Document how to use GitHub to change YAML policy records

[jpolka]

Updated CONTRIBUTING.md with instructions on how to modify policy records. Does it look like the simplest solution, @dhimmel ?

[dhimmel]

Yeah, but people will look to README first, so if you want to have the instructions in CONTRIBUTING, have the README obviously link there.

[jpolka]

Thanks for adding the reference! This workflow is going to be brutal for people unfamiliar to github and I think will significantly limit participation. Is there some way we can give people permission to commit directly to a master branch (by making them members of an organization?) and then I can handle the pull request from that copy back into this one? Of course this would mean the person doing this work needs to resolve any validation issues themselves.

It would be extra great if search were functional on that working copy of the repo (ie, if it were not a fork...) as this would make it easier for people to find files.

The best alternative I can see is inviting people to download the yml files, edit them in a text editor, and email them to me, which would make tracking contributions and resolving conflicts from simultaneous edits much more complicated and cumbersome. Let me know what you think....

[dhimmel]

So if anyone is overwhelmed by the git intricacies, they can post there desired changes in an issue. We can set the commit authorship so they still get credit for the changes. For example,

git commit --author "Daniel Himmelstein <[email protected]>"

I think there is an easy-ish way for people to make pull requests through the GitHub interface in a way that will avoid conflicts. I think if we made a short video showing the process that would really help.

[jpolka]

So if anyone is overwhelmed by the git intricacies, they can post there desired changes in an issue. We can set the commit authorship so they still get credit for the changes. For example,

This definitely seems better than an email! But could get hairy if people are trying to make multiple simultaneous changes, or want to change just one value on top of someone else's version. How would we sort this out, and would it not be easier to just make them members (with write access to only the policies YAML files) and let them commit themselves?

[dhimmel]

would it not be easier to just make them members (with write access to only the policies YAML files)

I don't really think giving write access to only the policy files is possible (maybe it would be with a submodule, but it would not be elegant).

Conflicts should only occur when two individuals edit the same lines in the same files. Since we don't expect to be making big schema updates, I don't think conflicts will occur that frequently. We can mention in the documention to check for an open pull request for a policy before starting a new one. In general we should encourage one pull request per publisher/policy

Let's have a chat if you're around so we can figure out how to best make this project accessible for contributors.

[jpolka]

I don't really think giving write access to only the policy files is possible

We could make a repo with ONLY the policies files, and provide them access to that?

I'm imagining one user editing a policy and leaving their edits in a comment on an issue. A second user comes around and wants to change one value. Presumably the best way for them to do this would be to copy & paste from the most recent comment and make their desired changes. But how would we then attribute the changes appropriately?

[jpolka]

I believe @SamanthaHindle will test the instructions at CONTRIBUTING.MD from an unaffiliated account; then we should be ready to spread the word! @garymcdowell it would be great if you could give this a shot as well!

[garymcdowell]

Is there a way to just click on the journal in the priority list to get to the YAML file? Searching for Development is awful

…

On Thu, May 10, 2018 at 11:15 AM, Jessica Polka ***@***.***> wrote: I believe @SamanthaHindle <https://github.com/SamanthaHindle> will test the instructions at CONTRIBUTING.MD <https://github.com/transpose-publishing/policies-database/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md> from an unaffiliated account; then we should be ready to spread the word! @garymcdowell <https://github.com/garymcdowell> it would be great if you could give this a shot as well! — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#12 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AViRVsJWiusqNb6E9EtKM6ZRUnNdreYxks5txIOqgaJpZM4T5ThH> .

-- Gary McDowell, PhD Executive Director Future of Research (FoR) 240 Dolores Street, #108, San Francisco, CA 94103 Cell: (617) 233-6008 [email protected] http://futureofresearch.org/

[dhimmel]

Is there a way to just click on the journal in the priority list to get to the YAML file?

No but journal names are lexigraphically sorted in this file. Hence you can more easily find the relevant line:

Development	2082	2015-11-16

So you'll want romeo_2082.yml

[garymcdowell]

Thanks!

…

On Thu, May 10, 2018 at 11:54 AM, Daniel Himmelstein < ***@***.***> wrote: Is there a way to just click on the journal in the priority list to get to the YAML file? No but journal names are lexigraphically sorted in this file <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/transpose-publishing/policies-database/master/romeo/downloads/journal-titles.tsv>. Hence you can more easily find the relevant line: Development 2082 2015-11-16 So you'll want romeo_2082.yml <https://github.com/transpose-publishing/policies-database/blob/master/policies/policies/romeo_2082.yml> — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#12 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AViRVjei53v_oAWS7RwgpUd5gt44LTNSks5txIzVgaJpZM4T5ThH> .

-- Gary McDowell, PhD Executive Director Future of Research (FoR) 240 Dolores Street, #108, San Francisco, CA 94103 Cell: (617) 233-6008 [email protected] http://futureofresearch.org/