Accounts Setup
Set up essential accounts needed to contribute to Open Science. Follow these easy, step-by-step guides to create and configure the accounts required for contributing towards open science.
Akshay Mestry
Open Source Maintainer
In the world of open science, certain digital tools and platforms are indispensable for sharing research, collaborating with peers, and managing your scientific identity. Before diving into your open science journey, setting up accounts on some key platforms will empower you to fully participate in this transparent, collaborative ecosystem. Below, we’ll walk through the importance of each account, real-world use cases, and practical examples of how they are utilized in open science workflows.
GitHub
GitHub is one of the most powerful tools in the world of collaborative research, open science, and software development. It’s more than just a platform for storing code — it’s a vibrant community where you can contribute to projects, share data, and collaborate with fellow researchers from all over the world. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned coder, GitHub provides the tools you need to manage projects, contribute to Open Science, and share your findings.
Importance for Open Science
Version Control. Keeps track of all changes to your code, making it easy to revert to previous versions if necessary. This is crucial in research projects where reproducibility is key.
Collaborative Research. Enables multiple researchers to work together on the same project, with features like forking, pull requests, and issue tracking. For instance, a team of climate scientists may use GitHub to manage code for analyzing climate models. Each team member contributes code and reviews changes through pull requests.
Open Access. You can make your repositories public, allowing others to view, use, and contribute to your research. Example for this would be an ecologist sharing a Python package on GitHub that automates the analysis of satellite imagery, allowing others to replicate or build on the work.
At its core, GitHub is a hosting service for version control using Git. This means it helps you track changes in your work, collaborate with others seamlessly, and manage multiple versions of a project. Many of NASA’s open science projects, including the TOPS SCHOOL initiative, use GitHub to share their work and invite contributions from the global community. So, setting up a GitHub account is the first step toward being part of this exciting, inclusive movement.
Let’s walk through how to create your personal GitHub account and get started with open science!
Note
If you already have a GitHub account, you can skip this guide and checkout things to do to Securing Your GitHub Account below.
Creating GitHub Account
Go to GitHub.
In the upper-right corner of the page, click on the Sign up button to start creating your personal account. GitHub will guide you through the process, one step at a time.
You will be asked for a username, email address, and to create a password.
Once you’ve entered your details, GitHub will send a verification email to the address you provided.
Check your inbox (and your spam folder if you don’t see it) and click the link to verify your email address.
Without verifying your email, you won’t be able to perform certain tasks like creating repositories, so this step is important!
You’ll be asked to complete a simple CAPTCHA (a quick task to confirm you’re not a robot). Just follow the instructions, and you’re good to go.
GitHub will prompt you to choose a plan. For most users just starting with Open Science, the Free plan is more than enough. You can always upgrade later if you need advanced features like private repositories, but for now, you’re all set with the free option!
Once your account is set up, you’ll land on your GitHub dashboard. This is your home base for creating projects, exploring repositories, and contributing to open science. GitHub offers a helpful tutorial called “Hello World” to get you started with the basics — like creating your first repository, etc.
But before you move on, take a moment to congratulate yourself. You’ve just taken a significant step toward being part of the open science community!
Securing Your GitHub Account
GitHub is an integral platform for collaborative research and open-source projects, but with this openness comes the need for robust security measures. By following best practices, you can ensure your research and data are protected against unauthorized access. As of March 2023, GitHub required all users who contribute code on GitHub to enable one or more forms of two-factor authentication (2FA). Here’s a detailed guide on securing your GitHub account. All the security settings are accessible using the same steps.
Navigate to Security Settings by clicking on to your
We strongly recommend that you configure 2FA for your account. 2FA is an extra layer of security that can help keep your account secure. Two-factor Authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your GitHub account by requiring a second form of verification beyond just your password. Here’s how to set it up:
Under the “Two-factor authentication” section, click the button to begin the setup process. Choose your authentication method GitHub offers several 2FA options [1].
Follow the setup instructions and remaining prompts to complete the 2FA setup. Ensure you test the 2FA method to confirm it’s working properly.
You can add passkeys to your account so that you can sign in safely and easily, without requiring a password and two-factor authentication. You can also use passkeys when performing a sensitive action (sudo mode), or to authenticate a password reset.
Passkeys allow you to sign in securely to GitHub in your browser without having to input your password. If you use two-factor authentication (2FA), passkeys satisfy both password and 2FA requirements, so you can complete your sign in with a single step. If you don’t use 2FA, using a passkey will skip the requirement to verify a new device via email. You can also use passkeys for sudo mode and resetting your password.
Passkeys are pairs of cryptographic keys (a public key and a private key) that are stored by an authenticator you control. The authenticator can prove that a user is present and is authorized to use the passkey.
Under the “Passkeys” section, click the button which says “Add a passkey” to begin the a process.
Follow the setup instructions and remaining prompts to complete the setup. [2] At the prompt, follow the steps outlined by the passkey provider.
On the next page, review the information confirming that a passkey was successfully registered, then click Done.
You can access and write data in repositories on GitHub using SSH (Secure Shell Protocol). When you connect via SSH, you authenticate using a private key file on your local machine. When you set up SSH, you will need to generate a new private SSH key and add it to the SSH agent. You must also add the public SSH key to your account on GitHub before you use the key to authenticate or sign commits.
Tip
Using the SSH protocol, you can connect and authenticate to remote servers and services. With SSH keys, you can connect to GitHub without supplying your username and personal access token at each visit. You can also use an SSH key to sign commits.
ORCID
Next, you’ll learn how to create your ORCID account, an important step to ensure that your research and contributions are easily identifiable and accessible in the Open Science community. Don’t worry if this is your first time doing this — the process is straightforward, and this guide will help you through each step. Before we dive into the steps, let’s talk about why having an ORCID account is important.
ORCID provides a unique, persistent identifier for researchers, ensuring that your contributions are correctly attributed to you, regardless of any changes Open Science, where collaboration and transparency are key. Your ORCID profile becomes your digital fingerprint in the world of research, linking your work to your name in a global, accessible database.
Creating ORCID Account
Go to ORCID.
You’ll see a form asking for some basic information. No worries, this will only take a minute or two. Enter your information like your first and last name, primary email address (this is where all your notifications will be sent), possibly a secondary email address (optional but recommended, to ensure you don’t lose access in case you forget your credentials).
Next would be the password, make sure your password is something memorable but secure. Instructions about the password requirements would be mentioned while entering the password.
Before you complete the registration, you’ll need to agree to ORCID’s terms. These are pretty straightforward and ensure that your data is used responsibly.
Now that your account is created, ORCID will send a verification email to primary email address you provided. It’s important to verify your email to complete the setup. Check your inbox (and your spam folder if you don’t see it) and click the link to verify your email address.
Tip
Set your visibility preferences. ORCID gives you control over the privacy of your information. You can set your profile to be:
Public. Anyone can see your information.
Limited. Only trusted parties (like your institution) can view your profile.
Private. Only you can see your information.
It is best to keep it Public to maximize visibility for your work in Open Science, but you can always change it later.
Make the Most of Your ORCID Account
Now that you’ve created and set up your ORCID account, you’re ready to start using your ORCID ID in your research. Include it in your CV, Research papers, Articles, Conference presentations and Grant applications. This unique identifier will ensure that all your work is properly attributed to you, wherever it’s shared.
Personalizing your ORCID account is crucial in making sure your ORCID profile represents you well. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for collaborators and institutions to find you and recognize your work. ORCID supports integration with various platforms, including GitHub and LinkedIn. You can link your ORCID profile to your GitHub account to create a cohesive professional identity across platforms.
Your ORCID profile is a living document. As your career progresses, be sure to keep it updated with your latest contributions, projects, and affiliations. This is especially important in Open Science, where collaboration and visibility are key. Set a reminder to check and update your profile every few months. That way, your information stays fresh and accurate.
With your ORCID account ready, you’re now one step closer to engaging fully with the Open Science community. Remember, Open Science is all about transparency, accessibility, and collaboration. By taking the time to set up your ORCID account, you’re contributing to a global movement dedicated to making science open to all.