From Open Sustainability
The Contribution Process for FISDev includes adding new content, getting this content reviewed by other members of the Governance Association and having this content brought into the overall methodology. Most new articles start as Supporting Assets but can eventually be used to extend the Overall Implementation Guide and Solutions.
This page details the different stages in an article's life, and lists the various ways you can help articles grow into becoming part of the overall methodology and even extend the core approach.
Whilst the open methodology has adopted many of its formatting standards and approach from Wikipedia and it uses the same MediaWiki software, the approach and goals are different. It is helpful to look at a comparison between FISDev and Wikipedia to understand this better.
Every article starts with an idea in the mind of a Contributor. You can create articles about whatever you are interested in, so long as they are in the scope of the open-sustainability Methodology.
Before Adding New Content to FISDev
Review the open-sustainability Methodology
You certainly don't need to understand all of it to be a Contributor. It is beneficial, however, to have at least a high-level understanding of the overall approach and the area you are working on. Before contributing, review relevant aspects of the Overall Implementation Guide, Usage Model and relevant FISDEV Solutions.
Understand the Contribution Model
Before adding any content to FISDEV, it is important to understand the Licensing Model. Guidelines for Contributors need to be followed throughout the process which vary by different levels within the Contribution Model.
Famaliarize yourself with MediaWiki
Get a general understanding of how MediaWiki works, especially its syntax and programing language. Make sure to understand the purpose of Talk Pages, Articles, Page History and Protected Content.
Wikipedia provides a much more thorough set of user documentation and samples, but keep in mind that not all of the functionality available in Wikipedia (e.g. templates, custom functions) are accessible in FISDEV.
Understand Standards and Guidelines
The Manual of Style should be used for providing guidelines on how articles should be written by providing standards on topics such as naming conventions, formatting and use of categories. These are open methodology-specific Standards and Guidelines that derive largely from the approach used by the Wikipedia Manual of Style.
Adding New Content to FISDev
New Articles
Any registered user can add new articles to the open-sustainability site. Before adding a new article, please:
- Search (See top Right of screen) to see if an article already exists. You should try searching under multiple keywords and
- Review the sustainability issues listed and create a page for one that doesn't exist yet
- Look into similar articles to determine if it should be a standalone article or a subset of an existing article
- Review Style Guide and Contribution Process
- How to edit Wikis see Getting Started
After searching and finding that the article does not exist. Click here to create article simply by typing in the new articles name and clicking 'Create Article'.
Wanted Articles
One of the best things you can do with FISDev is to help contribute where there are identified gaps in the approach. These Wanted articles come in 3 categories:
- Red link articles are those articles that have been tagged but for which there is no content. Therefore, the link shows up red.
- Requested articles are in-demand articles for which no or very little content has been written. Generally, its better to create a if you would like to initiate the process of writing an article. Stub Articles are a better option than Requested Articles because when you create a stub, you not put some formal structure into the article. In addition, you specifically classify your article as a stub so that others can assist in completing it.
- A facility exists to Internationalise FISDEV and make the content available in languages other than English. Articles that have the same content but in different languages can be linked together. This model also provides the mechanism to contribute initial articles in languages other than English.
Stub Articles
Stub Articles are basically placeholders for articles that are in the earliest stages of development. See Stubs for a list of articles under development.
Under Construction Articles
Under Construction means the articles are currently undergoing major changes as they are in the early stages of development. See Under Construction for a list of articles under development.
Peer Review
Peer Reviews are used to get feedback from fellow Contributors with the aim of improving your article.
Ask your fellow Contributors for their opinions, list outstanding issues and areas to improve on Talk Pages and get other Contributors involved. Of course, it best to have a reasonably well-developed article so those giving comments have something substantial to offer feedback on.
After a thorough peer review, an article can improve to the point where it is recognised as part of the Core FISDEV Methodology. Once its part of the core FISDEV, it is seen as a stable part of the overall approach.
Recommending Extensions
A mature article that has gone through Peer Review is a candidate to add as a Core Supporting Asset or to even extend the FISDev Methodology. Candidate articles that will add detail to or change the Core FISDev Methodology are reviewed by the Leadership Team.
Articles that are determined to be of particular value and will be brought into the overall methodology will be highlighted on the main page. This provides an opportuntity to showcase the contribution the author has made to the overall approach.
Other Ways to Contribute
Not all contributions involve writing new articles. Other types of valuable feedback can be given on Talk Pages, FAQs and general Community Forum discussions.
Some Supporting Assets, especially Tools and Technique Papers and Software Assets may include content that is not hosted within the FISDev wiki. All content, however, should have an article that describes it in the wiki. Users can then suggest content changes as Talk Pages to these articles.
Software Assets are not hosted on the FISDev environment but can be reviewed and referenced as part of the methodology. Each asset that is reviewed should have its own article page.
