Are you a researcher in geosciences/environmental sciences interested in reproducible code and Open Science? We have the perfect opportunity for you!

As part of our NWO project CHECK-NL, we are looking for researchers from the field of geosciences/environmental sciences based at a Dutch knowledge institution or university who would like their papers or projects to be “codechecked” during a live, one-day code-checking workshop on 26 September 2024 at the University of Twente.  A codecheck is a light-touch independent peer review to check that your code and data can generate the computational results in your paper or project (see more details here).

You can participate as a codechecker (i.e., a person reviewing code), or by submitting your own work to be checked (or both if you are up for it!). Curious to know how it works? Read about our first workshop in Delft.

Anyone is welcome to participate at the workshop. Participation is free of cost and includes lunch. We have limited funding (on a first come, first served basis) for reimbursing train tickets for PhD (non-AiO) students. PhD candidates who participate in the workshop can reach out to us about getting credits for participation, provided their supervisors and institutions/departments also agree.

What do I get if I submit my paper or pre-print?  

A codechecker will work with you during the session to check whether your code and data can be run by others to generate the same or similar results.  

The codechecker will work with you to resolve any issues found during the code check, and make your code as reproducible as possible!  

Upon completion, your paper will receive a codecheck certificate that confirms your results could be reproduced.  This can be shared, for instance with potential journal editors, to enhance the visibility and reproducibility of your work.

By participating, you contribute towards making science more open and transparent AND increase the visibility of your own research!  

Sounds good! What should I do?  

Are you interested in participating in this event, and help contribute to promoting code reproducibility? Send an email to codechecknl@gmail.com by 9 September 2024 with a brief description of your paper/project, and links to your code and data. This could be code related to:  

In each case, the code and data underlying the paper should be openly available, or you plan to make them available once the paper is published.

Selected papers/projects will be notified in early September 2024. All authors are invited to register join the workshop.  

What if I want to volunteer to be a codechecker instead?

If you are interested in learning more about the codecheck process and becoming a codechecker, please register on our eventbrite page to volunteer to become a codechecker at the workshop on 26th September. The event will be held in person at the University of Twente.

Why would I volunteer your time to code check other people’s work?

Interested but still have questions? Ask us!

Write to us at codechecknl@gmail.com, we are happy to answer any questions!

For questions related to the NWO project CHECK-NL, please contact Frank Ostermann (f.o.ostermann@utwente.nl)