User stories are a commonly used tool for expressing features that users would like to see in a product. They are a well-established part of Agile methodology, which emphasizes iterative, collaborative exploration of product requirements; they guide the entire process, from planning through development.

User stories typically follow a short, declarative template that expresses a goal or need from a particular user’s point of view, in the user’s own words:

As a <type of user>, I want <some goal>, so that <some purpose>.

An example might be:

As an historian of the Plague, I want to be able to see the sources of data that are displayed in the site, so that I can cite them properly.

The semi-formal nature of the statement accomplishes several things:

• It contextualizes the feature (this is something that a Plague historian wants; it may not be what other users want or need)
• It motivates the feature request (there is a reason this feature is needed)
• It pinpoints the feature request in simple language (so that it can acted upon)

We will spend the first few weeks building a list of user stories together. This document will serve as a sort of drafting board: each stakeholder will write some user statements, and then we will meet as a group to refine, organize, and elaborate them.

To add a new story, click on Issues in the menu bar at the top of this page, then click on the New issue button to the right of the screen.

• Check the current set of user stories before creating a new one. If a similar story has already been written, add comments to it rather than creating a new one.
• Use reasonably short titles, but repeat any information in the title in the initial comment (the title may be changed later).