Contributor Guidelines
Vision
To create an easy to navigate and relevant one-stop-shop for Local Groups, Community Groups and individual rebels to find the information and support they need.
Intro
Engagement and enthusiasm for utilising the Rebel Toolkit (RT) for all XRUK work is key to maintaining this vision. From actions to design, from training to volunteering, the Rebel Toolkit being the key repository for this information, will allow it to be the go-to guide for the movement.
Historically there was a huge amount of valuable resources within XR UK, but they are spread all over the internet - Google docs, XRUK Cloud, XRUK website etc. A project during 2023-24 brought all of the resources into one place and refreshed the RT. These will now be maintained and curated by the Rebel Toolkit team (which is a sub-circle of Local Group Support).
The aim is to maintain these resources as focused, relevant, accessible, up-to-date and tailored to the right audience.
Using Shelves, Books, Chapters, and Pages
The RT is structured just like a real bookshelf, full of real books. Please ensure that your content effectively uses the chapter/pages system to break down the topic into chunks. Each chapter & page should have a logical name as these will be displayed in the contents page of your book, and in the sidebar when navigating the book itself.
You don’t HAVE to use chapters if your book is short. If it’s 7 pages or less, it probably doesn’t need chapters.
A good example is the ‘Action Network for XR’ book.
Book titles and covers
It is also important to choose a name for your book that communicates what the topic covers, in as few words as possible.
If you change the name of the book, it changes the URL and if you have linked to it from elsewhere (XRUK website, or an email footer perhaps) - that link will break. But note that book URLs are independent of what shelf they sit on.
Book covers need to be created with certain criteria in mind - more information is available here.
Audience
The audience for the RT ranges from people completely new to XR to experienced Local Group coordinators looking for guidance to full-time XRUK team members. Please remember that the Rebel Toolkit is publicly accessible to anyone on the internet, so don't include anything you wouldn't tell your nan!
Please ensure that you don’t use XR jargon, abbreviations, or make assumptions about users’ technological abilities. Use simple language, short sentences, and short paragraphs.
Links to documents outside of Rebel Toolkit
Links to documents external to the RT should be minimised. It is preferable that information is written within the RT. Only use a link to something external to the RT if this is absolutely necessary and the page cannot be recreated on the RT or if you are linking to an external website.
If you have to link to external docs please use Karla font, no italics, clear layout and in the case of Google docs, edit the URL - make sure that after the last ‘/’ which normally says /edit or /view, replace this with /preview.
There are two ways to create hyperlinks when editing the RT:
Linking to other books & topics
We are striving to reduce duplication of information. Therefore, if your team needs to include elements of the work of another team within your pages, please link directly to those pages, rather than writing your own section in your book.
For example, if in a section describing Outreach methods it is relevant to talk about fundraising, you should talk to the Fundraising team and/or view their current content. They may already have suitable guidance, so you can link directly to this.
If those pages do not yet exist, talk directly to the team who you think should be providing the content or contact the RT team for guidance. Do not create content that over-reaches your team's mandate/responsibilities.
Wiki-style contributions
The original vision of the RT was modelled on a ‘wiki’ style design - where everyone in the movement could share resources, instructions and ideas. Whilst an amazing vision, lack of curation meant that huge swathes of the RT were left out of date, duplicated, or linked to documents which no longer existed.
We still appreciate the vision of the Toolkit as a sharing space, so there are various ways that individuals and teams can add content to relevant shelves or books. These options will be offered in relevant parts of the RT and some teams can be given direct access to maintain certain areas that compliment their team's responsibilies (their mandate).
Maintaining quality of the RT content
All teams who have direct access to contribute to the new RT must keep their content up-to-date. Ideally someone within that team should take on the role of updating the RT regularly. As the initial phase of updating the RT ends, a larger RT team will be created with various roles from daily proof-readers checking new content, to long-term curators/librarians and maintenance of close links with UK circles.
Sense check for your content
A checklist for deciding if your content a appropriate for the toolkit:
1. Is it for people not yet connected to XR ?
If yes, consider adding to the XRUK website
2. Is it for rebels, rather than people who are not (yet) in XR?
If yes, Rebel Toolkit is the right place
3. Is it aimed at a small group of rebels maybe within an XRUK circle?
If yes, it could go on the UK circles section of the RT which will only be viewable by logging in.
Access and Inclusion
Access and Inclusion should be considered in everything we do, and that includes in the content everyone here is adding to the Rebel Toolkit. Please read this guide which has been written by the Disabled Rebels Network.
We all need to consider making the content itself accessible, by using clear layout, no italics etc.
Any content written for the RT relating to LG spaces, meeting facilitation, handing zoom calls or planning actions etc should also consider the guidance provided.
Stay in touch!
If you want to meet with us again during the process of updating, or when you think your updated info is complete, please contact us.
The conversations with all the different teams should help us develop a more nuanced and detailed view of what needs to happen to make the RT a fabulous resource for the movement.
What we are aiming for is to reduce any duplication in content. So we may contact you again if we identify overlaps and repetitions.