The Bonney Lab

Setting Up a Research Website with Quartz

2 min read

Setting Up a Research Website with Quartz

This guide outlines the steps to set up a research website using Quartz, a static site generator designed for knowledge sharing.

Prerequisites

  • Basic familiarity with Git and GitHub
  • Node.js installed on your computer
  • A text editor for editing markdown files

Step 1: Clone the Quartz Repository

  1. Fork the Quartz repository on GitHub
  2. Clone your forked repository to your local machine: 
    git clone https://github.com/yourusername/quartz.git
  3. Navigate to the cloned directory: 
    cd quartz

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install the required dependencies:

npm install

Step 3: Configure Your Site

  1. Open quartz.config.ts in your text editor
  2. Update the configuration settings:
    • Set the pageTitle to your research lab or project name
    • Update the baseUrl if you plan to host it on a custom domain
    • Configure other settings as needed

Step 4: Create Content

  1. Create markdown files in the content directory
  2. Use frontmatter at the top of each file to add metadata: 
    ---
title: Your Title
tags:
  - research
  - bioinformatics
---
  3. Organize content in subdirectories for better structure

Step 5: Preview Your Site

Run the development server to preview your site:

npx quartz build --serve

This will start a local server, typically at http://localhost:8080

Step 6: Deploy Your Site

GitHub Pages

  1. Push your changes to GitHub
  2. Set up GitHub Pages in your repository settings
  3. Configure GitHub Actions for automatic deployment

Other Hosting Options

  • Netlify
  • Vercel
  • Cloudflare Pages

Tips for Research Websites

  • Organize by project: Create separate sections for each research project
  • Include documentation: Add detailed documentation for tools and methods
  • Link related content: Use internal links to connect related research notes
  • Add visualizations: Include charts, diagrams, and interactive elements
  • Keep it updated: Regularly update content with new research findings

Useful Quartz Features

  • Search functionality: Makes it easy to find specific content
  • Graph visualization: Shows connections between different notes
  • Tags: Helps categorize and filter content
  • Responsive design: Works well on mobile devices
  • Customizable themes: Allows for personalization

Resources

This guide provides basic instructions for setting up a research website with Quartz. Customize it to fit your specific needs and research focus.

Graph View

Backlinks