Sprints

Do you use OJS, OMP, OPS for your publishing? Do you have ideas on how to improve these systems? If yes, attend a PKP sprint! Sprints are free, fun, and interactive events for our community to brainstorm important tasks, set priorities, and work together to improve our open source software. On this page you will find information about:

  • Upcoming Sprints
  • Past Sprints
  • Documentation Sprints
  • FAQ
  • Sprint Code of Conduct

Upcoming Sprints

Registration now open: PKP Sprint and Library Publishing Forum Pre-Conference Event. A diverse group of people from around the world gather to work on PKP software. The room has tables with computers mounted on them, but the participants are happily standing in mixed groups brainstorming and exchanging ideas. The logos of the Library Publishing Coalition, University of Minnesota Libraries, and PKP are lined up side by side at the bottom of the graphic.

Past Sprints

Documentation Sprints

PKP’s Documentation Interest Group hosts bi-weekly virtual documentation sprints where software users and developers collaborate on documentation projects.  See the Documentation Interest Group’s page for upcoming sprint topics and information about how to participate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I participate remotely? Development sprints can only be attended in person. Documentation sprints are offered online. Sprints are just one of the ways we can work together though. To make software suggestions and contributions online, check out the PKP Community Forum and GitHub repository.

Do I need to know how to code to participate? Not at all! Though there are often many technical tasks, you don’t need to know PHP or MySQL to contribute to the future of OJS. Good software development also involves requirements gathering, user interface (UI) prototyping, user experience (UX) evaluation, and other non-coding tasks. 

Who attends PKP sprints? Everyone is welcome. Our sprints attract a wide range of software users – from programmers and journal managers to librarians and user interface experts. We can only offer sprints in English at this time, however, we work with hosts from around the world to offer diverse locations.

Why should I participate in a sprint? Sprints are a great opportunity to meet like-minded colleagues, get hands-on experience, and learn more about our software. Sprints aren’t just a place to share ideas – the work you do has a direct impact on the development of PKP software. Learn more

What tasks will I work on? Tasks vary from sprint to sprint. Participants can share their ideas at registration, then sprint tasks are decided on Day 1 by the group. We’ve seen the most success with small-size projects that have teamwork potential and include a mix of both technical, and non-technical, tasks. Check out past sprints to see what we’ve been up to.

Can my organization host a sprint? Contact us to chat further – we’d love to work together!

Code of Conduct

At the Public Knowledge Project, our work is guided by our commitment to quality, openness, participation, and inclusiveness. We respect people, value diversity, and actively seek to expand spaces for many voices and experiences, both locally and globally, in and through our work. These values help us to build positive and constructive working relationships in our community. As such, we have adopted this Code of Conduct and require all those who participate in our community to agree and adhere to it in order to ensure a safe and positive experience for all.