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The 2022 Season of Docs application for organizations is open!

Organization applications for the 2022 Season of Docs are now open!

Through Season of Docs, Google awards grants to open source projects and organizations to hire technical writers to work on documentation projects. Participating organizations hire and pay the technical writers directly (we use Open Collective to help transfer grant funds). Organizations have up to six months to complete their documentation project. At the end of the program, organizations submit a case study outlining the results of their documentation projects, including the metrics they used to evaluate the success of their new or improved documentation. The case studies from the 2021 Season of Docs program are available online, and we will be releasing a summary report for the 2021 Season of Docs shortly—join our Season of Docs announcements list to be notified when it’s available!

How does my organization apply to take part in Season of Docs?

Organization applications are now open! The deadline to apply is March 25, 2022 at 18:00 UTC.

To apply, first read the guidelines for creating an organization application on the Season of Docs website.

Take a look at the examples of project ideas, then create a project proposal based on your open source project’s actual documentation needs. Your goal is to attract technical writers to your organization, making them feel comfortable about approaching the organization and excited about what they can achieve.

We strongly recommend reading through the proposals and case studies submitted by organizations participating in the 2021 Season of Docs.

Organizations can submit their applications here: https://goo.gle/3dRyD7P. Organization applications close on March 25th at 18:00 UTC.

How do technical writers take part in Season of Docs?

Technical writers interested in working with accepted open source organizations can share their contact information via the Season of Docs GitHub repository; or they may submit proposals directly to the organizations using the contact information shared on the organization project page. Technical writers do not submit a formal application through Season of Docs.

Technical writers interested in participating in the 2022 Season of Docs should read our guide for technical writers on the Season of Docs website. Please note that technical writer recruiting began on February 3, 2022.

If you have any questions about the program, please email us at [email protected].

General timeline

February 23 - March 25	Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs
April 14	Google publishes the list of accepted organizations, along with their project proposals and doc development can begin.
June 15	Organization administrators begin to submit monthly evaluations to report on the status of their project.
November 30	Organization administrators submit their case study and final project evaluation.
December 14	Google releases submitted case studies.
May 2, 2023	Organizations begin to participate in post-program followup surveys.

See the timeline for details.

Join us

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Check out the timeline and FAQ, and apply now!

By Kassandra Dhillon and Erin McKean, Google Open Source Programs Office

Source: Google Open Source Blog

Announcing Season of Docs 2022

Google Open Source is delighted to announce Season of Docs 2022!

The Season of Docs program supports better documentation in open source and provides opportunities for skilled technical writers to gain open source experience.

Participating projects receive funds to create, improve, or expand their documentation, while contributing to our knowledge of effective metrics for evaluating open source documentation through their shared case studies.

About the program

Season of Docs allows open source organizations to apply for a grant based on their documentation needs. If selected, the open source organizations use their grant to hire a technical writer directly to complete their documentation project. Organizations have up to six months to complete their documentation project.

Participating organizations help broaden our understanding of effective documentation practices and metrics in open source by submitting a final case study upon completion of the program. The case study should outline the problem the documentation project was intended to solve, what metrics were used to judge the effectiveness of the documentation, and what the organization learned for the future. All project case studies will be published on the Season of Docs site at the end of the program.

Organizations: start your exploration engines

2022 Season of Docs applications open February 23, 2022. We strongly suggest that organizations take the time to complete the steps in the exploration phase before the application process begins, including:

Creating a project page to gauge community and technical writer interest in participating (see our project ideas page for examples)
Publicizing your interest in participating in Season of Docs through your project channels and adding your project to our list of interested projects on GitHub
Lining up community members who are interested in mentoring or helping to onboard technical writers to your project
Brainstorming requirements for technical writers to work on your project (Will they need to be able to test code? Work with video? Have prior experience with your project or related technologies?)

On your mark, get set, project page!

Every Season of Docs project begins with a project page. Your project page serves as an overview of your documentation project, and it should be publicly visible. A good project page includes:

A statement of the problem your project needs to solve (“users on Windows don’t have clear guidance of how to install our project”)
The documentation that might solve this problem (“We want to create a quickstart doc and installation guide for Windows users”)
How you’ll measure the success of your documentation (“With a good quickstart, we expect to see 50% fewer issues opened about Windows installation problems.”)
What skills your technical writer would need (break down into “must have” and “nice to have” categories. “Must have: access Windows machine to test instructions”)
What volunteer help is needed from community members (“need help onboarding technical writer to our discussion groups”) and links to where the community can discuss the proposal
Most importantly, include a way for interested technical writers to reach you and ask questions!

Technical writers: express your interest

General timeline

February 23 - March 25	Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs.
April 14	Google publishes the list of accepted organizations, along with their project proposals and doc development can begin.
June 15	Organization administrators begin to submit monthly evaluations to report on the status of their project.
November 30	Organization administrators submit their case study and final project evaluation.
December 14	Google publishes the 2021 case studies and aggregate project data.
May 2, 2023	Organizations begin to participate in post-program followup surveys.

See the full program timeline for more details.

Join us

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Check out the timeline and FAQ, and get ready to apply!

By Kassandra Dhillon and Erin McKean, Google Open Source Programs Office

Source: Google Open Source Blog

The 2021 Season of Docs application for organizations is open!

Google Open Source is delighted to announce Season of Docs 2021!

The 2019 Season of Docs brought together open source organizations and technical writers to create 44 successful documentation projects. In 2020, we had 64 successful standard-length technical writing projects and are still awaiting long-running project results.

In 2021, the Season of Docs program will continue to support better documentation in open source and provide opportunities for skilled technical writers to gain open source experience. In addition, building on what we’ve learned from the successful 2019 and 2020 projects, we’re expanding our focus to include learning about effective metrics for evaluating open source documentation.

What are the 2021 program changes?

Season of Docs 2021 will allow open source organizations to apply for a grant based on their documentation needs. If selected, open source organizations will use their grant to hire a technical writer directly to complete their documentation project. Organizations will have up to six months to complete their documentation project. Keep reading for more information about the organization application or visit the Season of Docs site.

Technical writers interested in working with accepted open source organizations will be able to share their contact information via the Season of Docs GitHub repository; or they may submit proposals directly to the organizations and will not need to submit a formal application through Season of Docs.

Participating organizations will help broaden our understanding of effective documentation practices and metrics in open source by submitting a final case study upon completion of the program. The project case study will outline the problem the documentation project was intended to solve, what metrics were used to judge the effectiveness of the documentation, and what the organization learned for the future. All the project case studies will be published on the Season of Docs site at the end of the program.

How does it work?

February 9 - March 26	Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs
April 16	Google publishes the list of accepted organizations, along with their project proposals and doc development can begin.
June 16	Organization administrators begin to submit monthly evaluations to report on the status of their project.
November 30	Organization administrators submit their case study and final project evaluation.
December 14	Google publishes the 2021 case studies and aggregate project data.
May 2, 2022	Organizations begin to participate in post-program followup surveys.

See the timeline for details.

Organization applications

Organization applications are now open! The deadline to apply is March 26, 2021 at 18:00 UTC.

To apply, first read the guidelines for creating an organization application on the Season of Docs website.

Take a look at the examples of project ideas, then create a project proposal based on your open source project’s actual documentation needs. Your goal is to attract technical writers to your organization, making them feel comfortable about approaching the organization and excited about what they can achieve.

Organizations can submit their applications here: http://goo.gle/3qVxArQ. Organization applications close on March 26th at 18:00 UTC.

Technical writers interested in participating in the 2021 Season of Docs should read our guide for technical writers on the Season of Docs website.

If you have any questions about the program, please email us at [email protected].

Join us

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Check out the timeline and FAQ, and get ready to apply!

By Kassandra Dhillon and Erin McKean, Google Open Source Programs Office

Source: Google Open Source Blog

Season of Docs announces participating organizations for 2020

Season of Docs has announced the 50 participating open source organizations! You can view the list of participating organizations on the website.

During the technical writer exploration phase, which runs from now until June 8, 2020, interested applicants explore the list of participating organizations and their project ideas. They should reach out to the organizations to gain a better understanding of the organizations and discuss project ideas before applying to Season of Docs. Technical writer applications open on June 9, 2020 at 18:00 UTC.

For more information about the technical writer exploration phase, visit the technical writer guide on the website.

What is Season of Docs?

Documentation is essential for the adoption of open source projects as well as to the success of their communities. Season of Docs brings together technical writers and open source projects to foster collaboration and improve documentation in the open source space. You can find out more about the program on the introduction page of the website.

During the program, technical writers spend a few months working closely with an open source community. They bring their technical writing expertise to the project's documentation and, at the same time, learn about the open source project and new technologies.

The open source projects work with the technical writers to improve the project's documentation and processes. Together, they may choose to build a new documentation set, redesign the existing docs, or improve and document the project's contribution procedures and onboarding experience.

How do I take part in Season of Docs as a technical writer?

First, take a look at the technical writer guide on the website. The guide includes information on eligibility and the application process.

Then participate in the technical writer exploration phase, create a technical writing application and prepare your application materials. On June 9, 2020 at 18:00 UTC, Season of Docs will begin accepting technical writer applications and publish a link to the application form on the website. The deadline for technical writer applications is July 9, 2020 at 18:00 UTC.

Is there a stipend for participating technical writers?

Yes. There is an optional stipend that technical writers can request as part of their application. The stipend amount is calculated based on the technical writer's home location. See the technical writer stipends page for more information.

If you have any questions about the program, please email us at [email protected].

General timeline

May 11 – June 8	Technical writers explore the list of participating organizations and project ideas
June 9 – July 9	Technical writers submit their proposals to Season of Docs
August 16	Google announces the accepted technical writer projects
August 17 – September 13	Community bonding: Technical writers get to know mentors and the open source community, and refine their projects in collaboration with their mentors
September 14 – December 5	Technical writers work with open source mentors on the accepted projects, and submit their work at the end of the period
January 6, 2021	Google publishes the list of successfully-completed projects

See the full timeline for details, including the provision for projects that run longer than three months.

Care to join us?

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Examine the timeline, check out the FAQ, and apply now!

By Kassandra Dhillon and Erin McKean, Google Open Source

Source: Google Open Source Blog

Announcing Season of Docs 2020

Google Open Source is delighted to announce Season of Docs 2020!

Season of Docs brings technical writers and open source projects together for a few months to work on open source documentation. 2019 was the first year of Season of Docs, bringing together open source organizations and technical writers to create 44 successful documentation projects!

Docs are key to open source success

Survey after survey show the importance of good documentation in how developers choose and use open source:

72% of surveyed developers say “Established policies and documentation” is a key decision factor when choosing open source
93% of surveyed developers say “Incomplete or outdated documentation is a pervasive problem” in open source
“Lack of documentation” was the top reason developers gave for deciding against using an open source project

Open source communities know this, and still struggle to produce good documentation. Why? Because creating documentation is hard. But...

There are people who know how to do docs well. Technical writers know how to structure a documentation site so that people can find and understand the content. They know how to write docs that fit the needs of their audience. Technical writers can also help optimize a community’s processes for open source contribution and onboarding new contributors.

Season of Docs brings open source projects and technical writers together with the shared goal of creating great documentation. The writers bring their expertise to the projects, and the project mentors help the technical writers learn more about open source and new technologies. Communities gain new docs contributors and technical writers gain valuable open source skills.

Together the technical writers and mentors build a new doc set, improve the structure of the existing docs, develop a much-needed tutorial, or improve contribution processes and guides. See more ideas for technical writing projects.

By working together in Season of Docs we raise awareness of open source, docs, and technical writing.

How does it work?

April 13 – May 4	Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs
May 11	Google publishes the list of accepted mentoring organizations, along with their ideas for documentation projects
May 11 – July 9	Technical writers choose the project they’d like to work on and submit their proposals to Season of Docs
August 10	Google announces the accepted technical writer projects
August 11 – September 11	Community bonding: Technical writers get to know mentors and the open source community, and refine their projects in collaboration with their mentors
September 11 – December 6	Technical writers work with open source mentors on the accepted projects, and submit their work at the end of the period
January 7, 2021	Google publishes the list of successfully-completed projects.

See the timeline for details, including the provision for projects that run longer than three months.

Join us

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Check out the timeline and FAQ, and get ready to apply!

By Erin McKean, Google Open Source

Source: Google Open Source Blog

Season of Docs now accepting organization applications

The newly launched Season of Docs program is excited to announce that organization applications are now open!

Deadline for organization applications:
April 23, 2019 at 20:00 UTC.

Documentation is essential to the adoption of open source projects as well as to the success of their communities. Consequently, Season of Docs was created to bring together technical writers and open source projects to foster collaboration and improve documentation in the open source space. You can find out more about the program on the introduction page of the website.

How does my organization apply to take part in Season of Docs?

Open source organizations can now submit applications to participate in Season of Docs. First, read the organization administrator guide and guidelines for creating an organization application on the Season of Docs website.

Organizations can submit their applications here: https://forms.gle/axk8AvV561K2cT6S6.

Your organization application should include one or more projects that you would like a technical writer to work on. Take a look at the examples of project ideas, then describe one or more specific projects based on your open source project’s actual documentation needs. Your goal is to attract technical writers to your organization, making them feel comfortable about approaching the organization and excited about what they can achieve in collaboration with your mentors.

Reach out to your community members to see who would like to be a mentor for Season of Docs. They may also have great suggestions for project ideas. Mentors don’t need technical writing skills. Instead, they are members of the open source organization who know the value of good documentation and who are experienced in your organization’s processes and tools. See the guidelines on working with a technical writer.

Once you have selected mentors for your organization, have them register with Season of Docs using this form: https://forms.gle/a1x26WQGzURLerv66.

Organization applications close on April 23 at 20:00 UTC.

If you have any questions about the program, please email us at [email protected].

General timeline

April 2-23: Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs
April 30: Google publishes the list of accepted mentoring organizations, along with their ideas for documentation projects
April 30 - June 28: Technical writers choose the project they’d like to work on and submit their proposals to Season of Docs
July 30: Google announces the accepted technical writer projects
August 1 - September 1: Community bonding: Technical writers get to know mentors and the open source community, and refine their projects in collaboration with their mentors
September 2 - November 29: Technical writers work with open source mentors on the accepted projects, and submit their work at the end of the period
December 10: Google publishes the list of successfully-completed projects.

See the full timeline for details, including the provision for projects that run longer than three months.

Join us

By Andrew Chen, Google Open Source and Sarah Maddox, Google Technical Writer

Source: Google Open Source Blog

Introducing Season of Docs

Google Open Source is delighted to announce Season of Docs, a new program which fosters the open source contributions of technical writers.

Season of Docs brings technical writers and open source projects together for a few months to work on open source documentation. 2019 is the first time we’re running this exciting new program.

Join us in making a substantive contribution to open source software development around the world.

Fostering collaboration between open source projects and technical writers

The Open Source Survey showed that documentation is highly valued in open source communities, yet there’s little good documentation out there. Why? Because creating documentation is hard. But...

There are people who know how to do docs well. Technical writers know how to structure a documentation site so that people can find and understand the content. They know how to write docs that fit the needs of their audience. Technical writers can also help optimize a community’s processes for open source contribution and on-boarding new contributors.

During Season of Docs, technical writers will spend a few months working closely with open source communities. Each writer works with their chosen open source project. The writers bring their expertise to the projects’ documentation while at the same time learning about open source and new technologies.

Mentors from participating open source organizations share knowledge of their communities’ processes and tools. Together the technical writers and mentors build a new doc set, improve the structure of the existing docs, develop a much-needed tutorial, or improve contribution processes and guides. See more ideas for technical writing projects.

By working together in Season of Docs we raise awareness of open source, of docs, and of technical writing.

How does it work?

April 2-23: Open source organizations apply to take part in Season of Docs
April 30: Google publishes the list of accepted mentoring organizations, along with their ideas for documentation projects
April 30 - June 28: Technical writers choose the project they’d like to work on and submit their proposals to Season of Docs
July 30: Google announces the accepted technical writer projects
August 1 - September 1: Community bonding: Technical writers get to know mentors and the open source community, and refine their projects in collaboration with their mentors
September 2 - November 29: Technical writers work with open source mentors on the accepted projects, and submit their work at the end of the period
December 10: Google publishes the list of successfully-completed projects.

See the timeline for details, including the provision for projects that run longer than three months.

Join us

Explore the Season of Docs website at g.co/seasonofdocs to learn more about participating in the program. Use our logo and other promotional resources to spread the word. Examine the timeline, check out the FAQ, and get ready to apply!

By Sarah Maddox, Google Technical Writer and Andrew Chen, Google Open Source