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Brittleness and bureaucracy : software as a material for science

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Spencer, Matthew (2015) Brittleness and bureaucracy : software as a material for science. Perspectives on Science, 23 (4). pp. 466-484. doi:10.1162/POSC_a_00184

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/POSC_a_00184

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Abstract

Through examining a case study of a major fluids modelling code, this paper charts two key properties of software as a material for building models. Scientific software development is characterized by piecemeal growth, and as a code expands, it begins to manifest frustrating properties that provide an important axis of motivation in the laboratory. The first such feature is a tendency towards brittleness. The second is an accumulation of supporting technologies that sometimes cause scientists to express a frustration with the bureaucracy of highly regulated working practices. Both these features are important conditions for the pursuit of research through simulation.

Item Type: Journal Article
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies
Journal or Publication Title: Perspectives on Science
Publisher: MIT Press
ISSN: 1063-6145
Official Date: 6 November 2015
Dates:
DateEvent
6 November 2015Published
Volume: 23
Number: 4
Page Range: pp. 466-484
DOI: 10.1162/POSC_a_00184
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
Open Access Version:
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