Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up the Dissertation Editor Platform for local development.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

Tool Version Install
Node.js 20.x LTS nodejs.org or nvm install 20
AWS CLI v2 AWS CLI Install Guide
Serverless Framework 3.x npm install -g serverless@3

AWS Account Configuration

The platform deploys into the PhD Advantage client AWS account (735234196709). Your local AWS profile must assume a role into this account.

Add the following to ~/.aws/config:

[profile dissertation-editor]
role_arn = arn:aws:iam::735234196709:role/<YourDeployRole>
source_profile = default
region = us-east-1

Verify access:

aws sts get-caller-identity --profile dissertation-editor

You should see account ID 735234196709 in the output.

Clone the Repository

git clone git@github.com:scott-tikitram/dissertation-editor.git
cd dissertation-editor

Project Structure

dissertation-editor/
├── platform/
│   ├── frontend/    # Next.js application (deployed via Amplify)
│   ├── backend/     # Serverless Framework Lambda functions
│   └── docs/        # This documentation site (Docusaurus)
└── livekit-poc/     # LiveKit video consultation prototype

Quick Start

1. Start the Frontend

cd platform/frontend
npm install
cp .env.example .env.local   # then edit with your values
npm run dev

The frontend runs at http://localhost:3000.

2. Deploy the Backend

cd platform/backend
npm install
AWS_SDK_LOAD_CONFIG=1 npx serverless deploy --aws-profile dissertation-editor

This deploys all Lambda functions, API Gateway endpoints, DynamoDB tables, and S3 buckets to the dev stage in us-east-1.

Next Steps