Hosting and Installation
Sign up with a host, and then install the main Research AMP plugin, as well as secondary plugins used to power your Research AMP site
Last updated
Sign up with a host, and then install the main Research AMP plugin, as well as secondary plugins used to power your Research AMP site
Last updated
Research AMP requires a fresh WordPress installation on a host site. (version 6.0 or later). See See https://wordpress.org/about/requirements/ for more information about WordPress’s version requirements for PHP, MySQL, and other underlying software packages.
We recommend that you find a host who can offer managed WordPress hosting, where the host can set up the WordPress installation for you and will update it automatically. Managed hosts can also offer security features tailored to WordPress that will ensure that it runs quickly and smoothly. You are also likely to get better support from your host, compared to a generic host.
You will only need one "install"—a standalone site with its own URL—of WordPress to use Research AMP. You may also need to judge how much storage and bandwidth you are likely to need for your site; however, you can begin with a smaller amount of storage and bandwidth and increase that amount as your site grows.
If you choose to use a generic host, please see WordPress’s guide to installation: https://wordpress.org/support/article/how-to-install-wordpress/
You may want to get in touch with your server provider for specific instructions about how to install WordPress. It may be helpful to read through WordPress’s “First Steps” guide, here: https://wordpress.org/support/article/first-steps-with-wordpress/ to learn how to log in to the back end and get a sense of its components.
We recommend that you install the Research AMP plugin, followed by the other required, third-party plugins. Doing so out of order may cause your Research AMP site to malfunction.
When you navigate to a fresh installation of WordPress, the first thing you will need to do is install the main Research AMP package from https://github.com/socialscienceresearchcouncil/research-amp. This plugin provides the required functionality for a Research AMP site, including custom content types and Research AMP blocks.
Install and activate the research-amp plugin from GitHub. On the SSRC GitHub page, click on the latest release, outlined in red in the screenshot above. Download research-amp.zip.
In your WordPress installation, go to Plugins > Add New on the Dashboard. You will see a list of plugins that are available in the WordPress.org repository. For our initial installation, you will need to manually upload the plugin from your computer. Navigate to "Add Plugins" and upload the research-amp.zip file. When it is finished uploading, install and activate the plugin.
Activate the Research AMP Theme at Dashboard > Appearance > Themes.
Here is more information from WordPress on installing plugins: https://wordpress.org/support/article/managing-plugins/#upload-via-wordpress-admin
Research AMP is designed to work with a number of third-party plugins. Git Updater must be installed by uploading a .zip file, but the other two plugins, PressForward and Gutenberg, can be installed and activated from the WordPress Dashboard (Dashboard > Plugins > Add New).
The following plugins are required for a Research AMP site:
Git Updater will automatically update your Research AMP plugin when updates become available.
Download the .zip file from https://git-updater.com/ and install and activate it the same way you did the Research AMP plugin.
Go to Dashboard > Settings > Git Updater. You'll be prompted to enter a license key. You may click the link that says "Don't have a license key? Activate Free Version." On the "thank you for updating" page that follows, you may click "Skip."
The paid version of Git Updater allows for authenticated API requests, which is not needed for Research AMP. You may continue to use the free version after the trial period.
PressForward https://wordpress.org/plugins/pressforward/ - Powers the “Nomination” and “News Items” tools.
Gutenberg https://wordpress.org/plugins/gutenberg/ - Enables site configuration via Dashboard > Appearance > Editor.
Research AMP will not work unless these plugins are installed!
The Events Calendar: https://wordpress.org/plugins/the-events-calendar/
Allows for the creation of Events, which can be linked to Profiles, Research Topics, and other parts of the Research AMP system.
Easy Table of Contents: https://wordpress.org/plugins/easy-table-of-contents/
When this plugin is activated, Research AMP will provide a custom Table of Contents block for display on Research Reviews and Articles.
DK PDF: https://wordpress.org/plugins/dk-pdf/
When this plugin is activated, a PDF download link will appear alongside social sharing buttons in the sidebar of Research Reviews and Articles.
