How to use the Our Handbook template#

Thank you for taking this opportunity to create a considered and healthy research culture with your group.

Our Handbook is a Jupyter Book template for a research group handbook. Group leaders and members edit the book together to create a living document which works for them, by following the steps below. Our Handbook has a variety of different sections, your group might not use all of them, and each section has a variety of solutions that you can choose from.

1. Make your own copy this repo#

  • Nominate a group memeber to fork the repo. (if your group doesn’t have a GitHub organisation, perhaps make one and fork to there).

  • All other group members fork the orangisation repo

2. Edit the book with your team#

Via web:#

  • Navigate to your forked repository, in <book name>/book/templatechoose the section of the book you’d like to edit (e.g. adding team-members).

  • Click Edit this file 🖊 in the top-right submenu and make your changes.

  • All changes can be previewed by switching to the Preview window.

  • Scrawl to the bottom of the page and under Commit changes type in a commit message (e.g. “adding team member to index.md”).

  • Check “push to main branch” box.

  • Click Propose changes.

  • To add your changes to the group book, navigate to the homepage of your repository and click “compare & pull request”.

  • Write a quick description on your changes and click “Create pull request”.

  • Navigate to “Pull requests” and merge the changes.

  • Now see 3. Make your handbook available online

Locally:#

3. Make your handbook available online#

  • Follow the instructions here to make your handbook available online.

  • Make sure that you link to the handbook on your group website, and in any job (including PhD studentship) openings.

  • Please tell us if you use this handbook!

4. Keep the book updated#

4A. Onboard new team members using the handbook when they join#

  • Show them around the handbook and the current expectations for group members.

  • Show them how to edit the handbook, and ask them to edit themselves in to the team members section (using the instructions for new members page).

4B. Review the book#

  • Review the book as a team regularly (we suggest once per year). Set aside a session at an away day or a team meeting to do this. This is an opportunity for the team to share new expertise that they’ve learned in the last year, and to decide as a group to adapt new group-wide policies or processes.

  • Review the book with team members individually (we suggest every 6 months for new staff, or once per year for others). This is an opportunity to check that the groups research culture is working for everyone.