diff --git a/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md b/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md
index a4397b4..4c58bc6 100644
--- a/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ Follow this workflow:
 
 1. go to your python environment for `pyprep`
 1. make sure all tests pass and the docs are built cleanly
-1. update `docs/whats_new.rst`, renaming the "current" headline to the new
+1. update `docs/changelog.rst`, renaming the "current" headline to the new
    version and updating the "Authors" section. "Authors" are all people
    who committed code or in other ways contributed to `pyprep` (e.g., by
    reviewing PRs, moderating discussions).
@@ -155,5 +155,5 @@ Follow this workflow:
 Then the release is done and main has to be prepared for development of the
 next release:
 
-1. add a "current" headline to `docs/whats_new.rst`
+1. add a "current" headline to `docs/changelog.rst`
 1. commit the changes and `git push` to main (or make a pull request)
diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index b88a556..9923cc7 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@
 - [ ] the PR has been reviewed and all comments are resolved
 - [ ] all [CI][what-is-ci] checks pass
 - [ ] (if applicable): the PR description includes the phrase `closes #<issue-number>` to [automatically close an issue][auto-close-documentation]
-- [ ] (if applicable): bug fixes, new features, or [API][what-is-api] changes are documented in [whats_new.rst][whats-new-file]
-- [ ] (if applicable): new contributors have added themselves to the authors list in the `CITATION.cff` file
+- [ ] (if applicable): the changes are documented in the changelog [changelog.rst][changelog]
+- [ ] (if applicable): new contributors have added themselves to the authors list in the [`CITATION.cff`][citationcff] file
 
 
 [what-is-ci]: https://help.github.com/en/actions/building-and-testing-code-with-continuous-integration/about-continuous-integration
 [auto-close-documentation]: https://help.github.com/en/github/managing-your-work-on-github/linking-a-pull-request-to-an-issue#linking-a-pull-request-to-an-issue-using-a-keyword
-[what-is-api]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_programming_interface
-[whats-new-file]: https://github.com/sappelhoff/pyprep/blob/main/docs/whats_new.rst
+[changelog]: https://github.com/sappelhoff/pyprep/blob/main/docs/changelog.rst
+[citationcff]: https://github.com/sappelhoff/pyprep/blob/main/CITATION.cff
diff --git a/docs/whats_new.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
similarity index 99%
rename from docs/whats_new.rst
rename to docs/changelog.rst
index 10a376b..331724c 100644
--- a/docs/whats_new.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ Authors
 Please see the ``authors`` section in the ``CITATION.cff`` file for authors
 who have contributed to this software across releases.
 
-.. _whats_new:
+.. _changelog:
 
-What's New
-==========
+Changelog
+=========
 
-Here we list a changelog of ``pyprep``.
+Here we list what's new in ``pyprep``.
 
 .. contents:: Contents
    :local:
diff --git a/docs/index.rst b/docs/index.rst
index 8a80fab..e6ecb87 100644
--- a/docs/index.rst
+++ b/docs/index.rst
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ PyPREP
 
    Examples<examples>
    API<api>
-   Changelog<whats_new>
+   Changelog<changelog>
    Differences from PREP<matlab_differences>