NutriNews Issue 7 2017 NutriNews Issue 7 2017 | Page 31

proprietary control. > Scientific funding has been steadily declining, thus any way to reduce expenses should appeal to scientists enabling their funding to last longer. > An argument made against R in this regard is we cannot trust the results because it is free and it does not have a company behind it. > The problem with this argument is that the warranty on the accuracy of results is the same for any software, both closed and open: There is no warranty that the results will be correct. > These three reasons alone are strong reasons to use R, but there is also a value-based reason: the values underlying open source match the values of science itself. > Modern science is about sharing (though we could get better at it) and collaborating, with as little barriers as possible. Using R allows us as researchers to fit with this value. > Plus, R is just more fun to use! S > Lastly, R is free and will always be free. > It is legally licensed so that it can never be under closed, Before we get into open science, it is There are three main tools in open The common thread between these important to first keep in mind what science: open access, open source, and three tools is that everything is science entails. S