Coding in the Open v1.0.0
Guidance for open sourcing at ONS Data Science Campus.
The following pages provide guidance on ‘coding in the open’ - developing open-source codebases or transitioning codebases from private to public domains. This guidance is based upon NHS Digital guidance [1]. Click here to download NHS Digital’s fit for publishing checklist.
The term open-source captures work that is made freely available for others to use and modify [2].
The benefits to open-source codebases are greater accountability, collaboration, and trust.
This guide does not replace any of the guidance in the UK Government’s Aqua Book [3], but instead supplements with considerations related specifically to publishing analytical code on GitHub.
This guide supports, not replaces, the need for good project governance.
Guidance Overview
| Page | Description |
|---|---|
| Overview | A ‘coding in the open’ overview and general guidance on open source development. |
| Open at the start | Guidance on considerations when developing in the open. |
| Open at the end | Guidance on moving work from a private domain into the public. This includes a checklist and flowchart to provide additional support when applying the guidance. |
| Never open | Reasons why code may not be published and how to document this. |
| Further information | Including general considerations and potential risks. |
These pages are accessible in the sidebar.
All sources are referenced throughout (you can hover over them for more details). Additionally, they are available at the bottom of each page and in a dedicated references page for convenience.