> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.researchgate.net/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.researchgate.net/community/the-researchgate-community.md).

# The ResearchGate community

At ResearchGate, our mission is to connect the world of science and accelerate scientific progress. It is where a large community of researchers come to share, discuss, and collaborate on research. We rely on our members to help us make sure that ResearchGate always stays useful, relevant, and of a high quality. So that all our members contribute their best work, we've put together some important guidelines.

Our [**Community Guidelines**](https://www.researchgate.net/community-guidelines) outline appropriate behavior on ResearchGate so that every member knows how to keep all their contributions professional and respectful.

Take a look at our [**Q\&A Guidelines**](/community/q-and-a-guidelines.md) for specific instructions on asking questions and joining discussions in our Q\&A forum.

We rely on the help of researchers from our network to help us create an environment that is free from inappropriate or abusive content and comments. Please take a look at our guidelines on [Reporting content on ResearchGate](/reporting-content/how-to-report-content-on-researchgate.md) to find out how to report different types of content.

**Got feedback for ResearchGate?** We are always pleased to hear from you and to receive your feedback regarding the service and its features. However, before giving any feedback, please read our [**Unsolicited Ideas Policy**](https://www.researchgate.net/unsolicited-ideas-policy) to understand under which conditions you can do so. Then you can provide feedback by contacting us using our [Contact form](https://www.researchgate.net/contact). We are looking forward to hearing from you!


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.researchgate.net/community/the-researchgate-community.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
