9. Code documentation

1. Coding

Leave the code in better shape than when you started. This means adding documentation to describe your changes at a minimum. Even better, you can clean up the existing documentation. You can also clean up the existing code, although you should make sure any changes you make are non-breaking. There should always be a README file included in your GitHub repo.

2. Writing Papers

• Writing a paper is an integral part of the scientific process. It may seem that writing a paper is something one does after finishing the data acquisition or analysis. In fact, however, writing a paper helps to develop the argument, and writing a manuscript often prompts more measurements and further analysis.
• I have heard it said before that a good paper is like an onion. There are many layers to an onion, but each layer contains the full essence of the onion. In the context of a paper, this means no matter how one reads the paper (e.g., title alone, figures alone, introduction and conclusion alone, the whole thing, etc.) one should come away with the main message of the paper.
• Write your papers in latex using overleaf. Once the primary author has finished a draft, we typically take turns reading the paper and making or suggesting edits. The process of having coauthors read the paper and make edits is time consuming. It is the first author’s responsibility to make sure this process keeps going and runs smoothly.

3. Correcting Errors

Errors can be corrected relatively easily during the peer-review process. However, once this process finishes and the paper advances to production or is published, it is difficult to correct any errors. Thus, do your best to find and correct any errors before this. This is part of the reason we have the double check rule, discussed above. Nevertheless, mistakes will happen. If you discover something, let me know as soon as possible, and we will take appropriate action.