From owner-chemistry |-at-| ccl.net Thu Oct 20 21:30:01 2011
From: "Bruce Palfey brupalf:+:umich.edu" <owner-chemistry#server.ccl.net>
To: CCL
Subject: CCL: Science code manifesto
Message-Id: <-45714-111020211625-30539-/dTV3o2+EyubDzykNYkCzw#server.ccl.net>
X-Original-From: Bruce Palfey <brupalf()umich.edu>
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Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2011 21:16:13 -0400
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Sent to CCL by: Bruce Palfey [brupalf{}umich.edu]
Actually, the design of experimental equipment *is* usually justified by publications. There are many many papers describing - take your pick. NMR and infrared and ultraviolet spectrometers. Simple chromatography and HPLC technology. Stopped-flow spectrophotometers and fluorimeters. Isothermal titration and differential scanning calorimeters. Organic and inorganic synthesis has publications describing fancy glassware. Theory being put into practice with new devices needs to be described, if the answers the devices deliver are to be believed. Some of these publications are old and maybe forgotten, but new stuff generally gets explained in a paper when it's introduced. Maybe beakers and test-tubes didn't need publications...

ciao,
Bruce

On Oct 20, 2011, at 12:54 PM, "Mihaly Mezei Mihaly.Mezei ~~ mssm.edu" <owner-chemistry[]ccl.net> wrote:

> 
> Sent to CCL by: Mihaly Mezei [Mihaly.Mezei(-)mssm.edu]
>> Hi! A couple of people have suggested that explaining and providing 
>> details of software code is like providing details of the design of  a piece of
>> equipment used to perform a measurement. I don't think this is 
>> accurate.Experimentalists have to justify and validate the 
>> experimental approach, not the design of the equipment. 
> 
> So, why do we have to justify the design of our equipment (i.e., the source code)?
> 
> Or, conversely, why don't they have to to justify the design of their equipment?
> 
> Mihaly Mezei
> 
> Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
> Voice:  (212) 659-5475   Fax: (212) 849-2456
> WWW (MSSM home): http://www.mountsinai.org/Find%20A%20Faculty/profile.do?id=0000072500001497192632
> WWW (Lab home - software, publications): http://inka.mssm.edu/~mezei
> WWW (Department): http://atlas.physbio.mssm.edu> 
> 
> 
>