The Research Software Engineering (RSE) Survey Dataset (2016–2022): A Longitudinal and International Resource for Studying the Research Software Workforce

The Research Software Engineering (RSE) Survey dataset contains longitudinal survey data collected by the Software Sustainability Institute between 2016 and 2022. The survey was initially conducted in the United Kingdom and expanded in subsequent years to include multiple countries. From 2018 onward, a single international instrument was used across participating countries, with only minor contextual adaptations to maintain comparability. Participation was voluntary and open to individuals who self-identified as Research Software Engineers or as performing research-software-related work, irrespective of formal job title. The dataset includes anonymized responses covering demographics, employment conditions, coding practices, training and collaboration, publication contributions, sustainability practices, professional networks, and job satisfaction. The RSE Survey Report, an interactive dashboard (W. Kijewska, M. Donnay, H. S. Packer, S. Hettrick, RSE survey report, software (2026). URL https: //rse-survey. soton. ac. uk/superset/dashboard/RSEₛurvey/), also enables exploration of trends, cross-country comparisons, and changes across survey waves. The dataset is openly licensed and supported by publicly available analysis code, enabling reproducible workflows. The longitudinal and international design supports reuse for cross-sectional and temporal analyses, workforce comparisons, and integration with external datasets such as national workforce statistics or research output indicators. The dataset will be expanded with results from future surveys, including the 2026 survey that is pending completion.