In-depth examination of spatio-temporal figures in open reproducible research (Preprint)

Figures such as maps and time series are essential means to visualize spatio-temporal
results in scientific papers. Being able to recompute them using the underlying source
code and data is thus a core aspect in reproducible research. However, many scientists
see the preparation of code and data for publication as an additional burden
without immediate benefits. In this work, we investigate advantages and new capabilities
of reproducible research papers. Our key contributions are (i) the extension
of a geoscientist’s workflow while examining papers including reproducible figures
such as maps and (ii) the prototypical impl...  more

Figures such as maps and time series are essential means to visualize spatio-temporal
results in scientific papers. Being able to recompute them using the underlying source
code and data is thus a core aspect in reproducible research. However, many scientists
see the preparation of code and data for publication as an additional burden
without immediate benefits. In this work, we investigate advantages and new capabilities
of reproducible research papers. Our key contributions are (i) the extension
of a geoscientist’s workflow while examining papers including reproducible figures
such as maps and (ii) the prototypical implementation of the workflow as a web
application. The workflow is based on current practices of geoscientists and encapsulates
benefits of reproducible figures. It is informed by ideas and needs identified
by geoscientists in a survey, interviews, and a focus group. Based on their statements,
we first extend the traditional workflow steps Discovery and Inspection by
additional capabilities and propose two new steps: Manipulation of the content of
a spatio-temporal figure and Substitution of the underlying code and data. The extended
workflow and its implementation might facilitate in-depth examination and
reusability of geoscientific results.