Bioinformatics training: a review of challenges, actions and support requirements.
As bioinformatics becomes increasingly central to research in the molecular life sciences, the need to train non-bioinformaticians to make the most of bioinformatics resources is growing. Here, we review the key challenges and pitfalls to providing effective training for users of bioinformatics services, and discuss successful training strategies shared by a diverse set of bioinformatics trainers. We also identify steps that trainers in bioinformatics could take together to advance the state of the art in current training practices. The ideas presented in this article derive from the first Trainer Networking Session held under the auspices of the EU-funded SLING Integrating Activity, which took place in November 2009.
Schneider
Maria Victoria
MV
EMBL Outstation, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SD, UK. vicky@ebi.ac.uk
Watson
James
J
Attwood
Teresa
T
Rother
Kristian
K
Budd
Aidan
A
McDowall
Jennifer
J
Via
Allegra
A
Fernandes
Pedro
P
Nyronen
Tommy
T
Blicher
Thomas
T
Jones
Phil
P
Blatter
Marie-Claude
MC
De Las Rivas
Javier
J
Judge
David Phillip
DP
van der Gool
Wouter
W
Brooksbank
Cath
C
D019295:Computational Biology / Q000193:education*; D012106:Research / Q000193:education; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods