Research needs more than code
An open project relies on people who spot a gap in a guide, ask a question about a class definition, test an interface, translate a caveat precisely or organise an expert review. That matters as much as a training script, and we want that work to be visible.
The project has seven contribution tracks: clinical review, engineering, testing, documentation, communications, partnerships and education.
A good task has a clear finish
A good first task answers four questions:
- What exactly needs to change?
- Where is it?
- How will someone else check the result?
- Who will check it?
For a translator, the result is a corrected sentence. For a tester, a minimal example of a bug. For a teacher, an exercise with a clear goal. Each is a contribution in its own right, not a big commitment.
If a task needs unwritten agreements or access a newcomer does not have, it needs clarifying first. That is a problem with the process, not with the contributor.
Recognition with consent
We credit many kinds of contribution, not just commits. But a public profile appears only with the contributor’s consent, and naming an organisation needs its permission. Contributing does not by itself make someone an author of a paper.
Say how much time you have and start with one task: how to start, recognition.