It is a noble and enriching practice to contribute to open source GIS projects to improve one’s skills, help others, and contribute to the advancement of GIS applications. Below are some of the ways through which one can get involved in the world of GIS irrespective of the level of experience. The following are the guidelines that can help one contribute to open source GIS projects.
Join the Community
The first thing that one has to do in order to contribute to open source GIS projects is to become a member of the community of the particular project of interest. Most of the open source GIS projects have forums, mailing lists, and social media groups to interact with other users/developers. For instance, organizations such as OSGeo Foundation sponsor several open source GIS projects and forums for exchange of ideas and information. Interacting with the community is a way of getting ideas from other people, sharing ideas, and also getting information on how the project is progressing.
Use the Software
It is recommended to get acquainted with the open source GIS tools that you plan to support. Using the software actively will enable you to learn the features, advantages, and disadvantages of the software. For example, if you want to contribute to QGIS, it is advisable to navigate through the program and its interface. Using the tools, one can report issues, make recommendations, and give feedback to the developers which can help in improving the software.
Report Issues and Suggest Features
When using open source GIS software, you will at one time in a while experience some errors and or faults that may affect the software’s performance. Such concerns are vital to report as a way of contributing to the solution of such a problem. Many open source projects employ the use of tools like GitHub for issues where one can either report new issues or comment on existing ones. Also, if you have suggestions for new features or improvements that you would like to see, please feel free to make your suggestions. Some projects have well-defined procedures on how to submit feature requests like the QGIS Enhancement Proposals (QEPs). It means that you can contribute to the further development of the software.
Contribute Code
If you know how to code, the best way to help open source GIS is by providing code. You can begin by correcting some defects, enhancing the system with new features or enhancing the current features. Learn the coding conventions and practices of the project and ensure that you are using proper version control tools such as Git for code submission. When you are done, go to the ‘Pull request’ tab to propose your changes. It is also important to participate in code reviews and discussions with other developers as this will also help in improving one’s skills and knowledge.
Create Documentation and Tutorials
Documentation is always important for any software project and many of the open source GIS projects are always in need of documentation contributions. You can contribute by writing or editing the user guides, preparing the how-to guides or by translating the already available documentation into other languages. Documentation is a way of presenting information to the users of the software in a simple and understandable manner which in turn improves the usability of the software. You can also try to explain the features of the software to others by writing a blog, making a video tutorial or conducting a webinar.
Participate in Events and Workshops
Participating in community events, hackathons, and workshops is a good way to contribute to the open source GIS projects. Such events can help to engage with other contributors, gain new knowledge, and practice one’s skills working on real-life tasks. Other ways that may help you include attending conferences such as FOSS4G (Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial) to meet other professionals and find new projects.
Conclusion
Contribution to open source GIS projects is a way of improving your skills, helping others, and being part of the development of the geospatial sector. Here are the ways in which you can contribute to the development of open source GIS tools: become a member of the community, use the software, report problems, contribute code, write documentation, and attend events. Thus, following the principles of open source, you can make your contributions to the development of GIS as a field.