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Other than the unique features, what are other advantages of using WordPress for an ELN?

In addition to having some unique features for an ELN, the use of WordPress can provide the following advantages compared to most other ELNs.

  • Compared to commercial ELNs, WordPress provides a very affordable alternative because of the large number of free plugins and the low cost of most commercial plugins.
  • Since WordPress is used in over 40% of all websites, it has a strong case for sustainability when compared to many other ELN platforms that might be abandoned if their business model does not work out well.
  • Because of its popularity, using WordPress for an ELN ensures that there is a large pool of talented developers, agencies, hosting companies, and documentation to utilize and fall back on as needed.
  • The basic installation of WordPress is relatively simple and well-documented and it uses the popular PHP language, the LAMP stack, and plugins for extending capabilities. The LAMP stack is also known for its simplicity of installation. All of these qualities make it relatively simple for someone with basic website skills to install and extend WordPress for an ELN.
  • Again because of its popularity, skills developed for a WordPress ELN are transferable to many other domains like blogging, eCommerce, and general website building. This might be motivational for graduate students or other personnel to learn to use WordPress for an ELN.
  • The use of a relatively simple and well-documented plugin approach to extend WordPress capabilities allows someone with basic programming skills to create custom capabilities for their research project.