Case Study: Royal Veterinary College improves BoneJ development with Software Sustainability Institute

Royal Veterinary College improves BoneJ development with Software Sustainability Institute's 40+ recommendations

The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, faced a challenge with its popular BoneJ bone analysis software. Its developer, a veterinary scientist, lacked the time and specialized software engineering skills to properly maintain, develop, and manage the growing community around the open-source plugin. They engaged the Software Sustainability Institute to prevent the software from becoming stale and unsupported.

The Software Sustainability Institute conducted a detailed audit and provided over 40 recommendations, including coding guidelines, a contributions policy, and a tool assessment for a new website. These improvements helped position the project for future growth and were instrumental in securing a letter of support for a major grant application. The Institute's involvement added credibility and provided essential strategic advice for long-term software sustainability.

Royal Veterinary College, University of London