Academic researchers depend on a variety of highly specialized software to power their studies. The commercial software options in common use are expensive; either investigators must purchase a large number of licenses for common applications like data analysis tools, or they have to buy costly single licenses for specialized software, such as an application for a specific laboratory device.
It’s surprising, then, that so few researchers are using open source instead of expensive commercial software. Not only does open source produce cost savings over commercial options—money that can be invested back into research—it also provides researchers the opportunity to develop software for their own specific needs, then share it with others doing similar work.
Assume your research group invents a new technology or methodology to advance your field and publishes your findings in a notable journal. In order for commercial software to be developed for your technology, someone in a software company has to read your paper, trigger the development process, and bring the software to market maturity. Depending on the project’s complexity, this could take several years.