Launching the Research Software Directory as a Service!

23 Nov 2022 - 3 min

Putting research software in the spotlight

On 22 November, after much effort, we have successfully launched the Research Software Directory (RSD)! It all started with the eScience Center’s vision to make software a visible key research output. Research software plays a vital role in today’s research, but often that role is not recognized. This online platform is available as a service for any individual or organization who works with research software, and offers a simple way to showcase their software and giving it the recognition it deserves.

Home page of the Research Software Directory

Promoting open-source and FAIR software, the Research Software Directory enables:

  • Research organizations and groups to showcase their software and monitor its reuse and impact.
  • Researchers to find and quickly judge the relevance and quality of research software.
  • Research Software Engineers (RSEs) to share their software, making it findable and accessible, promoting reuse and recognition of their work.

“By presenting research software in its academic context, including associated research projects, publications, data, blogs and more, the platform gives insight into the impact the software has on research and beyond. It also encourages proper citation of research software to ensure researchers and RSEs get credit for their work,” says Maaike de Jong, Project Lead of the RSD.

The RSD was made possible by a team of individuals within the eScience Center, led by Maaike, Technology Lead Jason Maassen and Research Software Engineers Ewan Cahen, Jesus Garcia Gonzalez, Dusan Mijatovic and Juriaann Spaaks who was involved at an early stage.

Online meeting with individuals giving a thumbs up
Top row from the left: Jesus Garcia Gonzalez, Maaike de Jong and Jason Maassen
Bottom row from the left: Dusan Mijatovic and Ewan Cahen

This platform is the result of collaborations with the German Helmholtz Association, which contributed to its development, and Utrecht University, Leiden University and Amsterdam UMC, whose researchers tested the service at different stages of development and provided valuable feedback.

Since then, and even before the launch, organizations from around the world have reached out and/or shown great interest in adopting the platform.

Missed the online event? Watch it on YouTube!

More information

Recognizing the importance of software for research, the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and SURF founded the Netherlands eScience Center in 2010. Since then, the eScience Center has made its goal to put research software in the spotlight.

In today’s research, it is nearly impossible to perform research without software. In November 2019, the VSNU, NFU, KNAW, NWO and ZonMw formally acknowledged the need to change the way we recognize and reward the work of researchers, by placing less emphasis on the number of publications and drawing attention to other research activities as well, including research software.

To start using the RSD, visit the website: research-software-directory.org

To learn more about the RSD, hear it from its creators and collaborators in this blog: blog.esciencecenter.nl/software-in-the-spotlight-launching-the-research-software-directory-59b6b5a15da5

Founded in 2012 as an independent foundation by NWO and SURF, the Netherlands eScience Center is the national centre with the digital skills to create innovative software solutions in academic research. For the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, Mastodon and LinkedIn.