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Introduction

What is this?​

Welcome to the CRUK Engineering Guidebook—a central resource designed to help us build, maintain, and evolve technology in support of Cancer Research UK’s vision: bringing forward the day when all cancers are cured. Here, you’ll find the principles, standards, and best practices that guide how we work as an engineering team.

Why was it created?​

Before this guidebook, understanding and aligning on technology standards across CRUK was challenging. Different teams often had their own approaches, making it harder to move seamlessly between projects and increasing the time spent re-inventing solutions.

By establishing common ground, this guidebook:

  • Aligns Technology Standards: Ensures we’re all following a consistent set of practices across our technology stack.
  • Reduces Onboarding Friction: Lowers the learning curve for engineers new to the organisation or moving to different teams.
  • Encourages Quality and Maintainability: Promotes industry best practices that lead to robust, accessible, and maintainable software.
  • Saves Time: Cuts down on duplicated effort and helps avoid “re-inventing the wheel.”

How do I use it?​

For the best experience, use the hosted guidebook at https://crukorg.github.io/engineering-guidebook/. You’ll find a navigation panel on the left-hand side, with sections that outline our foundational principles, tools, processes, and more.

  • Initial Reading: We recommend looking through the entire guidebook at least once to understand the overall context.
  • Further Reference: After your initial read, refer back to relevant sections when starting a new project, planning significant updates to an existing one, or when you need clarity on our standards and practices.

If required, you can also check out the repository locally for offline viewing.

Can I contribute?​

Absolutely! This guidebook is a living resource shaped by our collective input. We encourage you to share ideas, improve existing content, and add new insights.

To get started, review our Contribution Guidelines, where you’ll find instructions on proposing changes, submitting pull requests, and suggesting new areas of focus.

By working together, we ensure that this guidebook remains relevant, actionable, and aligned with our goal of delivering high-quality solutions that support CRUK’s mission.