Recommended Practices for Hosting and Managing Open Source Projects on GitHub

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GitHub is a critical platform for the development and management of open source projects. When using the platform, there are important practices to consider so that a project maximizes its openness, collaboration, transparency, and community-oriented development.

This report is a reflection on the power of GitHub to manage open source projects. It is based on a compilation of best practices to help developers enhance project engagement, understandability, and organization. Recommendations range from documentation and communication practices to embedding open source principles into the foundations of project development. 

These recommendations will help guide the creation and management of open source projects that get the most out of the many tools and opportunities provided by GitHub. Read the report for the full list of recommendations!

Author: Ibrahim Haddad, Ph.D, Vice President, Strategic Programs (AI & Data), The Linux Foundation

With a foreword by Jeff McAffer, Senior Director of Product, GitHub

More About LF Research

Open source communities are at the heart of an explosion of technical innovation, where industry leaders, engineers, and end users are collectively creating and improving the digital infrastructure on which the global economy depends.

With an extensive community of members, connections with thousands of companies, and hundreds of thousands of open source contributors, professionals, solution providers, and users, the Linux Foundation is in a unique position to investigate the growing scale of open source collaboration, and provide insights into emerging technology trends, best practices, and global impact of open source projects.

By leveraging project databases and networks, and through a commitment to best practices in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, Linux Foundation Research is designed to be the go-to repository for open source insights for the benefit of organizations and governments the world over.