Facilitating reproducible research through direct connection of data analysis with manuscript preparation: StatTag for connecting statistical software to Microsoft Word.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To enhance reproducible research by creating a broadly accessible, free, open-source software tool for connecting Microsoft Word to statistical programs (R/R Markdown, Python, SAS, Stata) so that results may be automatically updated in a manuscript.

Materials and methods

We developed StatTag for Windows as a Microsoft Word plug-in using C# and for macOS as a native application using Objective-C. Source code is available under the MIT license at https://github.com/stattag.

Results

StatTag links analysis file(s) (R/R Markdown, SAS, Stata, or Python) and a Word document, invokes the statistical program(s) to obtain results, and embeds selected output in the document. StatTag can accommodate multiple statistical programs with a single document and features an interface to view, edit, and rerun statistical code directly from Word.

Discussion and conclusion

StatTag may facilitate reproducibility within increasingly multidisciplinary research teams, improve research transparency through review and publication, and complement data-sharing initiatives.

SUBMITTER: Welty LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7660954 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature