Reproducible Analytical Pipelines (RAP)

RAP is a way of working that helps you make your analytical processes:

Faster

More robust

More transparent

What is RAP?

Reproducible Analytical Pipelines is a set of tools, principles, and techniques to help you improve your analytical processes.

With RAP, you'll leverage open-source tools to make your work more efficient, more reusable, and less error-prone.

The RAP journey:

  1. Start with your current, manual process
  2. Redesign it in-line with RAP principles
  3. Rebuild your new pipeline with open-source tools
  4. Identify reusable components
  5. Save time by reusing these components in future projects

Learn more:

What is RAP?
diagram with 5 sections. 1 - a straw house. 2 - a blueprint for a new house. 3 - a fully constructed new house made of bricks. 4 - a pile of bricks. 5 - more houses made from bricks.
"The principles of RAP are excellent, well thought through, and reflect a strong basic minimum standard."
Prof. Ben Goldacre, The Goldacre Review, 2022
Photo from the HACA conference 2023, courtesy of The Strategy Unit.
Photo of Prof. Ben Goldacre, taken at the Health And Care Analytics conference 2023, used by permission of The Strategy Unit.

How to RAP

Are you interested in RAP, but don't know how to get started?

Check out our guidance on implementing RAP!

It'll show you how to take a process you currently do in a very manual, time-consuming way, and rebuild it in-line with RAP principles.

Learn more:

How to RAP
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"Recommendation 7: promote and resource ‘Reproducible Analytical Pipelines’ ... as the minimum standard for academic and NHS data analysis"
Data Saves Lives, 2022 government strategy report
Text stating 'Data Saves Lives'

Our RAP Service

The NHS England Data Science team offers support to NHSE teams looking to implement RAP.

We'll:

  • Work alongside your team for 6-12 weeks
  • Work with you to recreate one of your processes in the RAP way
  • Deliver training in Git, Python, R, Databricks, and anything else you'll need

Learn more:

Our RAP Service
Group photo of the members of the NHS England Data Science Team
Are you an NHS Employee? Check out our Future NHS page for details of support we can offer, including drop-in sessions, monthly workshops, our Teams channel, and more!
RAP Community of Practice Future NHS Page
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Training Resources

On this very site we have a range of step-by-step, ground-up training guides on topics like:

  • Python
  • Git
  • R
  • General coding tips

Learn more:

Training Resources
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