This article argues that sharing research code in an open access, version-controlled repository benefits science and individual researchers, and aligns with the NIH Gold Standard Science program and the FAIR and TRUST principles. Pairing a cited data snapshot with a versioned code release lets readers and reviewers verify results directly.
Abstract
Sharing research code in an open access version-controlled repository offers significant benefits for both science as a whole and for individual researchers. The practice is fully aligned with the NIH’s Gold Standard Science (GSS) program and with the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) and TRUST (transparency, responsibility, user focus, sustainability, technology) principles.
Pairing a research article’s cited data snapshot with a versioned, environment-specific code release, deposited in a companion code repository, ensures that, upon submission to a medical journal, readers and reviewers can directly verify results. An executable and updatable companion code repository complements, rather than replaces, established research data repositories. When code underlying medical research results is made openly available, other scientists can inspect, run, and validate analyses, which enhances reproducibility, a core aim of Gold Standard Science.