[R] Packages - a great resource, but hard to find the right one

[hadley wickham]

> Above all there are lots of packages.  As the software editor of the
> Journal of Statistical Software I suggested we should review R
> packages.  No one has shown any enthusiasm for this suggestion, but I
> think it would help.  Any volunteers?

There are two common types of review.  When reviewing a paper, you are
helping the author to make a better paper (and it's initiated by the
author). When reviewing a book, you are providing advise on whether
someone should make an expensive purchase (and it's initiated by an
third party).  Reviewing an R package seems somewhat in between.  How
would you deal with new version of an R package?  It seems like there
is the potential for reviews to become stale very quickly.

Another model to look at would be that of an encyclopedia, something
like the existing task views.  To me, it would be of more benefit if
JSS provided support, peer review, and regular review, for these.
Entries would be more of a survey, and could provide links to the
literature, much like a chapter of MASS.

Hadley


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