This face-to-face course is run by the Researcher Academy as part of the Faculty of Science Training Programme and is also open to researchers from the Faculty of Engineering

From the astrolabe to the Hubble Space Telescope tool building has always been a fundamental part of scientific research, and as research gets more digital, digital tool development - research software development - becomes an increasingly common and important activity.

An ability to code - be it in C, Fortran, Python, Matlab, R, or whatever - is a great skill to have, but there is much more to the construction of good research software than that. The aim of this short course is to introduce you to key concepts and resources that can help you become a skilled software developer who produces high quality, valuable and robust software in support of their academic research activity.

Who the course is aimed at:

The course is suitable for you if:

• You have a working knowledge of at least one coding language - but it doesn't matter which one
• You are a researcher in some branch of science or engineering - but it doesn't matter which one, and
• You have a need for or interest in research software development - but that can be anything from some small utility scripts to a full-blown software package.

How the course is delivered:

The course is structured as two one-day sessions (you must attend both sessions to be given an attendance mark), each of which involves a mixture of tutor-led and self-study activities.

1. Day 1 (10am-4pm):
   Topics: What to take into consideration when writing research software? What are good design principles and why is it good to use them?
2. Day 2 (10am-4pm):
   Topics: An introduction into version control using git.

Course Accessibility

The following table shows a summary of what is needed to participate in the course. 

If you feel you will experience any difficulties participating, please let us know via the ‘special requirements’ tab, providing as much information as possible. The special requirements tab can be completed when you book your place. Alternatively, you can contact us directly at ra-training@nottingham.ac.uk.

Access seminar room on campus (or) access computer room on campus
Attend the course at the specific date and time
Watch and listen to the course tutor(s) and/or other attendees
Follow presentation slides during the course
Take part in group activities/discussions

Booking Conditions 

Our courses are very popular, and we experience large volumes of people on our waiting lists. So, Please do let us know if you would like to cancel your place on this course so we can offer your place to another delegate. 

Please note, attendances for courses will be recorded. There are no training points associated with courses run by the Researcher Academy.