Tools
We keep our collaboration tools few and give each one a single purpose.
| Tool | Used for | Kept out of it |
|---|---|---|
| Zulip | Day-to-day communication, with one topic per task or pull request | Decisions of record. A decision agreed in chat is written into the pull request or a Design Decision Record the same day. |
| GitHub | Tasks, pull requests, reviews, design files, code and documentation | Large binary files such as simulation models and raw data |
| Google Drive | Spreadsheets, the team calendar, media and compiled documents | Design sources, which belong in the repository |
Formal documents are written in LaTeX with the team’s class, on Overleaf, and kept in a repository of our GitHub organisation. References come from a shared Zotero library, so that every document cites from the same source. Simulation runs on the team’s workstations, which are used on site.
The laboratory logbook records every operation of laboratory equipment. It is separate from the Research section of our website, where we publish our work for the public.
Passwords and other credentials are never written in any of these tools. Direction grants access to each tool according to membership level and withdraws it when a participant leaves.
The engineering software in use is listed in the team’s internal documentation.