Browse from the Community tab, or search from the field in the top bar — which looks through peers and communities together, from anywhere on the platform.
Browsing suits a field you are new to. Searching suits a network you have already heard of.
Every community on the platform, as a grid of cards, with its own search above them. It is worth a slow read the first time — the names are broad and the descriptions are where the differences are.
Five things, and all five are useful before you open anything.
Follow is free and reversible. Becoming a member is a separate decision — and where you make it depends on the kind of community.
Every community has a type, chosen when it was created, and it is shown on the card. The type is not decoration — it sets the language, the default settings and which tabs the community has.
So do not expect every community to look the same.
Read the type first, then the one-line description. The names are deliberately broad; the type tells you what kind of thing it is and the description says what it actually covers. Introduction and About go further if you are still unsure.
Not quite. Research network is what Common Ground calls its academic societies — one of six community types. A classroom, an interest group or a content creator’s community is a community too, and works differently.
Yes, and most people do. Each is its own membership; they share your account, profile and wallet.
No to both. It is the sensible way to watch a network for a while before deciding.
The top-bar search covers peers as well as communities, so a common word returns people too. Discover communities has its own search that looks only at communities.