Reform metaverse into a project to collate and describe evidence synthesis packages

[nealhaddaway]

We're proposing strong shift for metaverse 2.0 - instead of being a curated set of CRAN packages with developer involvement, we suggest it become a systematic collation and description of core functioning evidence synthesis R packages that can support evidence synthesis. The biggest change along with removing the need for developer buy-in will be the inclusion of non-CRAN R packages. This serves two main benefits:

1. CURRENCY - It ensures that the latest versions of rapidly developing packages are available to users
2. COMPREHENSIVENESS - It admits many more packages that are not (currently) on CRAN

Packages will be identified by systematic searches of GitHub, ESMARConf, ESHackathon, Systematic Review Toolbox and CRAN. Inclusion will depend on an assessment of the package meeting various inclusion criteria (in development). Packages will be categorised, described in a database, and placed on a visual process pipeline to aid use.

[softloud]

I know I've been out of the loop for a few years. I'm finally recovering from burnout and am getting back in the opensci game. Writing two papers about my work on the data platform for national internet infrastructure. I almost never use R anymore. So, fwiw, my two cents is that it a brilliant idea to pivot to providing varieties of solutions in various languages for various use-cases. For example, I wrangle data in R, Python, and SQL. I dashboard in streamlit, power bi, all sorts of things. I've become an enormous DBT-core fangrrl and I think we could create some really cool solutions using it.

PS, I promise I'll apply to come to ESH this year.

https://github.com/dbt-labs/dbt-core