Good Coding Practice for Science

This primer introduces the elements that distinguish well-written computer code, covering style, clarity, technique, and robustness, to support readers in improving their coding skills. It explains why some approaches are better than others, and shows how good code prevents scientific errors and increases the reproducibility of research.

List of contents

• 1: Introduction


• 2: Best practices


• 3: Preparing to code


• 4: Comments and documentation


• 5: Choosing names


• 6: Conceptualization


• 7: Functions


• 8: Data


• 9: Efficiency


• 10: Errors


• Commonly confused terms


• Glossary


• References

About the author

Sanjay Manohar is an Associate Professor in Neuroscience and a Consultant Neurologist at the University of Oxford. He has 38 years of coding experience in C, Java, Python, Bash, MATLAB, Javascript, assembler, and Basic. He is a fellow of the Software Sustainability Institute, an RCUK-funded body that aims to improve software in academia. Sanjay has taught courses in Good Coding Practices for seven years at University College London and Oxford. He is a passionate teacher, an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators.

Product details

• Authors: Sanjay G. Manohar, Sanjay G. (Associate Professor and Honora Manohar, Sanjay G. (University of Oxford) Manohar
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 01.12.2025
• EAN: 9780198848028
• ISBN: 978-0-19-884802-8
• No. of pages: 144
• Series: Oxford Biology Primers
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > Programming languages; Science: general issues, SCIENCE / General, COMPUTERS / Software Development & Engineering / General, COMPUTERS / Programming / General, Computer programming / software engineering, Computer Programming / Software Development, Coding theory and cryptology