Exploring Code Comprehension in Scientific Programming: Preliminary Insights from Research Scientists

This presentation explores code comprehension challenges in scientific programming based on a survey of 57 research scientists. It reveals that 57.9% of scientists have no formal training in writing readable code. Key findings highlight a "documentation paradox" where documentation is both the most common readability practice and the biggest challenge scientists face. The study identifies critical issues with naming conventions and code organization, noting that 100% of scientists agree readable code is essential for reproducible research. The research concludes with four key recommendations: expanding programming education for scientists, conducting targeted research on scientific code quality, developing specialized tools, and establishing clearer documentation guidelines for scientific software. Presented at: The 33rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC '25) Date of Conference: April 2025 Conference Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.10037