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Lei Ma edited this page Nov 28, 2023 · 2 revisions

Where to get help

Where to get help with your code or analysis depends on the type of problem you're having. In general there are three different groups at Harvard that can help you. They are:

Research Computing is helpful if you have trouble with hardware/software on the cluster. Example questions:

I'm having trouble logging into to Cannon cluster
I don't understand how parallel computing works or how to give my jobs more resources
I need guidance on where to put my files
I need help adapting my code that runs on my local machine to run on the cluster

Informatics Group is helpful if you want to get advice on best practices for bioinformatics workflows or pipelines. Example questions:

I've gotten my data but I don't know the best software I should use to do X
How can I set up a reproducible workflow in snakemake or nextflow?
I'm not sure this software is doing what I think it's doing. Am I using it correctly?
I'm running into an issue with a bioinformatics software that I need help debugging

Other Balskus lab members are helpful if you have questions about lab-maintained code, procedures, etc. Example questions:

Can you explain to me how lab_script_A works?
How should I put my code on github?

How to get help

The best way to get help from any of the above sources is to describe your problem as best as you can. The more work you put into describing your problem, the easier it is for others to help you. For example, if you are experiencing an issue with some script or software you are trying to run, here are some ways you can document what's going on:

  1. Error message
  2. What you expected to happen
  3. Command used
  4. Environment/context
  5. Minimal example

The more removed a person is from your workflow in terms of subject matter expertise or context, the more information you should provide.

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