Resources

Curating academic publications, teaching materials, datasets, and research tools

The rc42_resources_workflow spreadsheet contains academic resources curated directly by RC42 and displayed on the Resources page. It is used to maintain publications, teaching materials, datasets, research tools, and other resources relevant to sociological social psychology.

Resources submitted by members and colleagues through the Community Contributions form follow a separate editorial process. Once approved as resources, those contributions are also displayed on the Resources page, but they do not need to be copied into rc42_resources_workflow.

Where the information is stored

Resources curated directly by RC42 are managed in Google Drive:

Google Drive
└── Core Spreadsheets
    └── rc42_resources_workflow
        └── 1_sheet

The 1_sheet tab contains the resource records used by the website.

For routine administration, new resources can be added directly to this table while preserving the existing column names and structure.

Two ways resources reach the website

Resources can appear on the RC42 website through two different administrative routes.

Resources curated directly by RC42

Resources selected and maintained directly by RC42 are entered in:

rc42_resources_workflow

These records include publications, teaching resources, datasets, research tools, blogs, and other academic materials selected for inclusion on the website.

Resources submitted by the community

Members and colleagues can also submit a resource through the Community Contributions form.

These submissions are managed in:

ISA RC42 Community Submissions
└── Editorial Review

If a Community Contribution is approved for publication and identified as a resource, the website automatically includes it in the Community Resources section of the Resources page.

The contribution remains administratively separate from the resources maintained in rc42_resources_workflow.

Resource curated directly by RC42
        ↓
rc42_resources_workflow
        ↓
Resources page


Resource submitted by the community
        ↓
ISA RC42 Community Submissions
        ↓
Editorial review and approval
        ↓
Community Resources
        ↓
Resources page
NoteDo not enter community resources twice

An approved Community Contribution categorized as a resource does not need to be added manually to rc42_resources_workflow.

The website already includes it through the Community Contributions process. Adding the same resource to both systems may create a duplicate entry.

Publication requirements

Adding a row to rc42_resources_workflow does not necessarily make it public.

For a resource to be included during the website update, it must satisfy the publication requirements used by the synchronization process.

At minimum:

  1. The URL field must contain a valid web address.
  2. Verification status must contain an accepted verified status. Current verified records use values beginning with Verified, such as Verified official source or Verified academic source.

Entries that do not meet the publication conditions are excluded from the public resource collection until they are corrected or verified.

Example of a resource record

A typical record may contain:

Title:
Handbook of the Social Psychology of Inequality

Category:
Publications

Author / Institution:
Jane McLeod, Edward Lawler, Michael Schwalbe (Eds.)

Resource type:
Handbook

Description:
An overview of sociological social psychology approaches
to social inequality and stratification.

URL:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-017-9002-4

Tags:
inequality; status; stratification; handbook

Verification status:
Verified official source

Priority rank:
1

Source type:
External

The exact values should reflect the resource being added. Existing records in the spreadsheet can be used as a reference for formatting and classification.

Resource fields reference

The spreadsheet currently contains the following administrative fields.

Column header Purpose Guidance
ID Unique identifier for the resource Preserve the existing RC42 identifier structure and do not duplicate an ID.
Category General type of content Use the existing categories in the spreadsheet. Current examples include Publications, Teaching Resources, Datasets & Tools, and Blog / Posts.
Title Public title of the resource Required. Use the full title of the publication, dataset, course, or resource.
Author / Institution Author, editor, organization, or institution responsible for the resource Recommended. Use the official attribution where possible.
Resource type More specific description of the material Examples may include journal, handbook, book, syllabus, dataset, package, or blog post. Follow existing entries when possible.
Description Short explanation of the resource Write a concise description that helps visitors understand what the resource contains.
Relevance for RC42 Internal assessment of relevance to RC42 Follow the classifications already used in the spreadsheet.
Suggested placement Intended location or section on the website Use the existing website placement categories.
URL Web address of the resource Required for publication. Use a complete working https:// URL.
Tags Subject keywords Use concise terms separated consistently with existing records.
Access type Indicates how the resource can be accessed Examples in the database include open access, subscription, institutional access, or other access conditions.
Language Language of the resource Use the language or languages in which the resource is available.
Region scope Geographic scope or relevance Examples include International, Global, specific regions, or countries.
Verification status Records the editorial verification of the source Published resources should use an accepted status beginning with Verified.
Notes Internal administrative comments Use for editorial or contextual information when needed.
Priority rank Controls prioritization or placement Follow the ranking convention already used in the spreadsheet.
Source type Identifies the relationship between RC42 and the source Existing records include values such as External, RC42-linked, and ISA-linked.
WarningKeep the existing column names

Do not rename, remove, or rearrange spreadsheet columns without checking the website automation first.

The synchronization process relies on the existing field names to identify and process resource information.

Adding a resource curated by RC42

To add a resource directly to the RC42 collection:

  1. Open rc42_resources_workflow in Google Drive.
  2. Select the 1_sheet tab.
  3. Add a new row at the bottom of the existing resource records.
  4. Assign an ID that follows the existing identifier structure and is not already in use.
  5. Enter the Title.
  6. Enter the Author / Institution when available.
  7. Select an appropriate Category using the classifications already present in the spreadsheet.
  8. Enter the Resource type.
  9. Write a concise Description.
  10. Paste the complete working web address in URL.
  11. Add relevant Tags.
  12. Complete Access type, Language, and Region scope when applicable.
  13. Set Verification status only after the resource has been checked.
  14. Set Priority rank according to the existing ranking convention.
  15. Complete Source type to indicate whether the resource is external, RC42-linked, ISA-linked, or another existing classification.
  16. Google Sheets saves the changes automatically.

The resource will be processed during the next scheduled resource update. If the change needs to appear sooner, the corresponding GitHub Action can also be run manually.

Editing an existing resource

To correct or update a resource curated directly by RC42:

  1. Open rc42_resources_workflow.
  2. Find the resource using its ID, title, or URL.
  3. Edit the relevant fields.
  4. Keep the existing ID unchanged.
  5. Confirm that the URL remains valid.
  6. Review Verification status if the destination or source has changed.
  7. Wait for the next scheduled update or run the resource update manually.

Do not create a second row when the intention is only to correct an existing record.

Managing a community-submitted resource

Community Resources should be edited through the Community Contributions system rather than through rc42_resources_workflow.

If a community-submitted resource needs to be corrected, approved, unpublished, or otherwise changed:

  1. Open ISA RC42 Community Submissions.
  2. Select the Editorial Review tab.
  3. Find the original contribution.
  4. Make the necessary editorial change.
  5. Confirm the publication settings.
  6. Wait for the next Community Contributions synchronization or run it manually.

The updated contribution will continue to appear through the Community Resources section of the Resources page.

What happens after the spreadsheet is updated

Resources maintained in rc42_resources_workflow are processed automatically by the website synchronization system.

During the resource update, the system:

  1. reads the records from the Google Sheet;
  2. checks the fields required for publication;
  3. excludes entries that do not meet the publication conditions;
  4. prepares the resource data used by the website;
  5. organizes the accepted resources for display;
  6. publishes the resulting changes through the normal website deployment process.

No manual editing of the public Resources page is required after updating the spreadsheet.

Community-submitted resources follow their own Community Contributions synchronization process and are added to the Resources page separately.

Checking the published resource

After the corresponding update has completed:

  1. Open https://isa-rc42.org/resources/.
  2. Locate the relevant section.
  3. Confirm that the resource title, description, attribution, and link appear correctly.
  4. Open the resource link to confirm that it reaches the intended destination.
  5. If the page still shows an older version after the automated update has completed, refresh the browser using Ctrl + F5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R on macOS.

If the resource does not appear, check the spreadsheet fields before reviewing GitHub Actions.

Common problems

A resource does not appear on the website

Check that the row contains a valid URL and an accepted Verification status.

If either field does not meet the publication requirements, the resource may be excluded from the synchronization.

The resource URL does not work

Open the URL directly from the spreadsheet.

Replace broken, incomplete, or placeholder links with the correct destination and allow the next synchronization to update the website.

A community resource appears twice

Check whether the same resource was entered both in ISA RC42 Community Submissions and rc42_resources_workflow.

An approved Community Resource does not need to be added to the curated resources spreadsheet.

A resource is in the wrong section

Check Category and Suggested placement against similar records already present in the spreadsheet.

Use the existing taxonomy rather than creating a new category for a single resource unless there is an agreed change to the website structure.

A resource has an incorrect priority

Check Priority rank and compare it with other records in the same section.

Use the existing ranking convention so that resources maintain a consistent order.

The information changed but the website did not

First confirm that Google Sheets saved the change. Then check whether the scheduled Resources update has already run.

If necessary, use Run and verify updates in this administration guide to run the corresponding GitHub Action manually and check its result.