Speaker
Description
How researchers discover new software, which systems they use and how these systems must be designed to improve the process of software discovery - these are driving questions in the area of software discovery.
There is a wide range of options for software discovery, such as code and publication repositories, domain, geographic or institution specific catalogs, classical search engines, curated lists, knowledge graphs, social networks of colleagues or friends, and all of these in various combinations, with and without the use of artificial intelligence. This sheer abundance of options leads to the central question: How must a discovery system be designed to enable researchers to find research software that meets their needs?
In this proposed interactive workshop, we will engage participants in a comprehensive discussion on the current landscape of research software discovery and how it can be optimized to better serve the research community. Our goal is to identify the key challenges faced by researchers and collaboratively propose actionable improvements. The workshop will employ a World Café format, facilitating dynamic and focused discussions across 2-4 tables, each dedicated to specific topics within the area of research software discovery. Potential discussion topics include:
- Effectiveness of Current Discovery Systems: Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of existing platforms and tools.
- User Experience and Accessibility: Identifying barriers and ways to make discovery systems more user-friendly.
- Integration of AI in Software Discovery: Exploring the potential and limitations of artificial intelligence in enhancing discovery processes.
- Collaborative Networks and Social Platforms: Leveraging social networks and professional communities for software discovery.
- Envisioning the Future: How would you like to discover relevant software and evaluate its trustworthiness and usefulness?
The foundation of this interactive workshop is a presentation on the current state of research software discovery, which has been submitted in parallel to this proposal to the 5th Conference for Research Software Engineering 2025 (deRSE25). This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview and serve as a basis for our discussions. Participants will have access to the slides or the finished preprint to facilitate informed and productive conversations.
By the end of the workshop, we aim to have a set of concrete recommendations and strategies that can be implemented to improve research software discovery. These insights will be invaluable for developers, researchers, and institutions looking to enhance their discovery infrastructure (e.g. catalogs, knowledge graphs), software discovery processes, and ultimately, their research productivity.
Duration: 3h
- 20 (20) Intro
- 10 (30) Grouping
- 60 (90) Table Sessions (4x15)
- 30 (120) Break (Time for table chairs to sum up the discussions)
- 50 (170) Presentation plus discussion for each table/topic (10/12 min each)
- 10 (180) Outro (what are WE going to do with the results)
| I want to participate in the youngRSE prize | no |
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