Apprendre Reproducible Scientific Workflows | Reproducible and Genomic-Style Analysis

Reproducibility is a cornerstone of modern science, especially in biology where experiments and analyses must be trusted and validated by others. When you ensure your work is reproducible, you make it possible for other researchers to repeat your analysis, verify your findings, and build upon your results. This is critical for advancing knowledge and maintaining scientific integrity.

Scripts and thorough documentation are essential—they allow you and others to retrace each step of your analysis, understand the logic behind your decisions, and avoid mistakes that can arise from manual or undocumented work. In R, several tools and conventions help you create reproducible workflows, making your research more transparent and reliable.


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# Simulate gene expression data
data <- data.frame(
  gene = rep(c("GeneA", "GeneB", "GeneC"), each = 5),
  expression = c(
    5.2, 5.8, 6.1, 5.5, 6.0,
    3.9, 4.1, 4.3, 4.0, 4.2,
    7.1, 7.4, 7.2, 7.6, 7.3
  )
)

# Calculate mean expression for each gene
gene_means <- aggregate(data$expression, by=list(Gene=data$gene), FUN=mean)
print(gene_means)

# Write results to a new file
write.csv(gene_means, "gene_expression.csv", row.names=FALSE)

A well-structured script not only performs the required analysis but also makes it clear what each part does and why. Start your script with a brief description of its purpose and any required packages or input files. Use comments—lines that begin with the # symbol—to explain the logic behind each step. This helps others (and your future self) quickly understand the workflow and reproduce the results without confusion. Good commenting and logical script organization are vital for reproducibility, as they make your analysis transparent and easy to follow.

Key points for reproducible scripts

Begin with a description of the script's purpose;
List any required packages and input files;
Use # to add clear, concise comments explaining each step;
Organize code logically to reflect the flow of analysis.

These practices ensure your work can be trusted, understood, and repeated by others.


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## Example of using R Markdown for a reproducible report

## Load required library
library(ggplot2)

## Data Import

data <- read.csv("gene_expression.csv")
head(data)

## Visualization

ggplot(data, aes(x=Gene, y=x)) + geom_bar(stat="identity") + ylab("Mean Expression")

R Markdown is a powerful tool that lets you combine code, results, and written explanations in a single document. This approach streamlines communication and ensures that anyone reading your report can immediately see both the methods and the outcomes. To maximize reproducibility, always include clear descriptions, code, and outputs. When sharing your analyses in biology, provide all scripts, raw data (when possible), and a README file explaining how to run the workflow. Use meaningful file names, keep your code organized, and document any assumptions or decisions. These practices make your work easier to understand, reuse, and build upon, strengthening the scientific community.

1. Why is reproducibility important in biological research?

2. What is the purpose of R Markdown?

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# Simulate gene expression data
data <- data.frame(
  gene = rep(c("GeneA", "GeneB", "GeneC"), each = 5),
  expression = c(
    5.2, 5.8, 6.1, 5.5, 6.0,
    3.9, 4.1, 4.3, 4.0, 4.2,
    7.1, 7.4, 7.2, 7.6, 7.3
  )
)

# Calculate mean expression for each gene
gene_means <- aggregate(data$expression, by=list(Gene=data$gene), FUN=mean)
print(gene_means)

# Write results to a new file
write.csv(gene_means, "gene_expression.csv", row.names=FALSE)