COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTOR OPPORTUNITIES

As a free and open-source (FOSS) community, the Public Knowledge Project relies on strong support from a global community of contributors to strengthen and grow its ongoing maintenance and development.

There are three primary ways for community members to contribute to the Public Knowledge Project:

  1. Join an Interest Group or Committee, including the Documentation Interest Group (DIG), Education Interest Group (EIG), and Multilingualism Interest Group (MIG), the Members Committee (MC), and the Technical Committee (TC), and the Advisory Committee (AC)
  2. Respond to support inquiries through PKP’s Community Forum
  3. Contribute code, for example, through the development of a plugin

If you have any other ideas or suggestions for contributing to our community project, please do not hesitate to share them with us. We are open to considering additional forms of contribution beyond those listed above.

I. Interest Group and Committee Descriptions, Skill Sets, and Time Commitments

1. Documentation Interest Group (DIG)
The Documentation Interest Group (DIG) is charged with advancing the usability of the Public Knowledge Project’s software for and in consultation with our robust community, including by lowering barriers for non-expert users of PKP’s software and reducing redundant support inquiries. The DIG makes external-facing documentation available to PKP’s community through the Documentation Hub (Docs Hub), while its leadership creates, maintains, and improves internally-facing documentation on group governance, policies and procedures within a dedicated Notion space.

► DIG Terms of Reference

Member Skill Set & Experience

Familiarity with OJS/OMP/OPS in a technical or support capacity with specific experience in production and supporting editors with production using PKP software. The ideal member is attuned to common issues faced by diverse user roles and has superb writing and editing skills.

[Time Commitment: 3-4 hours monthly]

2. Education Interest Group (EIG)
The Education Committee is charged with providing public-facing educational opportunities for the community that advance the Public Knowledge Projects’ mission– improving the quality of, and access to, scholarly communication as a global public good. The Education Committee coordinates the strategic direction as well as the creation, maintenance, and improvement of quality educational opportunities and resources on (1) scholarly publishing, including on ethics, approaches, and trends and (2) the practical implementation and use of PKP’s platforms. In addition to coordinating projects and events, the Education Committee provides recommendations and guidance to PKP staff who participate in education-related activities.

► EIG Terms of Reference

Member Skill Set & Experience

Knowledgeable about scholarly publishing, including ethics, approaches, and trends and the practical implementation and use of PKP’s platforms. Interest and skills necessary to design and facilitate both asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities. Familiarity with OJS/OMP/OPS and experience in library instruction is considered an added advantage.

[Time Commitment: 1 hour monthly + project work]

3. Multilingualism Interest Group (MIG)
The Multilingual Interest Group (MIG) is a special interest group intended to unite PKP staff and community members whose work centers around multilingualism, translation, and/or working with communities and institutions with non-English language needs. As PKP advances tenets of information democratization and equitable global participation, this work includes providing support to non-English-speaking and multilingual communities and users.

► MIG Terms of Reference

Member Skill Set & Experience

Proficiency in metadata and translation standards, along with expertise in publishing and managing multilingual content, is highly preferred. We particularly value advanced, native, or near-native fluency in non-Latin character languages and right-to-left scripts, as well as those who have a comprehensive understanding of publishing needs in East Asia and Indonesia. Familiarity with OJS/OMP/OPS is considered an asset.

[Time Commitment: 1 hour monthly + project work]

4. Members Committee (MC)
The Members Committee (MC) is charged with guiding the strategic direction of the Public Knowledge Project interest groups by providing advice, support and consultation to ensure the fulfillment, delivery, and assessment of interest groups, special projects, and events. As a community-driven, community-supported project, the MC brings together PKP staff and community members from all operational segments of PKP to ensure (1) user-centered perspectives and (2) workflow management. The MC fosters connectedness by establishing clear reporting lines between interest groups and the Advisory Committee.

► MC Terms of Reference

Member Skill Set & Experience

Expertise in the scholarly communications landscape, including its ethics, approaches, and emerging trends. A capability to conceptualize, strategize, and implement projects in alignment with PKP’s mission and vision, especially to cater to the needs of PKP’s diverse global community.

[Time Commitment: 1.5 hours every other month + project work]

5. Technical Committee (TC)
The Technical Committee (TC) is charged with making decisions, recommending action, and overseeing activities that enable the sustainability and usefulness of PKP software through the emphasis on openness and collaboration.

► TC Terms of Reference

Member Skill Set & Experience

Knowledgeable about OJS/OMP/OPS in a strategic, technical, or support capacity; tolerant of, if not fluent in, technical discussion; and interested in improving the software, especially as it relates to e.g. institutional or national use (as opposed to a single journal at a time).

[Time Commitment: 1 hour monthly + project work]

6. Advisory Committee (AC)
The Advisory Committee (AC) is charged with providing guidance and advice on PKP’s governance and organizational structure. Additionally, they offer input on the general strategic direction and priorities for PKP’s software development and related activities. The committee also participates in community engagement and fundraising efforts while reviewing PKP’s financial reports to provide advice on ongoing sustainability. By fulfilling these duties, the Advisory Committee plays an essential role in ensuring the continued success and growth of the PKP community.

► AC Terms of Reference

Member Skill Set & Experience

The AC is looking for members who can enhance regional representation in Asia, Africa, and Australia/New Zealand. An ideal member should have regional expertise in supporting open publishing and proficient users of PKP software. An understanding of the national and regional context of open access, open infrastructure and scholarly publishing.

[Time Commitment: 6 hours annually]

II. Community Forum Description, Skill Set, and Time Commitment

The Community Forum builds a collective knowledge base of questions and answers from our user community, for our user community. Community Forum Moderators play a crucial role in facilitating a thriving online community. They engage with forum posts, providing clear, helpful, and timely responses to ensure users’ questions are addressed. Moderators also triage, tag, and categorize forum posts, aiding in effective troubleshooting and fostering useful conversations about PKP Software. By actively participating in discussions, moderators encourage collaborative learning, gathering insights for potential software and workflow improvements. They also contribute to creating a comprehensive knowledge base, making PKP software more accessible to non-experts and reducing redundant support inquiries.

Member Skill Set & Experience

Understanding of OJS/OMP/OPS workflows, technology, and server environments. Technical expertise related to PHP, OJS theme customization/development (vue.js) coding customizations, server configurations, and the command line interface would be particularly valuable. Ability to ask the right questions, extract relevant information, and effectively uncover insights. Experience supporting upgrades and troubleshooting upgrade problems. Writing skills for clear communication and demonstrates a genuine interest in enhancing the accessibility of PKP Software for non-expert users. Search skills for efficient navigation and information retrieval. Comprehension and written fluency in a language other than English, particularly in regions with significant PKP Software usage, is an added advantage.

[Time Commitment: 2 hours monthly]

III. Contributing Code

PKP values code contributions to both core software like OJS/OMP/OPS and through the development of plugins. To contribute code, please consult PKP’s Contributor’s Guide and Release a Plugin Guide. Before you begin to code, it is recommended to contact PKP, communicate your plans, ensure alignment, and prevent duplicating efforts. The Technical Committee/ Development Team is available to review third-party code and provide guidance, especially around security and maintainability best practices. Please use the Contact Form to get in touch and share your contribution ideas!

To express interest in membership through the community contributor pathway, please submit this form.

Infographic for PKP Print held in Bogotá June 30-July 1, 2022.
PKP’s Bogotá Sprint, June 30-July 1, 2022. Infographic: Andrés Enciso Betancourt, Centro de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Científico Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas