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Tools for communication

OpenScPCA community members will use the following tools for communication and collaboration. Learn more about using:

GitHub Discussions

We use GitHub Discussions as the community forum for the project, and you can find the Discussions page here in the OpenScPCA-Analysis repository. You are most likely to engage with the project for the first time via Discussions.

Before posting

Please read this pinned discussion from the Data Lab before creating your first post!

How and When to Use Discussions

Discussions are organized by category. Please read the description of each category to make sure you are posting in the correct place. More on categories below!

Participate in community conversations

  • In general, use this forum to ask questions, discuss big picture ideas, brainstorm, and develop plans for analyses before implementing them.

Propose a new analysis or a modification to an existing analysis

Ask questions

  • Get help from project maintainers and/or community members.
  • Use the Q&A category to ask non-urgent questions. For example, where to find information.
  • Use the Troubleshooting category to get help from project maintainers. For example, challenges with setting up your local environment or trouble running an analysis. This category has a built-in template to guide you.
  • We will post in the Announcements category when there is news that the community should know about. For example, if the Data Lab staff will be offline for a few days.

Provide feedback about the project

GitHub Issues

GitHub issues are used to plan, define, and track pieces of work. They also help us prioritize, schedule tasks, and identify blockers.

Issues should be focused and manageable in scope. Smaller chunks of work are easier to accomplish and review! An issue will eventually be linked to a pull request. We always aim for a ratio of one issue to one pull request.

Please read the Data Lab's documentation on:

Please engage with project maintainers via Discussions before filing your first issue in the OpenScPCA-Analysis repository. We will provide you with further guidance!

How and When to Use Issues

File an issue for a proposed analysis that has been accepted

  • After you have proposed an analysis on the discussions forum and it has been accepted by project maintainers, then you can file an issue.
  • The ideal issue will describe the scope and scientific goals of the analysis, the planned methods to address the scientific goals, and a proposed timeline for the analysis.

Identify a planned analysis that you wish to tackle.

  • There are existing issues for planned analyses that others may not be working on yet.
  • If you would like to take on a planned analysis, you can comment on the issue to note your interest and ask any clarifying questions. Propose a solution for project maintainers to review and discuss further.

Report a bug

  • If you encounter a bug, please file an issue using the Bug Report issue template to help us make improvements!
  • Provide a clear and detailed description of the problem.
  • Include any relevant error messages or reports.

Slack

Open-ScPCA Slack channel

We will add you to the #open-scpca channel in our Cancer Data Science Slack. After joining, please feel free to send a message on #open-scpca to introduce yourself to the community!

When to Use the Slack Channel

We encourage you to ask questions on Slack, so they are visible to the entire OpenScPCA community. For example, post questions on the channel about:

  • an error you encountered while getting set up
  • an analysis you are working on
  • the data and tools you are using as part of this project

If you have a question, it's likely that someone else has a similar one! Posting on Slack makes it possible for any project maintainer or community member to help you. We cannot always respond immediately, but we will do our best to answer to all messages within 24 hours.

Helpful tips for posting on Slack

  • Please try to use threads for responses to questions or ongoing conversations about the same topic.
  • Slack messages are not permanent and will disappear after 30 days. If there is a post that contains information you want to refer back to, we recommend that you save it elsewhere.

Direct messages

If you need to address a private matter or have a question that is highly specific to you, you may direct message a Data Lab staff member. In all other cases, please use the #open-scpca Slack channel to reach us.

Direct messages can be sent to Jen O'Malley, Jaclyn Taroni, Ally Hawkins, Josh Shapiro, or Stephanie Spielman.

We may direct you back to the #open-scpca channel or to another staff member when appropriate.

In some cases, you may use Slack to report a concern to a Data Lab staff member. See the reporting section of the Code of Conduct to learn more about when to use Slack for reporting.

Email

You can email report@ccdatalab.org with queries related to administration.

You can email us to:

  • Report security issues
  • Make a non-anonymous code of conduct violation report
  • Copyright violations
  • Other such administration related items

If you are not sure where to direct your question, please ask in Slack or GitHub Discussions. If it is a private matter, you may direct message one of the Data Lab members on Slack.