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replace most "decentralised" with "spokes"
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also: update aff for Jena

closes: #57
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knarrff committed Nov 18, 2024
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\include{contributors.tex}

\date{2024-07-25}
\date{2024-12-31}

\include{marginplots.tex}

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -248,23 +248,23 @@ \subsection{Module 1: Foster a Network of RSEs}

One of the core responsibilities of an RSE unit is to act as a coordinator of RSE activities within the institution.
At virtually every academic institution there are employees that assume at least part-time the role of an RSE, with tasks within only a part of that organization.
These decentralized RSEs typically work isolated from similar RSEs in different groups, within the same institution.
A central RSE unit provides a condensation core and connects decentralized RSEs with each other and with the ones at the hub.
These RSEs typically work isolated from similar RSEs in different groups, within the same institution.
A central RSE unit provides a condensation core and connects RSEs in spokes with each other and with the ones at the hub.

Connecting decentralized RSEs has multiple, positive effects.
Connecting RSEs in spokes has multiple, positive effects.
It will enable them to get to know others in similar situations and to learn from as well as support each other.
Contact with the central RSE unit will also help RSEs to professionalize their software development, which will directly benefit not only themselves but also their research groups.
In addition, the networking opportunities allow the distribution of knowledge about tools and resources within network partners, including the central RSE unit.
There are many RSE skills mastering which can take many years; time that a part-time RSE usually can not spare.
A central RSE unit can make sure to connect decentralized RSEs to others with the relevant expertise or offer it themselves.
A central RSE unit can make sure to connect RSEs in spokes to others with the relevant expertise or offer it themselves.
Fostering the network also enables the RSE unit to monitor institutional RSE activities, thereby giving it the insight necessary to prevent duplication of work and support synergies.

How an RSE unit realizes this task will depend heavily on its environment and resources.
We only mention a few examples here to provide inspiration, with the explicit claim of incompleteness.
These include talks, seminars, workshops, meet-ups, hackathons, as well as informal regulars' tables.
As a foundation, a central RSE unit employs experienced RSEs, mostly at the post-doctoral level, who are not only expert software engineers, but also good communicators with the ability to work interdisciplinarily.
At least a core of a central RSE unit's employees need to have permanent contracts to be able to offer that deep expertise that requires years of experience.
Moreover, an onboarding process can serve as an entry point for new RSEs, whether decentralized or in the central RSE unit, into an institution's network.
Moreover, an onboarding process can serve as an entry point for new RSEs, whether in the hub or in spokes, into an institution's network.
This gives an opportunity to gauge how the new colleague can benefit from the RSE units's teaching services and whom they might want to network with based on their planned work.
Similarly an off-boarding process can help to make sure that all acquired knowledge that is relevant to the institution is passed on to someone who stays, even when within a single research group alone that might pose a problem.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ \subsection{Module 3: Development Services}
\subsection{Module 4: Teaching Services}
\label{sec:teaching}

A central RSE unit can provide or organize training for researchers and decentralized RSEs in an institution.
A central RSE unit can provide or organize training for researchers and RSEs in spokes.
This can replace self-education for foundational software development skills and provide a basis from which researchers can continue to learn more specialized skills guided by experts of the central RSE unit.
It also improves the quality of much of the fairly simple software being written by researchers; scripts to process and maybe visualize their data.
As teaching material for foundational software development skills is freely available,
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -396,9 +396,9 @@ \subsection{Module 6: RSE Infrastructure Provisioning}
However, a central RSE unit can provide extra services by acting as an intermediary for RSE infrastructure and by hosting pilot instances of new tools and services.
IT departments typically only provide the service for hosting and accessing IT infrastructures, such as RSE infrastructures.
Central RSE units are a link between the central services offered either by IT departments, computing centers or over-archlingly available services on one side,
and decentralized RSEs on the other, offering documentation, training and best-practices to efficiently and effectively use available services and comply with established processes.
and RSEs in spokes on the other, offering documentation, training and best-practices to efficiently and effectively use available services and comply with established processes.

Furthermore, the central RSE unit can offer consulting for decentralized RSEs to guide selection processes of the tools and services best suited for each project.
Furthermore, the central RSE unit can offer consulting for RSEs in spokes to guide selection processes of the tools and services best suited for each project.
This holds for existing RSE, or more general IT, infrastructure.
However, as scientists are working, by definition, at the cutting edge, they will often need or want to use the newest tools.
When such a need is identified in the course of a consultation, a central RSE unit can set up and provide access to pilot instances to evaluate these tools.
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On the contrary, the RSE unit should act as a multiplier for the RSE-relevant services offered by the IT department, helping RSEs to discover and use existing and upcoming services.
Similarly, the RSE unit can promote the use of the available computing infrastructure provided by a computing center, helping with the support of the users when RSE-related questions in this context arise.
Once the mutual collaboration between RSE unit, IT department and computing center has been established, a stricter policy-based involvement of the RSE unit for infrastructure requests is envisioned.
Overall, by acting as an intermediary for RSE infrastructure related requests, the central RSE unit can augment the IT department and the computing center, providing decentralized RSEs with the specific support they require.
Overall, by acting as an intermediary for RSE infrastructure related requests, the central RSE unit can augment the IT department and the computing center, providing RSEs in spokes with the specific support they require.

\subsection{Module 7: Research Software Engineering Research}
\label{sec:rseresearch}
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