This HiRSE Seminar Series webinar will explore research software lifecycle practices, challenges, and sustainability through a literature review and empirical study.
| Event Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Webinar Title | Exploring the Lifecycle of Research Software: Insights from a Literature Review and Empirical Study |
| Date and Time | 2026-07-09 11:00 am CEST |
| Presenter | Aditi Punetha (RWTH Aachen University) |
| Request Connection Information | hirse@fz-juelich.de |
| Series Information | https://www.helmholtz-hirse.de/series.html |
| Archives | Recordings (YouTube), Slides (Zenodo) |
This event is part of the HiRSE Seminar Series, a series of online talks on topics relevant to research software engineering and research software engineers.
Abstract
Modern science relies on research software for data analysis, simulation, and experimentation, but research environments are often dynamic and constrained by funding, creating challenges for software stability and maintenance. This talk explores the lifecycle of research software through a semi-structured literature review and an empirical study.
The literature review compares traditional software development lifecycle models, such as waterfall and spiral models, with frameworks designed for research contexts, including research software maturity models and FAIR4RS principles. The empirical study surveyed 66 people actively engaged in research software development to examine common practices, challenges, and views on lifecycle management, sustainability, and the transferability of industrial practices to research contexts.
The results suggest that research software development processes are often informal and heterogeneous, with documentation, long-term sustainability, and reproducibility emerging as major concerns. The study points toward adaptive, context-sensitive frameworks that integrate long-term maintenance, community engagement, and openness as important for quality, reproducibility, and longevity in research software engineering.
Presenter
- Aditi Punetha (RWTH Aachen University)
Please check the event website for full details and updates.
