diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index caf20deb..e14e3807 100755
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 Make sure all the relevant boxes are checked (and only check the box if you actually completed the step):
 
-- [ ] closes #xxx (identify the issue associated with this PR)
-- [ ] tests passed
-- [ ] new tests added
-- [ ] science test figures
-- [ ] checked that the new code conforms to the [SUMMA coding conventions](https://github.com/NCAR/summa/blob/master/docs/howto/summa_coding_conventions.md)
-- [ ] Describe the change in the release notes (use  `./summa/docs/whats-new.md`)
+- [ ] Closes #xxx (identify the issue associated with this PR)
+- [ ] Code passes standard test cases (results are either bit-for-bit identical, or differences are explained in the PR comment)
+- [ ] New tests added (describe which tests were performed to test the changes)
+- [ ] Science test figures (add figures to PR comment and describe the tests)
+- [ ] Checked that the new code conforms to the [SUMMA coding conventions](https://github.com/NCAR/summa/blob/master/docs/howto/summa_coding_conventions.md)
+- [ ] Describe the change in the release notes (use  `./summa/docs/whats-new.md`)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/minor-changes.md b/docs/minor-changes.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..613709f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/minor-changes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Minor changes
+
+This page provides simple, high-level documentation about what has changed in each new release of SUMMA.
+
+Documented here are minor changes that do not affect science outputs or are likely to affect only a minority of users:
+- Minor bugfixes
+- Correction of misspellings
+- Changes to formatting
+- Addition of print statements
+- Etc. 
+
+## Version 3.0.4 (pre-release)
+
+- [placeholder]
diff --git a/docs/whats-new.md b/docs/whats-new.md
index 11903cfd..d598308b 100644
--- a/docs/whats-new.md
+++ b/docs/whats-new.md
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # What's new
-
 This page provides simple, high-level documentation about what has changed in each new release of SUMMA. Please add any changes made in pull requests to under the `Pre-release` header. Use `Minor changes` for changes that do not affect science outputs or are likely to affect only a minority of users. Use `Major changes` for anything else.
 
 ## Pre-release