The Software Source Code IG was founded in 2017, after a BoF session at the 9th Plenary. It aims to discuss issues on identification, management, sharing, discovery, archival and provenance of software source code, review and revise metadata for describing and discovering source code, develop guidelines for managing, describing and publishing software source code, collect and publish use cases of current examples and practices, and contribute software related expertise to other groups in the RDA which have a software aspect.

During the P12 SSC IG session, a discussion to create a Working Group dedicated to software source code identification led to the creation of the Software Source Code Identification Working Group [SCID WG] which is a joint RDA and FORCE11 WG. This working group has completed its life-cycle with the supporting output: “Use cases and identifiers schemes for software source code identification” [1].

At RDA plenary (VP15) we discussed the FAIR principles and started the process of creating a new working group, which was launched at the end of June 2020, the FAIR for research software working group [FAIR4RS WG]. The FAIR4RS WG is a joint initiative with ReSA and FORCE11. 

At VP16 we have presented the SCID WG output and other outputs and activities from different RDA and FORCE11 working groups that discuss software. We have also collected software practices in the academic community.

At VP17 we have presented the EOSC SIRS TF [2] and other outputs and activities from different RDA and FORCE11 working groups that discuss software. We have also conducted a mini-workshop about software quality.

At VP18 we had a session about reproducibility, GUIX, the first free software distribution backed by a stable archive and how GUIX is used in a computational center (GRICAD).

At P20 the session was focussed on policies and incentives driving change for software source code recognition in the scholarly ecosystem. Several policies and initiatives were highlighted, including internationally through the FAIR4RS initiative and with academic publishers, at the national governmental level in France, and at the national research infrastructure level in Australia. An activity at the end of the session identified incentives to drive change in software source code practices. 

At P21 we delved into the metadata realms with the RSMD Guidelines[4] and the FAIR-IMPACT Metrics for Assessing Research Software FAIRness[5]. 

At P22 we explored and discussed the different infrastructures, tools and bridges that support researchers on their quest to submit their software as first class outputs. This included demos of Software Heritage, InvenioRDM, HAL & Episciences and SwMath.

[1] Research Data Alliance/FORCE11 Software Source Code Identification WG, Allen, A., Bandrowski, A., Chan, P., Di Cosmo, R., Fenner, M., Garcia, L., Gruenpeter, M., Jones, C. M., Katz, D. S., Kunze, J., Schubotz, M. & Todorov, I. T. (2020). Use cases and identifier schemes for persistent software source code identification (V1.1). Research Data Alliance. https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00053 

[2] European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. (2020). Scholarly infrastructures for research software: report from the EOSC Executive Board Working Group (WG) Architecture Task Force (TF) SIRS. Publications Office. https://doi.org/10.2777/28598 

[3] Chue Hong, N. P., Katz, D. S., Barker, M., Lamprecht, A.-L., Martinez, C., Psomopoulos, F. E., Harrow, J., Castro, L. J., Gruenpeter, M., Martinez, P. A., Honeyman, T., Struck, A., Lee, A., Loewe, A., van Werkhoven, B., Jones, C., Garijo, D., Plomp, E., Genova, F., … WG, R. F. (2022). FAIR Principles for Research Software (FAIR4RS Principles) (1.0). https://doi.org/10.15497/RDA00068

[4] Gruenpeter, M., Granger, S., Monteil, A., Chue Hong, N., Breitmoser, E., Antonioletti, M., Garijo, D., González Guardia, E., Gonzalez Beltran, A., Goble, C., Soiland-Reyes, S., Juty, N., & Mejias, G. (2024). D4.4 – Guidelines for recommended metadata standard for research software within EOSC (V1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10786147 

[5] Chue Hong, N., Breitmoser, E., Antonioletti, M., Davidson, J., Garijo, D., Gonzalez-Beltran, A., Gruenpeter, M., Huber, R., Jonquet, C., Priddy, M., Shepeherdson, J., Verburg, M., & Wood, C. (2023). D5.2 – Metrics for automated FAIR software assessment in a disciplinary context (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10047401 

[6] Antonioletti, M., Wood, C., Chue Hong, N., Breitmoser, E., Moraw, K., & Verburg, M. (2024). Comparison of tools for automated FAIR software assessment (1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13268685

Ongoing Interest Group open to discussion about software source code in different domains and for different use cases. The RDA Software Source Code Interest Group is the maintenance home for the FAIR4RS principles. Concerns or queries about the principles can be raised at RDA plenary events organised by the SSC IG, where there may be opportunities for adopters to report back on progress.