Software is a cornerstone of science. Without software, twenty-first century science would be impossible. Without better software, science cannot progress.
But the culture and institutions of science have not yet adjusted to this reality. We need to reform them to address this challenge, by adopting these five principles:
- Code
- All source code written specifically to process data for a published paper must be available to the reviewers and readers of the paper.
- Copyright
- The copyright ownership and license of any released source code must be clearly stated.
- Citation
- Researchers who use or adapt science source code in their research must credit the code’s creators in resulting publications.
- Credit
- Software contributions must be included in systems of scientific assessment, credit, and recognition.
- Curation
- Source code must remain available, linked to related materials, for the useful lifetime of the publication.
Founding Signatories
| Nick BarnesClimate Code Foundation | David JonesClimate Code Foundation |
| Peter NorvigDirector of Research, Google Inc | Cameron NeylonScience in the Open |
| Rufus PollockOpen Knowledge Foundation | Joseph JacksonOpen Science Alliance |
| Victoria StoddenColumbia University | Peter SuberBerkman Fellow, Harvard University |
Endorse the Manifesto, or read our discussion document.
