10 Reviewing Analyses and Code

  • Has my work recieved feedback? Has a second set of eyes checked it for correctness?
  • Have I learned from my colleagues’ work?

Just like any piece of writing that you do, your analysis code should be reviewed by a peer or supervisor. There are generally two types of code reviews we engage in:

  • Unit reviews are reviews of discrete, small parts of a project. This might be an analysis that you took a few days or a couple of weeks to complete, and consists of 1-2 files or a few dozen to hundred lines of code. When you complete such a discrete unit, you should solicit feedback.
  • Project reviews are reviews of a whole project as it wraps up, such as prior to the submission of a manuscript. These reviews aim to check that the project is complete, understandable and reproducible.

Reviews can be either

  • In person reviews where you go over your code with your team or at our informal science meetings. ScreenHero can also be used for this.
  • Written reviews where a peers place comments in your code or use the commenting and reviewing features on GitHub.

or both.

10.1 Learn