Open Source Guides are a collection of resources for individuals, communities, and companies who want to learn how to run and contribute to an open source project. The first set of Open Source Guides were created and curated by GitHub, along with input from outside community reviewers, but they are not exclusive to GitHub products.

The goal is to aggregate community best practices, not what GitHub (or any other individual or entity) thinks is best. Therefore, the community tries to use examples and quotations from others to illustrate the points.
Help is available in categories such as:

• How to Contribute to Open Source

  Want to contribute to open source? A guide to making open source contributions, for first-timers and for veterans.

• Starting an Open Source Project

  Learn more about the world of open source and get ready to launch your own project.

• Finding Users For Your Project

  Help your open source project grow by getting it in the hands of happy users.

• Building Welcoming Communities

  Building a community that encourages people to use, contribute to, and evangelize your project.

• Best Practices for Maintainers

  Making your life easier as an open source maintainer, from documenting processes to leveraging your community.

• Leadership and Governance

  Growing open source projects can benefit from formal rules for making decisions.

• Getting Paid for Open Source Work

  Sustain your work in open source by getting financial support for your time or your project.

• Your Code of Conduct

  Facilitate healthy and constructive community behavior by adopting and enforcing a code of conduct.

• Open Source Metrics

  Make informed decisions to help your open source project thrive by measuring and tracking its success.

• The Legal Side of Open Source

  Everything you’ve ever wondered about the legal side of open source, and a few things you didn’t.