Code & Collaborate: The FAIRytale of Software Development

Modern research and data science rarely happen in isolation. Whether you are working on scripts, analysis pipelines, or full software projects: collaboration, version control, and reproducibility are essential for producing reliable and reusable results. Good software practices not only make your code easier to share and maintain, but also ensure that others, including your future self, can understand and build on your work.

This course introduces practical approaches to collaborative and FAIR software development. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn how to manage code using distributed version control, collaborate effectively with others, and structure projects in a clear and reproducible way. The course also covers testing, documentation, and environment management, helping you move from individual scripts to well-organised, shareable software projects.

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate on code using version control and shared workflows
  • Organise and structure projects for clarity, reproducibility, and reuse
  • Test and document software using practical and automated approaches
  • Manage dependencies and environments for reliable and reproducible results

Target audience

  • Interested in improving how you write and share code
  • Working on computational or data-driven projects
  • Anyone looking to collaborate more effectively on software
  • Curious about version control, testing, and reproducible workflows
  • This course is designed for participants with basic programming experience who want to develop more professional software development skills.

Requirements

  • Just a PC/Laptop with an up-to-date browser Chrome, Safari and Firefox browsers are all supported (some older browsers, including Internet Explorer version 9, may not be)
    • Ideally a two-screen setup so you can follow the workshop while trying on your own

Training material

Coming soon

These recordings from previous workshops allow you to revisit the course content or work through it at your own pace.

Your trainers
  • Alan O'Cais (University of Barcelona)
  • Lisanna Paladin (EMBL - Heidelberg)
  • Sabry Razick (University of Oslo)
  • Rabea Müller (ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences)
Written material

Here you can explore the written material and exercises which are available in several languages.