The Software Sustainability Institute in the UK has created an online petition to “everyone in the research community”, which states “We must accept that software is fundamental to research, or we will lose our ability to make groundbreaking discoveries.”
1. We want software to be treated as a valuable research object which befits the same level of investment and effort as any other aspect of the research infrastructure.
2. We want researchers to be encouraged to spend time learning about software, because the value of that knowledge is understood to improve research.
3. We want the people who develop research software to be recognised and rewarded for their invaluable contribution to research.
4. We want a research environment in which software-reliant projects are encouraged to hire software developers, rather than having to hide these valuable staff members in anonymous postdoctoral positions.
5. Ultimately, we want the research community to recognise softwares fundamental role in research.
You can sign the petition at Change.org.