Find and use open research software
As a researcher, you will likely use a range of tools and software programs to complete your research. You may need to investigate appropriate software to support your research, evaluate or even create software from scratch.
Find and use open research software introduces you to the idea of open research software (ORS) to support your research tasks and workflows.
2. Find and assess open research software
Identifying the right software can be challenging. Use:
- the Library’s Choosing the right tool module to review software to complete specific tasks.
- the AlternativeTo database for alternatives to proprietary software e.g. a filtered list of MATLAB alternatives. Also search software databases or journals that publish software tool articles.
Check tool suitability
Ensure the software is suitable for your research by identifying its main characteristics and features. Will it meet your needs and do you have the skills to use it?
Consider the elements listed below to determine how useful ORS will be for your research.
| What to check | Where to look | Example tool - Quantum Geographical Information System (QGIS) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| License | Does the licence allow me to use the tool the way I want? How can I release a modified version of the software? |
| General Public License (GPLv2) license means that a modified version of the tool can only be distributed under a compatible GPL. |
| Documentation, training and support | Is there enough documentation to work through the entire process?
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UQ Library training available Commercial contractors offering QGIS support |
| Development activity | Does the project seem active? e.g. in code contributions or commits, issue reporting, releases of maintenance versions? | The public code repository (e.g. GitHub, Gitlab, etc.) | QGIS development is continually active, with weekly code contributions listed on GitHub |
| Data governance | Where is the data stored or processed? Does it meet privacy requirements? |
| QGIS is a desktop application that does not rely on web services for processing data |
| Project sustainability | How many contributors drive the project’s development? Is it made sustainable by financial and institutional support? | On the project’s website look for:
| QGIS' GitHub repository lists several hundred code contributors, and the website lists numerous active financial supports. |
| Use in publications | Has the tool been cited in the literature? | Keyword searches in databases. | QGIS citations in hundreds of publications in Web of Science. |
| Project age | How long has the project been active? |
| QGIS original release date - 2002 |