May 15, 2016 (Vol. 36, No. 10)
URL:
http://www.bioconductor.org
Rating:
Strong Points: Large collection of free software packages, great help resources
Weak Points: None
Summary:
In today’s information-rich research scene it can be difficult to wrangle all of one’s data. Bioconductor—an open source, open development software project—aims to help researchers bring their genomic data into sweet harmony through free software packages. All software packages are written in the R statistical programming language, and at present over 1,100 packages are available. The Bioconductor website not only provides the software downloads, but also provides a good deal of information for users and developers. Content on the homepage is divided into four main areas under the headings: install, learn, use, and develop. Under the “learn” section, for example, users will find a list of past and upcoming training courses, a link to a user support forum, literature citations, and common workflows, among other content. Developers, meanwhile, will find information regarding package guidelines, build reports, and other resources.
