data management planning

Dirk Feuchter from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology will join us at the HiRSE Seminar Series to talk about “Before Distributing Research Software - Impulses from an RSE&TTO-Perspective”

Abstract: Before distributing research software, several considerations arise from both Research Software Engineering (RSE) and Technology Transfer Office (TTO) perspective. This talk addresses scenarios where RSEs approach the TTO to exploit and license RSE’s software to industry partners, spin-offs, or to explore via open-source business models. Let us outline the minimum requirements for a license-compliant software distribution and discuss whether RSEs can proactively collaborate on these preparations. Drawing on a common contribution to deRSE25, initial lessons learned will be shared, including essential information for source code files and tools such as Reuse and Fossology that might support for compliance. Finally, we highlight how to deal with emerging regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act or the new Product Liability Directive. The seminar is intended to encourage discussion on integrating compliance tools into development workflows to enhance sustainability and value of our research software developments.

Institutions

• Helmholtz Platform for Research Software Engineering - Preparatory Study

Dirk Feuchter from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology will join us at the HiRSE Seminar Series to talk about “Before Distributing Research Software - Impulses from an RSE&TTO-Perspective”

Abstract: Research software is increasingly recognized as a core research output, yet it often remains difficult to discover, cite, and preserve. Metadata plays a key role and requires dedicated effort to provide high-quality information. This seminar offers a practical deep dive into the metadata initiatives around research software, including standards such as CodeMeta, persistent identifiers like SWHIDs, and the role of Software Heritage as the universal archive of source code. It will explore how Research Software Engineers and institutions can integrate these elements into their workflows to improve discoverability, reproducibility, and long-term preservation. The session will conclude with practical recommendations on how to structure and expose software metadata so that research software becomes visible, citable, and preserved as part of the scholarly record.

Institutions

• Helmholtz Platform for Research Software Engineering - Preparatory Study

Florian Mannseicher from the FutuRSI Project will join us at the HiRSE Seminar Series to talk about “FutuRSI:Conception of a German Research Software Institution.”

Abstract: This presentation introduces the progress of the FutuRSI project, a strategic initiative involving the conceptualisation of a prototypical research software engineering service organisation. The project aims to evaluate the optimal design of such an institution at the federal level. The presentation addresses the critical challenges and concrete needs currently facing the research software community, as well as potential solutions to overcome these challenges. It also elaborates on the next steps towards creating a robust, feasible, and financially viable concept for a German research software institution.

Institutions

• Helmholtz Platform for Research Software Engineering - Preparatory Study

Sebastian Müller from Universität Potsdam will join us at the HiRSE Seminar Series to talk about “When you don’t know what to test for: Metamorphic Testing for Research Software”

Abstract: As research software becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary, assuring its quality and keeping the software well maintained requires testing approaches that go beyond conventional correctness checking. Traditional unit testing techniques are often insuffiecient in research software contexts where expected outcomes may be uncertain, stochastic, or influenced by complex simulation contexts. Not being able to predict what the correct output of a program should be for a given input is known in the literature as the oracle problem.
This talk presents practical strategies for tackling the oracle problem within standard automated testing frameworks, such as pyunit. Rather than abandoning unit tests, the focus is on rethinking the assertions they rely on. One complementary approach will be discussed in depth: Metamorphic Testing. The technique will be illustrated with real-world, scientific software examples.
The seminar is aimed at RSEs and developers of research software with a basic knowledge of automated testing who want to strengthen their testing knowledge with practices suited for hard-to-test research software protoypes.

Institutions

• Helmholtz Platform for Research Software Engineering - Preparatory Study