===== Start here =====

==== Use this chapter when you need to... ====

  * understand what HORTUS is before and after sign-in
  * register, sign in, or choose an identity route
  * activate the contributor role you need to work on the platform
  * understand the moderated publication lifecycle before you contribute

====  Main roles ====

  * Visitor
  * signed-in user
  * contributor



** Related chapters **
  * [[hortus:navigation|Navigate the interface]]
  * [[hortus:profile|Build your public profile]]
  * [[hortus:publish|Create and publish content]]



HORTUS is the integrated digital collaboration environment developed in the ITSERR context for Religious Studies. It combines a moderated marketplace of research outputs, project pages, event and news publishing, expert discovery, social interaction, workspace storage, metadata management, and dissemination routes into one user-facing platform.

As a public-first environment, HORTUS lets you read a large amount of content before authentication. After sign-in, the platform adds personal tools such as notifications, messaging, favourites, workspace access, contribution flows, and role-dependent creation actions

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==== Public entry points and visitor experience ====

  * Use the top navigation to move between Projects, Events, News, Experts, Marketplace, Support, Social, and other public sections.
  * Use the global search field when you are not yet sure whether the thing you need is a person, a project, a news item, or a resource
  * Open public detail pages to understand a project, inspect a resource, or evaluate an expert profile before deciding whether to sign in.
  * understand the moderated publication lifecycle before you contribute
  * Use public support content if you need a manual or a short answer before you start contributing


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