---
title: Contribute to open source projects
slug: contribute-to-open-source-projects
description: ### Getting Started with Open Source Contribution

Starting to contribute to open source projects can be daunting. This guide aims to assist you with GitHub-based projects, a key tool for collaborative open source work.
tags: ["product","starterkit","research"]
category: uncategorized
difficulty: Easy
time: < 1 hour
location: London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
---
import { Image } from 'astro:assets'
# Contribute to open source projects
<Image src={import('./0_Intro_title.png')} alt="Contribute to open source projects" />
### Getting Started with Open Source Contribution

Starting to contribute to open source projects can be daunting. This guide aims to assist you with GitHub-based projects, a key tool for collaborative open source work.

User Location: London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
## Steps
### Step 1: Find a project

### Finding a Project

Explore various open-source projects to find one that interests you. Many organizations actively welcome collaborators. For a starting point, consider visiting the following resources:

- [One Army Projects](https://github.com/onearmy)
- [Darigov Research Projects](https://github.com/darigovresearch)


<Image src={import('./1_find_a_project.png')} alt="1_find_a_project.png" />

### Step 2: Readme & contributing guide

Please refer to the README and contributing guidelines. These provide instructions on what is required for a pull request to be accepted.


<Image src={import('./2_readme.png')} alt="2_readme.png" />


<Image src={import('./2_contributing_guideline.png')} alt="2_contributing_guideline.png" />

### Step 3: View the issues

### Contributing Guidelines

Review the open issues to find tasks you can address. For newcomers, we suggest selecting tasks that are quick and easy to complete.


<Image src={import('./3_view_the_issues.png')} alt="3_view_the_issues.png" />

### Step 4: Sign in/Sign up

### Instructions

Create an account or sign in if you already have one by following the user interface steps.


<Image src={import('./4_sign_in.png')} alt="4_sign_in.png" />

### Step 5: Fork the repository

To fork a repository, click the fork button when signed in. The URL and page header will reflect your account name, confirming the repository is now associated with your account.


<Image src={import('./5_fork.png')} alt="5_fork.png" />

### Step 6: Make changes

In the browser, edit files by clicking their name and the edit button, which opens a page for editing and previewing changes. For multiple uploads, use the upload button to drag and drop files, providing a message about the changes at the bottom.

To edit locally, clone the repository, make updates, commit changes, and push them to the server. For GitHub projects, the desktop app is recommended for its intuitive interface.


<Image src={import('./6_edit_file.png')} alt="6_edit_file.png" />


<Image src={import('./6_preview_changes.png')} alt="6_preview_changes.png" />


<Image src={import('./6_commit_message.png')} alt="6_commit_message.png" />

### Step 7: Make a pull request

Adhere to any templates or guidelines in the repository. Provide a clear name and brief description of your changes. Reference issues by their numbers to link to the relevant context. You may need to revise based on auto-generated tests or feedback from repository maintainers.


<Image src={import('./7_pull_request.png')} alt="7_pull_request.png" />


<Image src={import('./7_template.png')} alt="7_template.png" />


<Image src={import('./7_complete_pull_request.png')} alt="7_complete_pull_request.png" />

### Step 8: Wait for it to be Merged

### How to Contribute to Open Source

Once your changes are approved by repository maintainers, your contribution to open source will be official.

For further details, watch the tutorial video related to this guide.

Explore the One Army GitHub to find repositories for contributions: [One Army GitHub](https://github.com/onearmy).

For additional information on open source projects, visit our [website](https://www.darigovresearch.com) and [GitHub repository](https://github.com/darigovresearch).