DoIT Shared Tools - GitLab for Research

GitLab is a code repository platform researchers can use to share code with collaborators and track versions of software. GitLab is useful for projects in which multiple collaborators are writing different parts of the code base, working with multiple versions of the software, or deploying the software for use in new projects.

Git is software that is commonly used in research to version control source code. If you want to learn more about using Git, consider taking a Software Carpentry Workshop through the Data Science Hub.

GitLab and GitHub are both web platforms that store remote copies of git repositories, allowing your code to be backed up and facilitate collaboration. The shared GitLab instance is licensed by UW-Madison and is GitLab for Campuses. GitHub.com is owned by Microsoft and is governed by individual license agreement and should not be used for proprietary code. We recommend using university-licensed tools to protect the researcher from entering into license agreements individually. Storing research objects in Campus resources protects from potential data loss.

The answer is: it depends! If you are using software that is covered by a contractual agreement with an outside party, the software license might specify terms of use or you might want to consult with a contractual specialist in your department/unit or the University Office of Legal Affairs (https://legal.wisc.edu/), before using GitLab with this software

If it is determined that you can use GitLab for your proprietary software, ensure the appropriate user attestation process and management in place. For example, make projects with proprietary software private and limit the membership as much as possible.