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Metascience, Research Software, and the Case for RS Metascience: Extended Preprint

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Metascience is the study of science itself, including how scientific research is conducted, evaluated, and improved. Rather than asking questions about the natural or social world, metascience asks questions about scientific research -- its methods, objects of study, participants, incentives, funding, and impact. Research Software (RS) is software created during the research process or for a research purpose. RS Metascience then studies how RS is created, used, shared, measured, evaluated, funded, and maintained -- and how this affects the quality and progress of science and overall scholarly research. In this article, we discuss and texture the various components of RS Metascience.

Source: Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22860176

Authors: Barker, Michelle, Bakhshi, Rena, Chue Hong, Neil, Hasselbring, Wilhelm, Katz, Daniel S., Lamprecht, Anna-Lena, Roper, Bernard, Todorov, Ilian, Yang, Shinhyung

Institutions: Research Software Alliance, Netherlands eScience Center, University of Edinburgh, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, University of Southampton, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Potsdam, Science and Technology Facilities Council

Language: English

Topic: Scientific Computing and Data Management

Subfield: Information Systems and Management

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Software Sustainability Institute, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Awards: G243872479, G4598198661, Nachhaltigkeit für ein wiederverwendbares, qualitativ hochwertiges MonitoringFramework für die SoftwareEngineeringForschung

OpenAlex ID: W7213774027

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