PolicyDraft.org Tutorial

Learn how to use PolicyDraft.org to transform complex policy challenges into actionable solutions

🎯 Getting Started

Welcome to PolicyDraft.org! This is an interactive multi-user platform for making complex policy realisable through the composition of concepts within knowledge graphs. Transform policy challenges into actionable solutions by connecting ideas, building on others' work, and generating professional white papers.

Start by exploring the existing graph to understand how nodes and connections work before creating your own content. Your contributions help build a collaborative knowledge base for policy development.

📊 Graph Interface

Navigation & Controls

🔍 Search

Use the search bar to find nodes by title or summary. Search results will highlight matching nodes on the graph.

📋 Loading Modes

Choose how to load nodes:

  • Saved Layout: Your previously saved workspace
  • Top by Children: Automatically shown if no saved layout exists - displays nodes with the most connections
  • Recently Worked On: Nodes you've interacted with recently
  • Most Visited: Your most frequently viewed nodes
  • All Nodes: Every active node in the system

🎨 Canvas Controls

Interact with the graph:

  • Drag: Move nodes around
  • Zoom: Mouse wheel or pinch
  • Pan: Click and drag empty space
  • Select: Click on nodes

Node Interactions

  1. Click a node to view its details in the modal
  2. Drag nodes to organize your workspace
  3. Use Actions dropdown for advanced operations
  4. Press Delete/Backspace to remove selected nodes from canvas
  5. Like nodes using the like button in the node details modal
  6. View popularity - each node shows a popularity metric based on likes with exponential decay

Node Indicators

Nodes may display visual indicators:

  • Hidden Connections Indicator: A small orange circle at the bottom-right of a node shows the number of neighboring nodes that are currently hidden from view
  • Popularity Score: Displayed in the node details modal, showing how popular a node is based on likes (with decay over time)
The hidden connections indicator helps you discover related nodes that aren't currently visible on your canvas. Click "Expand" to see all connections.

➕ Creating Content

Creating Nodes

  1. Click the "Create Node" button
  2. Fill in the title (required)
  3. Add a summary to describe the concept
  4. Select appropriate tags for categorization
  5. Click "Create Node" to add it to the graph
Modals are now larger and take up more screen space, making it easier to view and edit node details, connections, and other information.
Good node titles are concise and descriptive. Summaries should explain the concept clearly for other users.

Creating Connections

  1. Click on a node to open its details
  2. Click "Connect..." in the Actions dropdown
  3. Select the target node from the dropdown
  4. Choose a relation type (e.g., "relates_to", "causes", "part_of")
  5. Click "Create Connection"

Attaching and Detaching Edges

  1. Click on a node to open its details
  2. Click "Attach Edge" to connect this node to another existing node
  3. Select the target node and relation type
  4. Click "Detach Edge" to view and remove existing connections
  5. Select which edges to remove from the list
Use "Attach Edge" when you want to connect to an existing node, and "Detach Edge" to manage or remove connections you've made.

Edge Labels

Edge labels (relationship types) are automatically displayed on connections. The system intelligently manages label visibility:

  • Auto-hide long labels: If a label text is longer than half the edge length, it's hidden by default
  • Hover to reveal: Hover over any edge to see its label, even if it was hidden
  • Dynamic updates: Labels adjust automatically when you zoom, pan, or move nodes
This feature keeps the graph clean and readable while still allowing you to see relationship details when needed.

Editing Nodes

  1. Click on a node to open its details
  2. Click "Edit Node" in the Actions dropdown (requires CONTRIBUTOR role or higher)
  3. Modify the title, summary, or content
  4. Click "Update Node" to save changes
Only users with CONTRIBUTOR, ADMIN, or FOUNDER roles can edit nodes. You can only edit nodes you created, unless you have elevated permissions.

Creating Connected Nodes

  1. Click on a node to open its details
  2. Click "Create Connected Node" in the Actions dropdown
  3. Fill in the new node details
  4. Specify the relation between the nodes
  5. Click "Create Node" - the connection is made automatically
Use "Create Connected Node" when you want to create a new concept that's directly related to an existing one.

🏆 Reputation System

How Reputation Works

Your reputation is automatically tracked and updated in real-time as you contribute to the knowledge graph. The system uses a transparent reputation scoring mechanism:

  • Creating nodes: Earns reputation based on contributions
  • Creating connections: Builds reputation through graph relationships
  • Node views: Tracks engagement with content
  • Search interactions: Recognizes exploration activity
Your reputation score updates automatically as you interact with the platform. There's no need to manually recalculate - the system tracks your contributions in real-time.

Daily Quotas

You have a daily contribution limit that resets every 24 hours. Your limit is based on your role and reputation:

  • Role-based limits: Admins and Founders have higher limits (100 points/day)
  • Reputation-based limits: Contributors have limits based on their reputation score
  • Observers: No contribution quota (read-only access)
  • Whitepaper generation: Costs 10 contribution points
  • Quota display: Shows remaining points in the header badge
Once you reach your daily limit, you cannot create new nodes or connections until the next day. Your quota resets automatically every 24 hours.

📚 Publications & Whitepapers

Generating Whitepapers

  1. Ensure you have at least 10 reputation points remaining
  2. Click the "Generate Whitepaper" button
  3. Wait for AI processing (may take 30-60 seconds)
  4. View the generated whitepaper in the publications page
Whitepapers are AI-generated documents that synthesize information from your current graph view.

Viewing Publications

  1. Navigate to the Publications page
  2. Browse the list of generated whitepapers
  3. Click on any publication to view its full content
  4. See metadata including author, creation date, and node count

❤️ Liking Nodes & Popularity

Liking Nodes

You can show appreciation for nodes by liking them:

  1. Click on a node to open its details modal
  2. Click the "🤍 Like" button to like the node
  3. The button changes to "❤️ Liked" when you've liked it
  4. Click again to unlike the node

Popularity Metric

Each node has a popularity score that:

  • Increases by 1 for each like received
  • Decays over time with a half-life of 1 month
  • Shows in node details as a numerical value (rounded to 2 decimal places)
The popularity metric uses exponential decay, meaning older likes contribute less to the score. A like from 1 month ago contributes about 0.5 points, while a like from 2 months ago contributes about 0.25 points. This ensures recent engagement is weighted more heavily.
Popularity is calculated in real-time from all likes with their decay factors. You don't need to manually refresh - the score updates automatically when you view a node.

🏆 Leaderboard & Rankings

Understanding Rankings

The leaderboard shows real-time reputation rankings:

  • Top Contributors: Users with highest total reputation score
  • Top Risers: Users with biggest reputation gains over the last 30 days
  • Expertise Breakdown: Click on any user to see their expertise areas and contribution details
Check the leaderboard regularly to see how your contributions compare to other users. Click on any user's name to view their expertise breakdown.
Note for Admins: The "Recalculate" button is only visible to ADMIN and FOUNDER users. Reputation is automatically calculated and updated, so manual recalculation is typically not needed unless fixing data inconsistencies.

⚙️ Admin Features ADMIN FOUNDER

User Management

Admins and founders can:

  • View all users in the system
  • Search users by name or email
  • See user roles and reputation scores
  • Manage user permissions and roles
  • Recalculate reputation scores (if needed for data consistency)

Node Management

Advanced node operations:

  • Edit Nodes: Modify node titles, summaries, and content (CONTRIBUTOR+ only)
  • Attach/Detach Edges: Manage connections between nodes
  • Deactivate Nodes: Hide nodes from all users while keeping them in the database (ADMIN/FOUNDER only)
  • Remove from Canvas: Remove nodes from your personal workspace
  • Audit Logs: Track all system changes and user actions
Deactivating a node will hide it from all users and API responses. This action is logged and should be used carefully.

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Canvas Navigation

  • Mouse Wheel: Zoom in/out
  • Click + Drag: Pan around
  • Double-click: Reset zoom

Node Operations

  • Delete/Backspace: Remove selected node from canvas
  • Click: Select node
  • Drag: Move node

Form Shortcuts

  • Enter: Submit forms
  • Escape: Close modals
  • Tab: Navigate form fields

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Can't create nodes or connections

  • Check your daily quota in the header
  • Ensure you're logged in
  • Try refreshing the page

Nodes not appearing

  • Try different loading modes
  • Check if nodes were deactivated by an admin
  • Clear browser cache and refresh

Whitepaper generation fails

  • Ensure you have at least 10 reputation points
  • Check your internet connection
  • Wait a moment and try again

Admin features not visible

  • Verify you have ADMIN or FOUNDER role
  • Log out and log back in
  • Contact a founder for role assignment

💡 Best Practices

Creating Quality Content

  • Clear Titles: Use descriptive, concise titles
  • Helpful Summaries: Explain concepts clearly for others
  • Appropriate Tags: Use relevant tags for categorization
  • Meaningful Connections: Connect related concepts with clear relationships

Organizing Your Workspace

  • Save Layouts: Your positions are automatically saved
  • Use Loading Modes: Switch between different node sets
  • Remove Unwanted Nodes: Clean up your canvas regularly
  • Group Related Concepts: Position related nodes near each other

Collaboration Tips

  • Build on Others' Work: Connect to existing nodes when possible
  • Use Standard Relations: Stick to common relationship types
  • Document Your Ideas: Write clear summaries for complex concepts
  • Respect the Community: Follow the reputation system and daily limits

🚀 Advanced Features

Canvas Layout Management

Your workspace automatically saves:

  • Node Positions: Where you've placed each node
  • Visible Nodes: Which nodes are currently shown
  • Seed Nodes: Starting points for your exploration

Activity Tracking

The system tracks your interactions to provide:

  • Recently Worked On: Nodes you've interacted with recently
  • Most Visited: Your most frequently viewed nodes
  • Personalized Recommendations: Based on your activity patterns

API Integration

For developers, the system provides:

  • REST API: Full CRUD operations for nodes, edges, and publications
  • Authentication: JWT-based authentication with 2FA for high-privilege roles
  • Real-time Updates: Changes reflect immediately across all users
  • Batch Operations: Efficient batch tracking for activity and contributions

📞 Getting Help

If you need assistance:

  • Check this tutorial for common solutions
  • Contact an admin for technical issues
  • Report bugs through the admin interface
  • Suggest features to improve the platform
The Think Tank community thrives on collaboration. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or ideas!