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Resource Inventory

This resource inventory is a compilation of available guides and papers on mentoring.

1. Google Summer of Code Mentor Guide

  • Organization: Google Summer of Code
  • Theme Tag: Mentor
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Guide

Summary: This is Google's complete guide for anyone mentoring in the Summer of Code program. The guide walks you through everything from selecting good contributors and defining projects to managing the mentorship relationship, handling evaluations, and addressing problems when they arise. It covers the full program lifecycle, including the "community bonding period" where mentors and contributors get to know each other before diving into code.

2. Google Summer of Code Contributor/Student Guide

  • Organization: Google Summer of Code
  • Theme Tag: Mentee
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Guide

Summary: The guide covers how to find projects, write good proposals, work with mentors effectively, handle feedback and criticism, manage time across different zones, and recover when things go wrong. There's a whole section on "working with your mentor" that explains how contributors should communicate, ask for help, and handle disagreements.

3. CHAOSS Mentorship Metrics

  • Organization: CHAOSS
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship Metrics
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Framework

Summary: CHAOSS (Community Health Analytics Open Source Software) created a framework for actually measuring whether mentorship programs are working. The metric defines what mentorship means in open source contexts, then lays out specific things you can measure — for example, number of mentors and mentees, completion rates, whether mentees stick around after the program ends, whether they move into leadership roles, demographic diversity of participants, and so on.

4. Linux Foundation: LFX Mentorship in Open Source Report

  • Organization: The Linux Foundation
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Report

Summary: The report is based on data from their own LFX Mentorship program (which has graduated 270+ developers since 2019) plus broader industry research. It examines why mentorship matters, what makes programs successful, and the challenges organisations face in running them.

5. The Power of Mentorship in Open Source: Bridging the Gap for Computer Science Students

  • Organization: All Things Open
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Author: Kendall Nelson
  • Document Type: Article

Summary: This article from All Things Open focuses on how mentorship helps computer science students transition into open-source contributors. It addresses the gap between what students learn in school and what they need to know to contribute to real open source projects. The piece discusses why students struggle to get started in open source (intimidation, not knowing where to begin, fear of making mistakes) and how good mentorship bridges that gap. It highlights the difference mentorship makes in retention: students with mentors are much more likely to stick with open source contributions.

6. Guiding the Way: A Systematic Literature Review on Mentoring Practices in Open Source Software Projects

  • Organization: ScienceDirect
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Research Paper

Summary: This is an academic research paper on the comprehensive understanding of the current practices and challenges of mentoring in OSS, as is needed to implement appropriate strategies to facilitate mentoring.

7. Being a Mentor in Open Source Projects (Academia.edu)

  • Organization: Journal of Internet Services and Applications
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Author: Marco A Gerosa
  • Document Type: Research Paper

Summary: This research paper explores the mentor experience in open source. While many resources focus on mentees or program design, this one specifically examines what it's like to BE a mentor, including motivations, challenges, rewards, and the skills required.

8. Mentors Matter: Association of Mentors with Project Success in the Apache Software Foundation Incubator

  • Organization: Apache Software Foundation
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Research Paper

Summary: This research paper examines the Apache Software Foundation's Incubator program, in which new projects join Apache and work with mentors to meet Apache standards. The researchers examined whether having mentors actually correlates with project success.

9. The Success of Google Summer of Code

  • Organization: Google Summer of Code
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: News Article

Summary: This news article covers GSoC's success metrics and impact. It looks at the numbers — how many contributors have participated, how many continue contributing after GSoC ends, career outcomes, and the program's growth over time.

10. Open Source Mentorship Programs: What's In It For You? (FOSSY 2024 Panel)

  • Organization: FOSSY 2024
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Presentation

Summary: This was a panel discussion at FOSSY 2024 (a free and open source software conference) where mentors, maintainers, and mentees shared their experiences with various mentorship programs.

11. Unlocking Open Science in Africa: Mentorship and Grassroots Community Building

  • Organization: Research Gate
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Author: Caleb Kipkurui Kibet
  • Document Type: Research Publication

Summary: This paper focuses on mentorship in the context of building open science communities in Africa. It's particularly relevant because it addresses mentorship in contexts where resources may be limited, internet access is inconsistent, and existing open source/science communities are small. The research looks at how mentorship can build capacity from the ground up, create sustainable local communities, and address barriers specific to certain regions or contexts.

12. LFX Mentorship Documentation

  • Organization: The Linux Foundation
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Documentation

Summary: This is the Linux Foundation's official documentation for their LFX Mentorship platform. It's basically their operations manual. It covers three roles: program administrators (who run programs), mentors, and mentees. The documentation explains how the platform works, what each role does, how applications and selections happen, how stipends get paid, timelines, and all the practical logistics of running a mentorship program at scale.

13. The Linux Kernel Mentorship Program

  • Organization: The Linux Kernel
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Wiki

Summary: The Linux Kernel Mentorship Program is specifically for people learning to contribute to the Linux kernel, one of the largest and most complex open source projects. Kernel development has a reputation for being intimidating, so this program focuses on onboarding newcomers. The wiki documents how the program works, what mentees learn, how to apply, project ideas, and resources for getting started with kernel development.

14.The Carpentries Instructors Handbook

  • Organization: The Carpentries
  • Theme Tag: Instructors
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Handbook

Summary: The Carpentries is an organisation that teaches coding and data skills through workshops worldwide. Their Instructor's Handbook is for people who've been trained and certified to teach these workshops. The handbook covers practical operations: how to organise workshops (self-organised vs. centrally-organised), time commitments, communication channels they use, certification requirements, and FAQs.

15. The Carpentries Instructor Trainers Handbook

  • Organization: The Carpentries
  • Theme Tag: Instructor Trainers
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Handbook

Summary: This is the handbook for Instructor Trainers — people who train people to become Carpentries instructors. It's a "train the trainer" model. The handbook explains how to become an Instructor Trainer (competitive application, 10-week training program, certification requirements), what Instructor Trainers do (teach Instructor Training events, evaluate teaching demonstrations, maintain curriculum), and how the Instructor Trainer community operates. This is valuable for thinking about sustainability: how do you create a self-sustaining mentorship ecosystem where mentors can train new mentors?

16.Being a Mentor in Open Source Projects (Springer)

  • Organization: Journal of Internet Services and Applications
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Document Type: Article

Summary: This is a peer-reviewed academic article published in the Journal of Internet Services and Applications. It examines the mentor role in open source from a research perspective, including what motivates mentors, the challenges they face, the skills they need, and how their role impacts project success.

17. Quantum Computing Mentorship Program

  • Organization: Quantum Open Source Foundation
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC0 1.0 Universal
  • Document Type: Guide

Summary: The Quantum Open Source Foundation (QOSF) runs a mentorship program specifically for quantum computing. Their program connects people learning quantum computing with mentors who work in quantum software development. This is interesting because it shows how mentorship works in cutting-edge, specialized technical fields where there aren't many experts and the field is evolving quickly.

18.Virtual Mentorship in Open Source

  • Organization: Opensource.com
  • Theme Tag: Virtual Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Author: Ashley Hardin
  • Document Type: Blog

Summary: This article from Opensource.com explores how mentorship works in fully remote/virtual contexts. It covers building relationships without in-person interaction, using video calls effectively, communicating across time zones, maintaining engagement virtually, and tools that support remote mentorship.

19.Behind the Scenes of Running Linux Kernel Mentorship Programs

  • Organization: The Linux Foundation
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Author: Shuah Khan
  • Document Type: Blog

Summary: This Linux Foundation blog post goes behind the curtain to show what it actually takes to run the Linux Kernel Mentorship Program and the administrative work involved.

20. rOpenSci Champions Program Mentor Guidelines v2.0

  • Organization: rOpenSci
  • Theme Tag: Mentorship
  • License: CC-BY-4.0
  • Author: Yanina Bellini Saibene
  • Document Type: Guide

Summary: This guide from rOpenSci covers the necessary guidelines for the Champions Program Mentor, from mentor tools, required skills, and communication styles to code of conduct.