I'm not even sure there is a fixed exchange rate, but if there is, I think it's >> 1 release per paper[0]. I can definitely imagine writing a paper for the fir

I'm not even sure there is a fixed exchange rate, but if there is, I think it's >> 1 release per paper[0]. I can definitely imagine writing a paper for the first major release. If the software solves an pressing scientific problem (e.g., replacing laborious experiments with accurate simulations) or shows off a new algorithm, the paper itself might be a big deal. Subsequent versions seem trickier. You could certainly publish big technical advances, like a parallel version of the core algorithm. I'm not sure what you do for more routine maintenance and incremental improvements (e.g., bug fixes, more import/export formats, better UI). There are specialized journals that might take these "reports", like the Journal of Open Source Software, but I'm not sure if a CV of JOSS papers would give you a viable career. [0] If I had to guess, I'd bet there were multiple PhDs in the topic you were working on. While the code base would be a good start, there's a lot more to a research degree than organizing and documenting some code.