Guide to using and contributing to a community website

The Community websitesprovide a range of online tools that will facilitate communication, information sharing and collaborative working between colleagues across organisational boundaries. They can draw together resources, links and news that are of specific interest to communities of practice or relevant to a particular topic or project. The aims of the websites are to increase access to expertise, examples of good practice and to help develop professional development. They also aimto allow members to promote dialogue and discussion within a relevant forum, to reduce informationduplication and to facilitate the education, training and information literacy skills of network members.

Websites can be found in the My Community Space sectionon The Knowledge Network

Joining the community

The website is available to all but to get the full benefit you need to log in with your NHS Athens username and password.

When you join the community your details will be added to the contacts list that can be accessed by all members.

How to join

  • Go to the website
  • Click on the ‘Log in’ link in the top left corner of the site.
  • Enter your NHS Athens user name and password (See below if you do not have an Athens username)
  • Once you are logged in the option to ‘Join this community’ is visible, at the top left of the screen, next to your name.
  • Click to join.

How to get a username

If you do not yet have an Athens password please follow the instructions below. If your Athens password has run out or you need to change your details please contact your local Athens administrator (usually your local NHS library) or email .

  1. Go to
  1. Click on the ‘Log in’ link at the top left hand corner of the homepage.
  1. Click on the ‘Register’ link.
  1. Read the user information and select the appropriate user group and click on the ‘Register’ link next to that group.
  1. Select your NHS board or local authority
  1. Read the terms and conditions and click on ‘I agree…’
  1. Fill in the personal information form and click ‘Continue’
  1. If you are registering for your Athens account on an NHS network computer your username and password should now be displayed and you should note these down. You will then have to wait 24 hours for your account to become active.

If you have registered on a computer that is not connected to the NHS network then you will receive an email at the email address you registered. Click on the link within this email to confirm your details. Within the next 3-5 days you will receive a final email with your Athens username and password.

  1. To change your password or update your email address, go to and click on ‘My Athens’ on the left hand menu.

Finding resources

Option 1 - Search

Option 2 - From the Resource library

Option 3 – Related links

Many pages can include links to related resources identified by the administrator of that particular page.

Contributing a resource

Members can add documents,Internet links or resourcesfrom The Knowledge Network to the community’s Resource Librarythat will benefit the community. The resource library can be accessed by all users of the website. When uploading a resource from your PC please check it does not contain any confidential information. To check copyright etc. click on the community rules (a link is available from all upload windows).You will need to be logged in to add a resource.

To contribute a document or internet link to the resource library:

  1. Click on the ‘Resource Library’ button at the top of the homepage
  1. First check that the resource you want to add is not already in the resource library by using the ‘Search Resource Library’ box.
  1. If it is not already there return to the resource library page and choose which resource type you want to add. Click on ‘Add a resource’ within that section.
  1. Choose whether to add a resource from your computer, the Knowledge Network website or a URL to a specific Internet website.
  1. Fill in the details about the resource (Please try to name resources in a way that can be clearly understood by the wider audience…). Add a description or keywords to help users find the resource in a search; add tags to enable users to find the resource using the tag cloud.
  1. Click on ‘Add’
  1. Your resource will be added to the top of the list for your chosen resource type and displayed in the ‘Latest Resources’ list on the homepage.

Adding a resource URL

Adding a resource from your PC

It is also possible to add resources to the community resource library from a search results page displaying results from The Knowledge Network.

If you think a resource is not appropriate for the community please contact the Administrator.

Adding a Comment

Some pages on the website may invite comments from members.

Click on ‘Add a comment’ link to open a box that enables you to type your message. You can also upload a document or URL or link to a document in the community library or The Knowledge Network site. This will include a link next to your comment. Remember to take care not to include any confidential information, such as patient identifiable details, check the community rules for guidance.

Discussions

The Discussion area is a key resource for communicating with colleagues. The discussions can be read by all users of the website though only members can contribute to discussions or start new ones, but it is possible for administrators of the website to limit who can view or contribute to a discussion.

The Discussions are organised into:

  • Discussion Areas
  • Within discussion areas are discussion topics
  • Within discussion topics comments can be left by community members.

Contribute to Discussions

  1. Click on thetitle of a discussion area from 'Discussion Area' widget.
  2. On the next page choose which topic you would like to contribute too.
  1. Click on 'Add a Comment' link within the comments widget and add your discussion point.
  2. You can add resources to your comment from The Knowledge Network, Community Library, upload from your PC and add a url.

Create a new discussion area
Note: Discussion areas can only be created by Administrators of the community. Any members, wishing to start a new area should contact their community administrator.

  1. Use the 'New Area' widget to create a new discussion area
  2. Enter a title and a description for this new area and click 'create'
  3. The new discussion area will be available from the 'Discussion Areas' widget.

Create a new Discussion Topic

Note: Members and administrators can create new Discussion topics

  1. Use the 'create discussion' widget to create a new topic
  2. Enter a title and a description for the new topic and click, 'create'.
  3. The new discussion topic will be available from the 'My Discussions' widget.

Wikis

A Wiki is a webpage that allows users to create, edit and link content. A wiki is usually created collaboratively and allows members of the community to contribute collaboratively on a piece of work.

Wikis are listed alphabetically and can be accessed by clicking on the ‘Wikis’ button at the top of the community website.

Some wikis will be open for all users of the site to view, though to edit you need to be a member, others will be limited as who can view and who can edit. This is done by the Administrators of the website.

To create a wiki

  1. Click on the ‘Wikis’ button at the top of the homepage.
  1. First check that the subject you want to write about has not already come up by using the ‘Search Wikis’ box.
  1. If the subject has not been written about before return to the Wikis page and click on the link in the ‘Create Wiki’ box.
  1. Give the Wiki a name that clearly identifies the topic, enter your text and click ‘Submit’. Your new Wiki will be listed alphabetically by title in the main list on the Wiki page.

Some Wikis are editable by any member of the Communityand others will be limited to a specific group. If you want to add, delete or change any part of an existing Wiki and you have permissions you can do so by :

  1. Clicking and opening the Wiki
  2. Clicking on ‘Edit page’.
  3. Click on the ‘Edit’ option displayed at the top of the box
  4. Save after you have made your changes.
  5. Remember to ‘Publish wiki’ so others can view your changes.

Comments option – if provided

Any time you change the content of a Wiki, even if it is one you have authored yourself, you should write the reason for the change in the ‘Discuss Wiki’ box beneath the Wiki entry. This box can also be used to propose or critique any aspect of the article and its editing.

Blogs

A Blog (shortened from ‘Web Log’) is a regularly updated narrative, journal or diary that can be produced by an individual or group.

Blogs are listed alphabetically and can be accessed by clicking on the ‘Blogs’ button at the top of the homepage.

To create a Blog

  1. Click on the ‘Blogs’ button at the top of the COMMUNITY homepage.
  1. Click on the link in the ‘Create Blog’ box.
  1. Give your Blog a name that clearly identifies the topic, enter your description and click ‘Submit’. Your new Blog will be listed alphabetically by title in the main list on the Blog page.
  2. Click on the title to open your blog page and enter and introduction.
  1. Only the original author is able to update a Blog. To update a Blog you have created open the Blog and click on ‘New entry’. Remember to save your work.

Adding a comment to other people’s blogscan be an option provided by the blog owner.

  1. Click on ‘Add a Comment’link
  2. Type your comment in the box (remember to abide by the community rules)
  3. Click ‘Add’

1 Version 1. October 2009