NextPyter: Open-Source Research Collaborative Platform

The utilization of Web-based interactive analytical tools in the research field is on the rise. Languages like Python and R are becoming widely adopted for analysis due to their extensive libraries and - mainly in the Python case - thanks to a relatively smooth learning curve for data analysis purposes. Consequently, tools like Jupyter Notebook have become the de facto standard for data analysis. These tools offer numerous benefits, such as a browser-based interface, reproducible workflows, and integration of text, code, and results in one document, making them attractive even to non-computer scientists. However, they face challenges in sharing and real-time collaboration, which both the Jupyter community and commercial solutions are addressing. Based on feedback from our researchers and experiences in multidisciplinary fields, our research aimed to integrate the Jupyter Notebook into a broader online file storage system for an enriched research workflow. Specifically, we developed an open-source application for Nextcloud called NextPyter. The application integrates Jupyter Notebook within the Nextcloud platform using Docker technology, enhancing friendly utilization and real-time collaboration.