New to the Commons?
This guide is an overview of what you can do in Knowledge Commons, with essential steps to help you set up your profile, join a group to connect with other members, and begin sharing your work by starting a website or via the KCWorks repository.
All the tools available on Knowledge Commons work together to form a robust digital presence for you and your work.
You begin developing your profile as soon as you log in to the Commons for the first time. You can add a short bio, lists of publications and projects, upcoming presentations, and other information. Your activity on the Commons is reflected on your profile. As you join discussion groups, create WordPress sites on KC, write blog posts, post from your Mastodon account, and add works to KCWorks, your profile will populate with more information about you.
Create an Account
If you’re a first-time user:
- Visit the Knowledge Commons homepage and click Register, or navigate directly to our Membership page.
- Click the Register Now button
- On the next page, click Let’s Get Started
- Enter your Name, Email Address (use a personal email you know you’ll have access to), and Organizational affiliation, and press Submit
- If you previously used MLA Commons, you can log in using your Legacy MLA credentials. Members of partner societies (ARLIS/NA, AUPresses, HASTAC, MLA, MSU, SAH) should register with the email address associated with their society membership to ensure proper account linking
Further information and guidance is available on the Registration and Log-in support page.
Complete Your Profile
After logging in:
- Go to your profile page
- Click Edit to add personal and professional information.
Consider adding:
- A profile photo
- Academic interests
- Links to your website or social media
- A short bio or overview of your work
A complete profile helps other members recognize and connect with you.
Join a Group
Browse or search for groups that match your interests. Groups connect you with peers working on similar research, teaching questions, or professional projects.
- Go to the Groups page
- You can request membership to closed groups
- You can join groups that allow open participation
Start a Group
If you’re organizing a project, event, or collaborative effort:
- Create your own group and invite others to join.
- Groups can be public, private, or hidden, depending on your needs.
Group features include:
- Discussion boards with email notifications
- File sharing
- Collaborative documents
- Optional group websites
Start a Site
You can create a personal or group site using the built-in WordPress platform.
Ways members use sites:
- Host professional portfolios
- Share course materials
- Build digital companions to books
- Workshop works-in-progress
- Collaborate on group projects
Sites can be public or restricted to Commons members or contributors.
Look for Inspiration
Visit other members’ sites to see:
- How they showcase their work
- Examples of teaching pages, digital projects, and research hubs
- Approaches to open peer review or collaborative scholarship
Browsing established sites is a great way to discover what’s possible. Check out our Sites support page for some examples.
Make Connections
You can:
- Follow members to see their updates in your News Feed
- Send messages (public or private)
- Mention members using @username in updates or discussions
Networking on the Commons helps you stay connected to emerging scholarship and professional activity.
Share your Work in KCWorks
KCWorks is the Commons’ open-access repository for scholarly and pedagogical materials.
You can deposit:
- Published papers
- Works in progress
- Syllabi
- Datasets
- Interviews
- Blog posts
- Audio, image, and video files
- And more
When depositing:
- Write a clear and engaging summary
- Add rich metadata and keywords
- Tag your work to help others find it
Uploaded works are open to the world and preserved for long-term access.