Internal Lab Resources

This page contains important information for current lab members about managing their presence on the lab website and other internal processes.

When to Add/Remove Yourself from the Webpage

When to ADD yourself:

• When you officially join the Kording Lab as a graduate student, postdoc, research staff, or visiting scholar
• Ideally within your first week of joining the lab
• After confirming with Konrad or the lab manager that you are officially part of the lab

When to REMOVE/UPDATE yourself:

• When you graduate or complete your position in the lab
• When transitioning to alumni status (you don’t delete your profile, just change your position to ‘alumni’)
• If you’re a visiting scholar, when your visit period ends

How to Add Yourself to the People Page

Step 1: Create Your Profile File

• Navigate to the _people folder in the repository
• Create a new file named <firstname>_<lastname>.md (all lowercase, e.g., john_smith.md)

Step 2: Add the Required Header

---
name: Your Full Name
position: [choose one: gradstudent/postdoc/researchstaff/visiting/alumni]
avatar: yourphoto.jpg
twitter: yourtwitterhandle
joined: 2024
---

Step 3: Add Your Photo

• Add a professional photo to the images/people/ folder
• Name it to match the avatar field in your header (e.g., yourphoto.jpg)
• Recommended: square aspect ratio, at least 400x400 pixels
• Make sure the photo is professional and represents you well

Step 4: Write Your Bio

• After the header, write a brief bio (2-3 paragraphs)
• Include your research interests, background, and current projects
• You can use markdown formatting for links, bold text, etc.
• Keep it professional but feel free to add personality

Step 5: Submit Your Changes

• If comfortable with Git:
  • Commit and push your changes
  • Create a pull request
• If not familiar with Git:
  • Email your files to the lab manager
  • Or ask any lab member for help with the Git process

How to Update Your Profile

1. Find your file in _people/<firstname>_<lastname>.md
2. Edit the content - update your bio, position, or other information
3. Update your photo if needed (replace the file in images/people/)
4. Commit and push your changes or ask for help

How to Transition to Alumni Status

When leaving the lab:

1. Edit your profile file in _people/<firstname>_<lastname>.md
2. Change the position field to alumni:

   position: alumni
   

3. Add your next position to your bio (e.g., “Now at [Company/University]”)
4. Keep your profile - don’t delete it! Alumni remain part of the lab community
5. Commit and push the changes

Adding Publications

When you publish a paper:

1. Edit publications.md
2. Find the correct year section
3. Add your publication in this format:

   _Paper Title_<br>
   Author1, Author2, KP Kording, etc<br>
   Journal Name, Year ([Article](link-if-available))
   

4. Maintain chronological order within the year
5. Include all lab members who are authors

Adding News Items

For lab news and announcements:

1. Edit _data/news.yml
2. Add a new entry at the top: ```yaml
   • date: YYYY-MM-DD details: “Your news item here. Can include links” ```
3. Note: Some characters like : need special handling - use quotes around your text

Technical Help

Using Git/GitHub

Basic Git workflow:

git pull                     # Get latest changes
git add .                    # Stage your changes
git commit -m "message"      # Commit with descriptive message
git push                     # Push to GitHub

Editing directly on GitHub:

1. Navigate to the file on GitHub.com
2. Click the pencil icon to edit
3. Make your changes
4. Commit directly or create a pull request

Testing Changes Locally

Before pushing changes:

jekyll serve

Then visit localhost:4000 to preview

Getting Help

• Git/GitHub issues: Ask any lab member familiar with Git
• Website technical issues: Contact the designated website maintainer
• Content questions: Check with Konrad or senior lab members
• Emergency updates: Contact multiple lab members to ensure quick response

Best Practices

• Keep profiles updated - Outdated information reflects poorly on everyone
• Use professional photos - This is a public-facing website
• Write clear commit messages - Help others understand what you changed
• Test before pushing - Use jekyll serve for significant changes
• Ask for help - Better to ask than to break something
• Regular updates - Check your profile every semester

Important Links

• Lab GitHub: github.com/KordingLab
• Website Repository: github.com/KordingLab/KordingLab.github.io
• Live Website: kordinglab.com
• C4R Platform: c4r.io

This page is for internal use by Kording Lab members. If you’re not a lab member but interested in joining, please see the About page for more information.