Published September 20, 2026 | Version v1
Preprint Open

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

Authors/Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Research Software Alliance
  • 2. ROR icon Netherlands eScience Center
  • 3. ROR icon University of Edinburgh
  • 4. ROR icon Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
  • 5. ROR icon University of Southampton
  • 6. ROR icon University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • 7. ROR icon University of Potsdam
  • 8. UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council

Description

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.

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Additional details

Funding

Software Sustainability Institute
AH/Z000114/1
UK Research and Innovation https://www.ukri.org › epsrc
RSE Metascience EP/X036383/1
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
HEC Materials Chemistry Consortium EP/X035859
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
SustainKieker 528713834