Hed-Core Academic Commons

Getting Started

Getting Started on Hed-Core Academic Commons

The Hed-Core Academic Commons is built to support research, collaboration, publication, and preservation in one shared environment. Getting started means setting up your account, understanding your profile, joining the right spaces, and learning how to begin participating in ways that fit your work.

The Commons is conceived as a scholarly and professional infrastructure for the full life cycle of knowledge: its generation, refinement, formal publication, preservation, citation, and practical application. It is not merely a website to visit, but a governed environment for serious work.

Before entering any particular layer of the platform, users are encouraged to understand the Commons as an integrated knowledge system rather than a collection of isolated tools. Each layer has a distinct function, yet all layers are connected in a coherent pathway through which work may move from conversation to community, from community to publication or commissioning, and from publication to preservation and reuse. This architecture is deliberate: it reflects the way knowledge is actually produced, validated, transmitted, and applied in academic, policy, and professional contexts.

This page is the principal gateway into the platform and is designed to provide prospective members, new users, and returning participants with a clear, structured, and intellectually serious orientation. It helps you understand where you are entering, what level of engagement is appropriate for your work, what is required to join, and how to proceed once inside the Commons.

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What this page is for

This page is intended to help you determine whether the Commons is the right environment for your current needs and, if so, how to enter it in a way that is purposeful and well-informed. It should answer the following questions for the visitor:

  • What is the Commons?
  • Who is it for?
  • How do I join?
  • What must I agree to before joining?
  • What level of participation is expected of me?
  • Which layer should I begin with?
  • What should I do next once I am inside?
  • Are there other ways to engage if I am not joining as a full member?

For a high-end scholarly and professional audience, these are not trivial questions. They are the practical conditions under which meaningful

Orientation, not decoration

A well-designed Getting Started page should not feel like a generic welcome page; it should feel like an institutional guide to entry, helping users move from first awareness to informed participation.

Who the Commons is for

The Commons is designed for a broad but specialized constituency whose work depends on rigorous, interpretable, and reusable knowledge. It is intended for users whose professional lives involve some combination of scholarly inquiry, policy analysis and decision-making, professional practice, institutional collaboration, evidence synthesis, knowledge translation, and the preservation or circulation of formal outputs.

This includes academics and researchers, research teams and disciplinary networks, policymakers and public sector professionals, professional bodies and practitioners, civil society organizations and NGOs, institutional collaborators, and commissioning partners.

If your work involves the creation, review, circulation, commissioning, or preservation of knowledge, the Commons is likely relevant to you.

Who benefits most

  • Commissioning partners and institutional collaborators.
  • Scholars and researchers.
  • Policy professionals and public institutions.
  • Practitioners and professional bodies.
  • NGOs and civil society organizations.

The Commons as a Knowledge System

The Commons should be understood as a scholarly knowledge infrastructure rather than a loose collection of pages or tools. It is a governed environment in which people, artifacts, and institutional processes are brought together to generate, refine, preserve, and reuse knowledge in durable ways.

This matters because the platform is not only about access. It is about continuity, accountability, and the movement of work across stages: from informal discussion to collaborative drafting, from collaborative drafting to formal review or commissioning, from accepted or completed work to preservation and citation, and from preserved output back into fresh use, debate, and application.

Understanding the Five Layers

The Commons is organized around five interrelated layers. Each layer supports a distinct stage in the knowledge pathway and offers a different mode of engagement.

General and Orientation

This is the foundational layer. It explains the platform’s purpose, architecture, and navigational logic. It is the best place to begin for users who are new to the Commons or who need a refresher on how the system works.

Community

This layer supports group-based intellectual exchange, including discussion, drafting, critique, refinement, and shared development of ideas. It is the principal space for interactive work before formal publication or commissioning.

Journal Publication

This layer supports formal scholarly publication. Here, work is submitted, reviewed, revised, and prepared for publication as a citable academic output.

Commissioned Research

This layer supports invitation-based or directed research. It is intended for structured projects that respond to a defined institutional, policy, or practice need.

Repository

This layer preserves final outputs and makes them available for citation, reference, and reuse. It serves as the long-term record of the Commons.

How the layers work together

Together, these five layers create a single workplace in which research can move from idea to publication to public and practical use.

Your first guide to using the Commons

The Commons is a shared infrastructure for academic, professional, institutional, community-based, cultural, and public-interest knowledge activity.

It enables people and organizations to identify important questions, develop knowledge, participate in Community Groups, undertake or commission research, publish scholarly and professional work, preserve outputs, attend events, contribute expertise, build Partnerships, and use knowledge responsibly.

This page is the principal entry point for public visitors, registered non-members, prospective Members, Institutional Members, contributors, researchers, authors, editors, reviewers, volunteers, partners, sponsors, and returning participants.

It is designed to help you understand:

  • What the Commons is
  • Whether it is relevant to your current needs
  • Which route is appropriate for you
  • Whether you need an account or Membership
  • How Community Groups and Working Spaces work
  • Where to begin with research, publication, events, learning, Partnerships, funding, or support
  • What to do after you have entered the Commons
  • Where to find help if you are unsure

The Commons is not simply a website, events platform, journal, repository, or professional network.

It is a governed environment through which knowledge may move from early questions and discussion to research, publication, preservation, discovery, citation, learning, and responsible use.

Start With Your Purpose

You do not need to understand every part of the Commons before you begin.

Start by identifying what you want to do now.

You may wish to:

  • Explore public knowledge, publications, Repository records, or Critical Issues
  • Attend a public event or learning activity
  • Create an account for a specific purpose
  • Become an Individual Member
  • Establish Institutional Membership
  • Join an eligible Community Group
  • Participate in a defined Working Space
  • Submit a question, idea, Event Proposal, Commission Request, manuscript, resource, or Repository item
  • Apply for a volunteer, contributor, reviewer, editor, adviser, facilitator, or other role
  • Respond to a Call or Opportunity
  • Develop a Partnership, sponsorship, funding, research, data, event, learning, or preservation enquiry
  • Seek guidance or raise a concern

The right route depends on your purpose, not only on your professional title, institutional affiliation, or previous experience.

Public Access, Registration, and Membership

The Commons offers different levels of access.

Public access

You may use publicly available Commons material without creating an account or becoming a Member.

Public visitors may, where material is open and applicable conditions permit:

  • Read public information and guidance
  • Explore Critical Issues
  • Search open Repository records
  • Access publicly available Journal Publications
  • Discover public Community Group activity
  • View Calls and Opportunities
  • Register for eligible public events
  • Access open event recordings, summaries, resources, and learning materials
  • Make an enquiry through Contact and Support

Registered Non-Member Access

You may create an account, or act through a verified contact, for a defined purpose without becoming a Member.

This may be appropriate if you wish to:

  • Register for an event
  • Receive updates about a particular activity
  • Submit a manuscript
  • Respond to a Call or Opportunity
  • Apply for a volunteer or contributor role
  • Make a Partnership, sponsorship, funding, or support enquiry
  • Submit a Commission Request, Event Proposal, or other permitted contribution
  • Participate in a specific consultation, project, learning activity, or approved process

Registered non-member access does not automatically create Individual Membership, Institutional Membership, Community Group participation, Working Space access, or authority within the Commons.

Individual Membership

Individual Membership is for people who wish to establish an ongoing personal or professional relationship with the Commons.

It may be appropriate for researchers, academics, practitioners, students, independent professionals, educators, editors, reviewers, librarians, archivists, data specialists, community contributors, people with lived experience, and others with a legitimate interest in Commons activity.

Individual Membership may enable eligible participation in Community Groups, Critical Issues, Events and Learning, Calls and Opportunities, consultations, contributor activity, and other Member-access services.

Institutional Membership

Institutional Membership is for organizations that wish to establish an ongoing relationship with the Commons.

It may be relevant to universities, research institutions, public bodies, professional organizations, libraries, archives, museums, civil-society organizations, community-based organizations, foundations, networks, and other eligible bodies.

Institutional Members normally participate through one or more authorized representatives.

Institutional Membership may enable an organization to identify opportunities, receive relevant communications, contribute institutional expertise and resources, and participate in eligible Commons activity.

It does not automatically create a Partnership, research contract, funding agreement, governance position, Working Space access, or right to restricted information.

Community Groups and Working Spaces

Community Groups and Working Spaces enable people to move from interest to meaningful participation.

They are related, but they are not the same thing.

Community Groups

A Community Group brings together people with a shared interest, question, field, practice area, experience, or concern.

A Group may support:

  • Discussion and knowledge exchange
  • Resource sharing
  • Critical Issue development
  • Events and Learning activity
  • Consultation
  • Early-stage ideas and proposals
  • Research, publication, practice, policy, institutional, community, or public-interest activity
  • Connection between people with relevant knowledge, experience, or interests

Some Community Groups may be public or open to registered non-members.

Others may be available only to eligible Members, invited participants, authorized representatives, project participants, or people who meet stated conditions.

Joining a Community Group may enable fuller participation in that Group’s activity.

It does not automatically create authority over the Group, access to every Group resource, access to a Working Space, or a right to represent the Group or the Commons.

Working Spaces

A Working Space is a defined environment for focused work.

A Working Space may support research development, evidence review, project coordination, publication work, learning design, Event Proposal development, consultation planning, resource creation, Partnership activity, or another defined task.

Working Space access may depend on:

  • A defined role
  • Invitation
  • Permission
  • Project involvement
  • Community Group conditions
  • Confidentiality arrangements
  • Training or induction
  • Safeguarding requirements
  • Data-access requirements
  • Other approved basis

Working Space access is not automatic.

A person may be a Member or Community Group participant without having access to a particular Working Space.

Navigating the Commons

The Commons is organized to help users find a suitable route without needing to understand the entire system in advance.

Use the site-wide top menu to move among the principal areas:

  • Home
  • About
  • Community
  • Commissioned Research
  • Journal Publication
  • Repository
  • Contact

Use the About section when you need orientation, information about access or membership, guidance on governance and participation, or explanation of how the Commons is organized.

Use the Knowledge Architecture when your purpose is to find, develop, commission, publish, preserve, cite, or apply knowledge.

Use the Engagement Architecture when your purpose is to participate, connect, volunteer, partner, attend, support, fund, sponsor, or respond to an opportunity.

Use Critical Issues when you want to explore all Commons activity related to a major question, challenge, theme, priority, or area of concern.

A Critical Issue may bring together:

  • Related Community.
  • Commissioned Research activity.
  • Journal Publications.
  • Repository records.
  • Events and learning opportunities.
  • Partnerships and External Collaborations
  • Calls and Opportunities.
  • Resources for practice, policy, education, or community use.

Use local page navigation, related-page sections, and “Continue to the next page” links when you are following a structured pathway, such as Commissioned Research, membership, publication, or Repository deposit.

Use search, filters, and topic categories where available to locate relevant people, projects, publications, outputs, events, and resources.

If you cannot identify the appropriate route, use Contact and Support.

Your first visit

If this is your first visit, begin with the following steps:

  • Read What is the Commons to understand the purpose, structure, and intellectual commitments of the Commons.
  • Read How the Commons Works to understand the difference between the Knowledge Architecture and the Engagement Architecture.
  • Decide whether you wish to remain a public visitor, create an account as a registered non-member, apply for Individual Membership, or explore Institutional Membership for your organization.
  • Identify the purpose most relevant to you.
  • You may wish to explore a Critical Issue, find material in the Repository, read Journal Publications, join a Community, attend an event, develop a research idea, or explore a partnership or support opportunity.
  • Follow the relevant pathway page. Each pathway should explain what the activity involves, who may participate, what requirements apply, and what happens next.
  • Use Contact and Support if you need help with access, navigation, membership, accessibility, participation, or a specific Commons activity.

You are not required to create an account or become a member before exploring public Commons knowledge.

After creating an Account

After creating an account, take time to set up your participation appropriately.

You should:

  • Review and update your profile information.
  • Confirm your preferred contact and communication arrangements.
  • Read the Principles and Values.
  • Read applicable participation standards, privacy information, and terms of access.
  • Identify relevant Critical Issues, topics, or areas of interest where the platform permits.
  • Explore eligible Community groups, events, learning activities, and Calls and Opportunities.
  • Consider whether Individual Membership is appropriate for your intended level of participation.
  • Fill out the membership registration form and review and update your profile information if you decide to become a member.
  • Contact the Commons if you need help with membership, permissions, accessibility, or navigation.

Your account is personal. Do not share your account credentials or use another person’s account.

An authorized representative of an Institutional Member may use a personal account linked to the institution’s profile. Each representative should use an individual account so that communication, permissions, responsibility, and activity records remain clear.

Accessible and convenient use

The Commons should be usable by people with different levels of experience, different access needs, and different forms of expertise.

Where possible, the Commons should provide:

  • Clear navigation and page structure.
  • Searchable text. Structured headings.
  • Accessible document formats.
  • Descriptive links and meaningful page titles.
  • Plain-language summaries where appropriate.
  • Alternative text for relevant images and visual content.
  • Readable tables and downloadable resources.
  • Translation or interpretation support where available.
  • Mobile-friendly access where supported.
  • Clear contact routes for accessibility requests and technical support.

If you encounter a barrier to using the Commons, need material in a different format, require accessibility support, or cannot identify the appropriate pathway, contact the Commons through Contact and Support.

How to begin

If you are new to the Commons, start by creating a basic account or completing full membership registration. If you already have an account, log in to continue directly to your member area’s dashboard becomes your main home once you are logged in.

Join the Commons

Create your account or sign in using the available access options provided by the Commons. Depending on your institution or identity provider, you may be able to use a federated or connected login method to streamline the process.

Set up your profile

Complete your profile so others can understand your role, interests, and areas of work. A clear profile helps people discover you and makes your participation in the Commons more visible and meaningful.

Find your spaces

Explore groups, projects, and other areas that align with your work. The Commons is organized so that different communities can gather around shared interests, institutions, and goals.

Start participating

Once you are oriented, begin by following a group, sharing a post, commenting on a discussion, or depositing a work. Small early actions help you become familiar with the platform quickly.

How to join the Commons

Joining the Commons should be a deliberate, transparent, and dignified process because membership is not merely a technical act of account creation but an entry into a shared scholarly and professional environment with norms, responsibilities, and expectations.

Due to how the platform is configured, membership involves creating an account, membership registration, profile completion, and approval by the Commons’ administrator. Prospective users may be guided through a clear pathway that explains what information is required, what access they will receive, and what obligations accompany membership.

Membership Principle

Membership is not only a matter of registration; it is a matter of informed agreement. A fundamental requirement of membership is that each prospective member confirms they have read and understood the Commons’ policies, legal terms, guidelines, and code of conduct, and that they agree to be bound by them as a condition of membership.

This requirement is central to maintaining a respectful, credible, and well-governed intellectual environment.

Typical joining flow

  • Review the Commons overview.
  • Identify your role or relationship to the Commons.
  • Create an Account
  • Register for membership.
  • Complete your profile.
  • Accept the Commons’ governing terms.
  • Confirm your participation terms.
  • Enter the most appropriate layer.

Membership Requirements

Membership in the Commons is not only a matter of registration; it is a matter of informed agreement. A fundamental requirement of membership is that each prospective member confirms they have read and understood the Commons’ policies, legal terms, guidelines, and code of conduct, and that they agree to be bound by them. This requirement is central to maintaining a respectful, credible, and well-governed intellectual environment.

Typical requirements may include a valid name and email address, a basic profile, institutional or professional affiliation where relevant, acknowledgment of the Commons’ participation norms, and confirmation that the member understands the purpose and norms of the Commons.

Additional Safeguards

For some users, particularly those entering commissioned, editorial, or sensitive community spaces, additional verification or permissions may be appropriate. That is not a limitation; it is part of what makes the Commons a trustworthy institutional environment.

Additional ways to engage with the Commons

The Commons is not limited to standard membership alone. It should also serve as a hub for broader forms of relationship and contribution. Some visitors may wish to participate in ways that are meaningful but do not require the full membership pathway.

Commissioning Relationships

Direct institutional work involving briefs, consultation, or targeted outputs.

Partnerships

Institutional or strategic relationships with organizations whose mission, expertise, or activities align with the Commons.

Collaborations

Project-based or thematic working relationships focused on shared research, policy, or practice goals.

Sponsorships

Financial or in-kind support from individuals, institutions, foundations, or organizations interested in strengthening the Commons.

Advisory Engagement

Formal or informal contribution to strategy, governance, commissioning, or knowledge translation.

Volunteering

Service-based participation in support of events, content curation, community support, editing, or special initiatives.

Alternative Engagement Paths

  • Partnerships.
  • Collaborations.
  • Volunteering.
  • Sponsorships.
  • Advisory or commissioning relationships.

This broader framing is important because the Commons should be understood not only as a member-only environment, but as an institutional ecosystem with multiple entry points for contribution, support, and partnership.

Levels of Participation

Not every user will engage with the Commons in the same way. One of the strengths of the platform is that it can support multiple levels of participation, from browsing and orientation to active collaboration, editorial work, commissioning, and stewardship.

Visitor / Explorer

Users may browse public-facing pages, learn about the Commons, review the platform’s purpose, and understand whether it is relevant to their work.

Registered Member

A registered member has created an account and gained access to member-only areas. This is the entry level for meaningful engagement within the Commons.

Contributor

A contributor participates actively in discussions, groups, drafts, activities, or repository-related processes. This level is appropriate for users who want to shape content rather than simply observe it.

Collaborator

A collaborator works with others in a structured project, group, or thematic space. This may include co-authoring, evidence synthesis, drafting, peer feedback, or participation in commissioned work.

Reviewer / Commissioner

These are more formal roles. They involve the assessment, governance, or commissioning of work, and are typically tied to specific responsibilities within the platform’s institutional structure.

Administrator / Steward

Administrators and stewards manage membership, permissions, content structure, governance, and the long-term coherence of the Commons.

How to choose your pathway

Your starting point will generally depend on your purpose.

New to the Commons

Begin with General and Orientation. Read all the informational pages of the Commons carefully to understand the platform before entering other spaces.

To become a member

Create an Account, fill out your membership registration, complete your profile, and move into Collaborative spaces that match your interests.

To publish Academic Work

Go to Journal Publication once your work is ready for editorial consideration.

To Commission Research

Use Commissioned Research for work governed by a brief, terms of reference, or commissioning arrangement.

To find or Preserve Outputs

Use the Repository to locate final materials, cite them, or deposit approved outputs

To Partner or Collaborate

Study the Commons’ guidelines and relevant documents, and contact the commons administrators

To attend an Event or Learning Activity

Use the Repository to locate final materials, cite them, or deposit approved outputs

To Partner or Collaborate

Study the Commons’ guidelines and relevant documents, and contact the commons administrators

Pathway logic

The important point is that the Commons does not force every user into the same route. It gives each user a structured pathway aligned with their purpose.

How To Choose Your Route, or Follow the pathway that fits your purpose

If you want to explore knowledge

Begin with public access.

Explore Critical Issues, Journal Publications, Repository records, public Events and Learning activity, Calls and Opportunities, and other open resources.

You do not need to become a Member simply to read, learn, cite, use, or share publicly available Commons knowledge in accordance with applicable access and licensing conditions.

If you want to attend an event or learning activity

Begin with Events and Learning.

Check whether the activity is public, Member-access, Community Group-specific, invitation-only, project-based, partner-led, or restricted.

An event may require registration for capacity, access, safeguarding, privacy, technical, or other legitimate reasons.

Attending an event does not automatically create Membership, Community Group participation, Working Space access, or authority within the Commons.

If you want to participate regularly

Consider Individual Membership or Institutional Membership.

Individual Membership is appropriate if you wish to participate in a personal or professional capacity.

Institutional Membership is appropriate if an organization wishes to develop an ongoing relationship with the Commons through authorized representatives.

Membership is not required for every form of participation. It is appropriate where you or your institution wish to establish a continuing relationship with the Commons.

If you want to discuss a question or connect with others

Explore eligible Community Groups and, where available, Member and contributor pathways.

You may begin by identifying a Critical Issue, topic, practice area, question, event, resource, publication, or opportunity that connects with your interests.

Use Community to identify and join relevant discussion, exchange resources, identify evidence gaps, develop ideas, form working relationships, or participate in a group focused on a shared subject, practice area, community, place, method, project, or Critical Issue.

If you find a relevant Community Group, review its purpose, access conditions, participation arrangements, and any requirements for joining.

If you want to start a Group or develop an idea

Use the relevant Community, Critical Issues, Events and Learning, or Contact and Support route.

The Commons may ask you to explain:

  • The question, issue, opportunity, or purpose
  • Why it matters
  • Who may need to participate
  • The proposed relationship to existing Commons activity
  • The expected form of activity
  • Accessibility, inclusion, safeguarding, privacy, data, cultural, ethical, legal, or other considerations
  • Resources, contributors, partnerships, funding, or support that may be needed
  • Possible next steps or intended outcomes

A suggestion does not automatically create an official Community Group, Working Space, event, Critical Issue, project, or Partnership.

The Commons should assess relevance, feasibility, capacity, risks, safeguards, and alignment with its purpose and priorities.

If you want to explore an issue

Begin with Critical Issues.

Critical Issues organize Commons activity around major questions, challenges, priorities, or areas of concern.

Each Critical Issue may connect relevant Community, research projects, Journal Publications, Repository materials, events, partnerships, Calls and Opportunities, and resources.

Use this route if you want to understand what is known, what remains uncertain, what activity is underway, and how you may contribute.

If you want to commission or undertake research

Begin with Commissioned Research, a relevant Critical Issue, Community Group, Working Space, or Contact and Support route.

Commissioned Research is appropriate where a question requires systematic inquiry, formal governance, defined outputs, resources, provider expertise, quality assurance, and planned dissemination or preservation.

You may be able to submit a Commission Request, contribute to a Concept Note, respond to a provider opportunity, participate in consultation, apply for a project role, or identify relevant evidence, expertise, or community knowledge.

Submitting a Commission Request does not guarantee that research will be commissioned.

Research findings should not be predetermined by a commissioning body, funder, partner, provider, Member, or other contributor.

If you want to read or submit a publication

Begin with Journal Publication.

The Journal is the Commons pathway for formal scholarly, professional, methodological, and practice-based publication.

You may be able to submit original research, reviews, methodological papers, policy analysis, practice studies, case studies, commentary, reflective work, or another eligible form of contribution.

Check the Journal’s author guidance before submission.

Publication decisions should be based on the Journal’s scope, stated standards, quality requirements, and applicable review process.

Membership does not guarantee publication, editorial appointment, reviewer appointment, priority treatment, or influence over editorial judgment.

If you want to preserve or find knowledge

Begin with the Repository.

The Repository is the Commons’ durable knowledge record.

It may preserve research reports, evaluations, evidence syntheses, Journal Publications, datasets or data descriptions, frameworks, toolkits, training resources, project records, and supporting materials.

Use the Repository to search for, discover, cite, access, and where authorized deposit eligible material.

You may be able to deposit work if you have the authority to do so and if the item meets Repository requirements.

You may need to confirm ownership, permissions, licensing, access conditions, authorship, version status, confidentiality, ethical requirements, data conditions, and supporting metadata before deposit.

Repository deposit does not mean that every item will be publicly accessible.

Some records may be restricted, embargoed, controlled-access, redacted, metadata-only, or unavailable for release.

If you want to volunteer or contribute

Begin with Volunteer and Contributor Opportunities or Calls and Opportunities.

Some opportunities may be open to public applicants or registered non-members.

Others may be available only to Individual Members, authorized Institutional Member representatives, Community Group participants, Working Space participants, or people meeting specific eligibility conditions.

Volunteer and contributor opportunities may include:

  • Event support
  • Facilitation or moderation
  • Translation and interpretation
  • Accessibility review
  • Resource curation
  • Research communication
  • Community engagement
  • Peer learning
  • Working Group activity
  • Editorial or reviewer roles
  • Data, information, library, archive
  • Repository support
  • Other approved activity

A role may require a separate application, screening, induction, training, role agreement, confidentiality arrangement, safeguarding process, declaration of interest, or other relevant condition.

Membership does not guarantee appointment to a volunteer or contributor role.

If you want to work with the Commons as an organization

Begin with Partnerships and External Collaboration.

A Partnership is a separately assessed, purpose-specific, and agreed relationship between the Commons and one or more external parties.

It may involve shared research, Critical Issues, Community Groups, Working Spaces, Events and Learning activity, training, data, dissemination, Repository collections, preservation, community engagement, or another defined programme of work.

A Partnership is not created automatically by Institutional Membership, sponsorship, event attendance, funding, provider participation, or an exploratory discussion.

The Commons will consider the purpose, relevance, expected contribution, governance, resources, independence, conflicts of interest, accessibility, community participation, safeguarding, data, intellectual-property, reputational, and public-interest considerations of a proposed relationship.

If you want to fund, sponsor, or support activity

Begin with Funding, Sponsorship, and Support.

You may propose financial support, event sponsorship, a donation, technical support, venue provision, data access, translation, accessibility support, training support, Repository support, fellowship support, research support, or another eligible in-kind contribution.

Funding, sponsorship, or support does not give a contributor control over research findings, provider selection, editorial decisions, peer-review outcomes, Community Group activity, Working Space access, restricted information, or the interpretation of evidence.

The Commons should assess proposed support for suitability, transparency, independence, conflicts of interest, and alignment with its Principles and Values.

If you want to respond to a Call or Opportunity

Begin with Calls and Opportunities.

Calls may invite applications or expressions of interest from authors, reviewers, editors, research providers, partners, volunteers, speakers, advisers, working-group members, research participants, data contributors, or other eligible contributors.

Read the full requirements before responding. Each call should explain its purpose, eligibility, timetable, selection process, expected contribution, compensation or expenses where applicable, access conditions, and relevant declarations.

Start here: how to begin

If you are new to the Commons, the simplest path is to begin with orientation, then get more access by creating an account. You proceed further through the membership registration process, complete your profile, and then choose your first space. The goal is not to do everything at once, but to enter the system cleanly and take one useful first action.

Read the brief overview of the Commons and identify the layer that matches your purpose. Join the Commons or request access if your role requires approval. Complete your profile so the system can route you correctly. Choose your first space. Take one meaningful action inside that space.

What a good start looks like

This sequence supports a smoother user journey and makes it easier for you to participate in the Commons without confusion. It helps you move from orientation to action without losing sight of the platform’s intellectual purpose.

Your First Action

You do not need to do everything at once.

A good first action is one that is specific, appropriate to your purpose, and helps you move from interest to meaningful engagement.

Your first action may be to:

  • Read a Journal Publication or Repository record
  • Follow a Critical Issue
  • Register for a public event
  • Create an account for a defined purpose
  • Apply for Individual Membership
  • Make an Institutional Membership enquiry
  • Explore an eligible Community Group
  • Submit an Event Proposal or Commission Request
  • Respond to a Call or Opportunity
  • Submit a manuscript
  • Make a Partnership, sponsorship, funding, or support enquiry
  • Contact the Commons for guidance

Choose the route that matches what you want to do now, not necessarily everything you may wish to do later.

Create an Account

Create an account if you need registered non-member access or wish to apply for Individual Membership.

Account creation may require:

  • Your name.
  • Contact information.
  • A secure sign-in method.
  • Basic information.
  • Confirmation of your agreement to applicable privacy and platform conditions.

Create an account only when you need one. Public users should not be required to create an account to access openly available Commons knowledge.

Apply for Membership

Applying for Individual Membership

The usual route is:

  • Explore the Commons.
  • Create an account.
  • Review Individual Membership information.
  • Fill out the Membership Registration Form
  • Submit an application.
  • Update your profile
  • Confirm agreement with the Commons’ Principles and Values, membership conditions, participation standards, and privacy arrangements.
  • Receive an outcome.

If approved, begin participating in eligible member activity.

Applying for Institutional Membership

The usual route is:

  • Explore the Commons.
  • Review Institutional Membership information.
  • Make an institutional enquiry.
  • Nominate authorized representative or representatives.
  • Fill out an Institutional Membership Registration Form.
  • Confirm agreement with the Commons’ Principles and Values, membership conditions, participation standards, and privacy arrangements.
  • Confirm agreement with applicable membership terms and institutional responsibilities.
  • Receive an outcome.

If approved, begin participating in eligible institutional activity.

Understand your Permissions

Your permissions depend on your access level, membership status, role, and the activity involved.

The Commons distinguishes among:

  • Public visitors.
  • Registered non-members.
  • Individual Members.
  • Institutional Members.
  • Authorized institutional representatives.
  • Contributors.
  • Volunteers.
  • Partners.
  • Sponsors and supporters.
  • Authors.
  • Editors and reviewers.
  • Research providers.
  • Project participants.
  • Advisers and governance role holders.

Access to one activity does not automatically provide access to all Commons spaces, projects, records, or decisions.

Always check whether material or activity is:

  • Public.
  • Account-holder access.
  • Member access.
  • Restricted.
  • Controlled access.
  • Embargoed.
  • Project-specific.
  • Invitation-only.

Your Profile and Account

If you create an account or become a Member, keep your information accurate and current.

Your profile may help the Commons understand:

  • Who you are
  • Your professional, academic, institutional, community, or other relevant background
  • Your areas of interest
  • Your affiliations
  • Your relevant expertise, experience, or contribution interests
  • How your work may connect to Groups, Issues, opportunities, events, learning, research, publication, or other activity
  • How your contributions should be attributed where appropriate

Only provide information that is requested for a legitimate and stated purpose.

The Commons should manage personal and institutional information in accordance with applicable privacy, data-protection, legal, ethical, and safeguarding requirements.

Participate responsibly

All users should participate in ways that are consistent with the Commons’ Principles and Values.

This includes:

  • Treating others with dignity and respect.
  • Contributing in good faith.
  • Respecting confidentiality, privacy, consent, and access restrictions.
  • Disclosing relevant conflicts of interest.
  • Attributing the work and ideas of others appropriately.
  • Distinguishing evidence, interpretation, opinion, professional judgment, and lived experience where relevant.
  • Avoiding plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, and unauthorized disclosure.
  • Using Commons resources, communications, and branding responsibly. Raising concerns constructively and through appropriate channels.

Participation Expectations

The Commons is intended to be a disciplined, respectful, intellectually serious, and public-interest environment.

All participants should act respectfully and in good faith.

You should:

  • Respect different forms of expertise, evidence, knowledge, professional judgment, lived experience, and contribution
  • Respect intellectual-property, licensing, citation, authorship, and acknowledgment requirements
  • Respect confidentiality, privacy, consent, cultural protocols, safeguarding obligations, and access restrictions
  • Avoid harassment, discrimination, misrepresentation, defamatory claims, improper pressure
  • Follow the purpose and participation conditions of each Community Group, Working Space, project, event, Call, publication process, or other Commons activity

Reasoned disagreement, evidence-based critique, and good-faith challenge are welcome.

They must not become personal attack, intimidation, identity-based hostility, collective blame, coercion, discriminatory conduct, or improper pressure on another participant.

What Happens Next?

After you take your first action, the appropriate next step will depend on your route.

A public visitor may continue exploring public knowledge, events, Calls, and Critical Issues.

A registered non-member may complete the defined activity for which they registered, such as attending an event, submitting material, responding to a Call, or making an enquiry.

An Individual Member may join eligible Community Groups, participate in Member activity, access eligible Events and Learning activity, contribute to Critical Issues, and apply for relevant roles and opportunities.

An Institutional Member may participate through authorized representatives, contribute institutional expertise and resources, identify relevant opportunities, and explore appropriate forms of Partnership or support.

A Community Group participant may contribute to discussions, events, consultations, and activity within the conditions of that Group.

A Working Space participant may undertake defined work in accordance with the purpose, role, permissions, confidentiality, and other conditions of that Space.

A contributor, author, reviewer, provider, adviser, facilitator, project participant, volunteer, or partner may take on more defined responsibilities through an approved role, agreement, appointment, or project arrangement.

Need Help?

If you are unsure where you belong, what route to choose, what access you need, or what to do next, use Contact and Support.

You may seek guidance about:

  • Public access
  • Account registration
  • Individual Membership
  • Institutional Membership
  • Community Groups
  • Working Spaces
  • Critical Issues
  • Events and Learning
  • Volunteer and contributor opportunities
  • Calls and Opportunities
  • Commissioned Research
  • Journal Publication
  • Repository access or deposit
  • Partnerships and External Collaboration
  • Funding, sponsorship, or support
  • Privacy, data, confidentiality, safeguarding, conduct, or another concern

The purpose of Getting Started is not only to help you enter the Commons. Getting started in the Commons means understanding not only how to enter the platform, but how your work belongs within its larger knowledge pathway. This page is designed to help you begin that journey with clarity, confidence, and a proper sense of the Commons’ intellectual purpose.

It is to help you begin well: with a clear purpose, an appropriate route, realistic expectations, and an understanding of how your participation may connect to the wider life of the Commons.

Create an Account
Membership Registration
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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions provides clear answers to common questions about public access, registration, Membership, Community Groups, Working Spaces, Events and Learning, research, Journal Publication, Repository use, Partnerships and External Collaboration, funding, sponsorship, privacy, conduct, and support.

Join or Gain Access

Access to the Commons may be open, restricted, or invitation-based depending on the space you are trying to enter. Some areas are available immediately, while others require approval, a formal invitation, or membership in a defined group.

If you are joining for the first time, select the appropriate sign-up or request-access option, provide your name, email address, institutional affiliation, and role, and confirm any terms of use, participation rules, or access conditions.

Approval-based access

If you are requesting access on behalf of an institution or project, your request may be reviewed by an administrator, editor, or commissioning lead. This helps ensure that users are routed into the correct environment and that access aligns with the Commons’ governance model.

Complete your Profile

Once your account is created or approved, the next step is to complete your profile. Your profile is important because it helps the Commons understand who you are, what you do, and how to connect you to the right spaces and workflows.

The most important fields usually include:

  • Your full name.
  • Institutional affiliation or organization.
  • Role or professional identity.
  • Area of interest or subject focus.
  • Contact details.
  • Short bio or profile summary.
  • Any preferred participation tags or thematic areas.

Why profile details matter

These fields help determine which groups, spaces, or calls you are shown, how your contributions are attributed, whether you are eligible for certain permissions or invitations, and how others in the Commons understand your expertise and participation.

Your first steps

Once your account is active, the best way to begin is to move through a simple sequence of actions. This helps you establish your presence in the Commons, connect with relevant people and groups, and begin contributing content in a structured way.

Create your Account

Register or sign in using the available login options provided by the Commons. If your institution supports access through a connected identity system, you may be able to use that method to get started more quickly.

Complete Membership Registration

After creating your account, complete the membership registration step if you want full member access. This confirms your membership status and ensures that your account is properly connected to the Commons’ participation structure.

Complete your profile

Add your name, role, interests, and any other details that help others understand your work. A complete profile makes it easier for people to find you, recognize your expertise, and connect your activity to your broader scholarly or professional identity.

Join a group

Search for a group related to your field, project, institution, or interest area. Groups are where much of the Commons’ collaborative work begins, and they provide a practical place to discuss, share, and organize work with others.

Present your first work

When you are ready, add a document, post a discussion item, or deposit a work in the repository. Starting with a small contribution is often the best way to become familiar with the platform while building momentum.

Keep Participating

As you become more comfortable, continue refining your profile, joining relevant groups, and contributing more substantial work. The Commons is designed to support gradual, sustained participation over time.

Choose your first space

Community

For discussion, drafting, group work, and early-stage development.

Journal Publication

For formal submission, editorial review, and publication.

Commissioned Research

For invitation-only or mandate-driven research and project work.

Repository

For searching, browsing, and accessing final outputs.

Choose the space that corresponds to what you want to do first, not necessarily what you may do later. For example, if you want to refine an idea with others, start in Community. If you have a paper ready for formal review, begin in Journal. If you are responding to a defined assignment, enter through Commissioned. If you are looking for a citable output or background evidence, start with Repository.

Take your first action

Your first action should be simple, specific, and visible. The Commons is designed to reward early movement into active participation, not prolonged uncertainty.

  • Joining a topic forum.
  • Posting an introduction or short comment.
  • Uploading a draft or supporting document.
  • Submitting a manuscript.
  • Responding to a commissioning brief.
  • Saving or citing a repository item.
  • Following a project or space you want to revisit.

First meaningful participation

The best first action is one that matches your purpose and helps you become visible in the system. Even a small action can establish your starting point and make later participation easier. A successful first action should leave you with a clear sense that you are no longer just visiting the Commons; you are now participating in it.

If you do not want to become a member

You can still engage with the Commons in ways that do not require full membership. Some visitors prefer to explore the platform first, follow public information, learn about communities, or review content before deciding whether to register.

Explore the platform

Browse the Commons to understand its communities, projects, and areas of focus. This is often the best first step for visitors who are not yet ready to join.

Read public content

Review public pages, project descriptions, and available outputs to see whether the Commons is relevant to your interests or institution.

Follow the main pages

Use pages such as About, Community, Commissioned Research, Journal publication and Repository to understand how the Commons works and where your interests might fit.

Reach out for guidance

If you need help deciding whether to register, contact the Commons team for support or clarification about participation options.

How participation works

Participation in the Commons happens at different levels, depending on the space you are in and the permissions you have.

At the most basic level, users may read and browse, follow groups, calls, or collections, save items for later, and review public materials.

At a more active level, users may comment on drafts or discussions, join collaborative groups, co-develop documents or outputs, and contribute evidence, text, or resources.

At a formal level, users may submit manuscripts, respond to reviewer or editorial feedback, take part in commissioned work, and deposit approved outputs in the Repository.

Participation deepens over time

The Commons is designed so that participation can deepen over time. A user may begin as a reader, then become a contributor, then a co-author, then a lead participant or project owner. The system supports this progression by linking collaboration, publication, commissioning, and preservation into one environment.

Submit your work when ready

When your work is ready, whether for journal publication or direct deposit in the repository, choose the track that fits it best. You can submit under the Research track or the Policy and Professional track, depending on the type of work you are sharing.

Research Track

For academic or evidence-driven submissions that need a research-oriented review path.

Policy and Professional Track

For applied work, policy briefs, practice notes, or professional submissions.

Track your submission

After submission, follow its status from your dashboard. Use your profile and account area to keep your details current, check progress, and return to your work whenever needed.

Your dashboard becomes your main home once you are logged in.

Participate by level

Different users enter the Commons at different levels of readiness. Some arrive to observe, some to contribute immediately, and some to take on formal roles. The Commons supports that range.

Observer

Explores the Commons before joining.

Contributor

Joins discussions, shares evidence, or comments on drafts.

Collaborator

Works in a project group, manuscript team, or commissioned research stream.

Formal Participant

Submits, reviews, commissions, or deposits outputs.

Partner

Supports a group, project, or institutional initiative from outside the main workflow.

Stewardship Roles

Holds responsibility for governance, permissions, and coherence.

Other ways to engage

If you are not joining immediately, there are still meaningful ways to engage with the Commons. Some users prefer to observe first, explore the structure, or identify whether there is a fit for future collaboration.

Alternative engagement paths may include exploring public pages and outputs, reviewing the Commons architecture and purpose, contacting a team member or administrator, proposing a partnership or institutional collaboration, requesting to observe a group, project, or theme, or subscribing to updates, calls, or announcements.

Beyond Membership

This pathway is especially useful for institutional partners, prospective collaborators, or users who are considering whether to participate in a more active way later. It also gives the Commons a broader reach than simple membership, allowing it to function as an open institutional presence as well as an active working environment.

The User Pathway

A common Commons pathway may look like this:

  • Discover the Commons through the public site.
  • Read About and Getting Started.
  • Create an account.
  • Review membership requirements and governing terms.
  • Join or request membership.
  • Complete a profile and confirm participation terms.
  • Choose a participation level.
  • Move work through collaboration, publication, commissioning, or repository preservation as appropriate.
  • Enter the layer most relevant to your task.

Why This Sequence Matters

This pathway is important because it ensures the Commons remains orderly and intelligible while still allowing flexible forms of involvement. It also helps users see that the platform is not only for publishing or not only for discussion, but for a complete knowledge journey.

What to Expect

Users should expect a disciplined, professional, and intellectually serious environment. The Commons is intended to support work that is thoughtful, rigorous, and consequential. Its design encourages clarity of purpose, respect for process, and attention to the long-term value of outputs.

The platform should feel coherent rather than fragmented, serious rather than casual, and useful rather than merely informational. That is especially important for users whose work crosses academic, policy, and professional boundaries.

Working Style

The Commons is meant to support a mature, purposeful mode of participation: clear entry, clear expectations, visible pathways, and a meaningful first success.

Suggested Next Steps

After reviewing this page, move to the layer that best reflects your current task.

  • Go to Community if you are working with others on ideas or drafts.
  • Go to Journal Publication if you are preparing scholarly work for review and publication.
  • Go to Commissioned Research if you are involved in a directed or invitation-based project.
  • Go to Repository if you are searching for, citing, or depositing final outputs.
  • Return to About the Commons if you need a fuller conceptual understanding of the platform.

Non-member Routes

If you are not joining as a full member, consider reaching out about partnerships, collaborations, volunteering, sponsorships, or advisory engagement.

Support and Follow-up

If you are unsure where you belong, what to do next, or whether you have selected the right pathway, you should not hesitate to seek support. The Commons is designed to be navigable, but users may still need assistance at the point of entry.

You can usually contact the Commons team or help desk, ask an administrator, editor, or moderator, request guidance on access or role assignment, ask for help identifying the correct space for your work, or return to this page and review the suggested entry sequence.

The Aim of Onboarding

The aim is not only to admit users into the Commons, but to help them begin well. A successful first experience should make the next step obvious and the next action feasible.

Getting Started

From creating account to making your first submission, an exciting journey from normal academic exercise through to policy and practice.

1.Create an account
Username, Name, Email Address, Password
2.Membership Registration
Name, affiliation, and which community you’re joining from. Free to join
3.Complete your profile
Affiliation, interests, and links to past work
4.Find your community or group
See how faculty, policymakers, NGOs, professional bodies, and students typically use the Commons.
5.Join a working group
Browse by topic, or start your own
6.Participate
Forums, critique board, co-authoring space.
7.Submit your work when ready
Choose research or policy and professional track. Submit your work
8.Track your submission
Follow its status from your dashboard.
9.Commission a Research
10.Partnerships and Collaborations
11.Volunteer
Create an Account

Getting started in the Commons means understanding not only how to enter the platform, but how your work belongs within its larger knowledge pathway. This page is designed to help you begin that journey with clarity, confidence, and a proper sense of the Commons’ intellectual purpose.

Create an Account
Membership Registration
Login