Computational methods should be core part of science curriculum, says study

Science : Because computer software is so important in scientific studies, Lucas Joppa of Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, and colleagues conducted a survey to determine the computational expertise of scientists. They chose a specific scientific domainâmdash;species distribution modelingâmdash;because of the potentially wide range of computer mastery within that field. Of the 400 scientists surveyed, the researchers found that a large percentage rely on peer recommendations when choosing software and that most trust the software without knowing how it works. Because it is important that users have the appropriate tools to conduct their research and that others be able to reproduce their results, Joppa’s group recommends that all researchers receive formal training in computational methods and that scientific software code be peer reviewed and made available along with the published research.