LWN.net's Journal

Ten simple rules for the open development of scientific software
Here is some
advice for scientists developing open-source software published on the
PLOS Computational Biology site in early December. "The
sustainability of software after publication is probably the biggest
problem faced by researchers who develop it, and it is here that
participating in open development from the outset can make the biggest
impact. Grant-based funding is often exhausted shortly after new software
is released, and without support, in-house maintenance of the software and
the systems it depends on becomes a struggle. As a consequence, the
software will cease to work or become unavailable for download fairly
quickly, which may contravene archival policies stipulated by your journal
or funding body. A collaborative and open project allows you to spread the
resource and maintenance load to minimize these risks, and significantly
contributes to the sustainability of your software."