Software source code contains a growing part of the scientific and technical knowledge developed in the research activities, in all fields. It is of paramount importance to ensure that it is properly archived and referenced. The Software Heritage universal source code archive is an international non profit initiative, in collaboration with UNESCO, designed specifically to address these needs: it already contains over 11 billion unique source code files from over 150 million software projects. In this presentation we will see how it can enhance the research practices, and contribute to the Open Science mission. We will also discuss best practices for the development of maintainable and sustainable software that enhances the reliability and reproducibility of scientific research.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union