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Contributor Onboarding Guide

Welcome to the Standards Repository contributor community! This guide will help you get started and make meaningful contributions.

Quick Start Checklist

Before You Begin

Initial Setup

  • Fork the repository
  • Clone your fork locally
  • Set up development environment
  • Run initial validation scripts
  • Create your first branch

First Contribution

  • Browse good first issues
  • Choose an appropriate starting point
  • Read relevant documentation
  • Make your first contribution
  • Open your first pull request

Understanding Our Repository

Repository Structure

standards/
├── docs/                    # All documentation
│   ├── core/               # Core project documentation
│   ├── guides/             # Implementation guides
│   ├── standards/          # Standards documentation
│   └── nist/              # NIST-specific documentation
├── examples/               # Implementation examples
├── scripts/               # Automation scripts
├── tools-config/          # Tool configurations
├── lint/                  # Linting configurations
├── tests/                 # Validation tests
└── .github/               # GitHub workflows and templates

Standards Categories

Our standards cover multiple domains:

  • Security & Compliance: NIST frameworks, security best practices
  • Development: Coding standards, testing practices
  • DevOps: CI/CD, automation, infrastructure
  • Documentation: Knowledge management, technical writing
  • Data: Engineering, analytics, governance
  • Cloud: Native development, microservices
  • AI/ML: Machine learning operations, model management

Contribution Paths

1. Documentation Improvements

Best for: Writers, subject matter experts, new contributors Time commitment: 1-4 hours Skills needed: Writing, domain knowledge

Getting Started:

  1. Look for documentation gaps or unclear sections
  2. Review Documentation Standards
  3. Use the Documentation Update PR template

Examples:

  • Clarify installation instructions
  • Add missing code examples
  • Fix broken links
  • Improve troubleshooting guides

2. Standards Development

Best for: Domain experts, experienced practitioners Time commitment: 4-20 hours Skills needed: Deep domain knowledge, standards writing

Getting Started:

  1. Review Standards Creation Guide
  2. Use the Standard Template
  3. Follow the New Standard PR template

Examples:

  • Create new domain-specific standards
  • Enhance existing standards with new practices
  • Add compliance mappings
  • Develop implementation examples

3. Tool and Automation Improvements

Best for: Developers, DevOps engineers Time commitment: 2-8 hours Skills needed: Scripting, automation, tool configuration

Getting Started:

  1. Review existing scripts and tools
  2. Check automation workflows
  3. Look for improvement opportunities

Examples:

  • Enhance validation scripts
  • Improve CI/CD workflows
  • Add new tool configurations
  • Create automation helpers

4. Examples and Templates

Best for: Practitioners, developers Time commitment: 1-6 hours Skills needed: Practical implementation experience

Getting Started:

  1. Review examples directory
  2. Identify missing examples or outdated code
  3. Create practical, working examples

Examples:

  • Add implementation examples in new languages
  • Create project templates
  • Develop configuration examples
  • Build sample applications

Skill-Based Recommendations

New to Open Source

Recommended starting points:

  • Fix typos or formatting issues
  • Improve documentation clarity
  • Add missing examples
  • Review and test existing examples

Good first issue labels:

  • good first issue
  • documentation
  • help wanted
  • typo

Experienced Developers

Recommended starting points:

  • Enhance automation scripts
  • Improve CI/CD workflows
  • Add comprehensive examples
  • Review and improve existing standards

Suitable labels:

  • enhancement
  • automation
  • examples
  • scripts

Subject Matter Experts

Recommended starting points:

  • Create new standards in your domain
  • Review and enhance existing standards
  • Develop compliance mappings
  • Create comprehensive implementation guides

Suitable labels:

  • standards-proposal
  • enhancement
  • compliance
  • domain-expert-needed

Technical Writers

Recommended starting points:

  • Improve documentation structure
  • Enhance clarity and readability
  • Create user-friendly guides
  • Develop troubleshooting documentation

Suitable labels:

  • documentation
  • user-experience
  • clarity
  • guides

Development Environment Setup

Prerequisites

  • Git installed and configured
  • Code editor (VS Code recommended)
  • Python 3.8+ (for scripts)
  • Node.js 16+ (for some tools)
  • Docker (optional, for testing)

Local Setup

# 1. Fork and clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/standards.git
cd standards

# 2. Add upstream remote
git remote add upstream https://github.com/williamzujkowski/standards.git

# 3. Install development dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt  # If available
npm install  # If package.json exists

# 4. Set up pre-commit hooks
pre-commit install

# 5. Run validation to ensure setup works
./scripts/validate_standards_consistency.py

Development Workflow

# 1. Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-improvement

# 2. Make your changes
# ... edit files ...

# 3. Test your changes
./scripts/validate_markdown_links.py
markdownlint **/*.md

# 4. Commit with clear message
git commit -m "Add: [brief description of change]"

# 5. Push to your fork
git push origin feature/your-improvement

# 6. Open pull request

Community Engagement

Communication Channels

GitHub Discussions: Primary community forum

  • Ask questions
  • Share ideas
  • Discuss implementations
  • Get help with contributions

Issues: For specific problems or enhancements

  • Bug reports
  • Feature requests
  • Standards proposals
  • Documentation improvements

Pull Requests: For code and documentation contributions

  • Follow PR templates
  • Respond to feedback promptly
  • Keep discussions focused and constructive

Community Guidelines

Be Respectful:

  • Treat all community members with respect
  • Provide constructive feedback
  • Be patient with new contributors
  • Celebrate others' contributions

Be Helpful:

  • Answer questions when you can
  • Share knowledge and experience
  • Mentor new contributors
  • Contribute to discussions

Be Professional:

  • Keep discussions focused and relevant
  • Use clear, professional language
  • Provide evidence-based feedback
  • Follow project standards and guidelines

Recognition and Growth

Contribution Recognition

Your contributions are recognized through:

  • Contributor badges: Automatic recognition for different contribution types
  • Contributor showcase: Featured contributors and their work
  • Release notes: Acknowledgment in changelog and releases
  • Community highlights: Featured contributions in discussions

Growth Opportunities

Become a Reviewer:

  • Review pull requests from other contributors
  • Provide constructive feedback
  • Help maintain code quality
  • Mentor new contributors

Standards Champion:

  • Lead development of standards in your domain
  • Drive adoption and implementation
  • Represent the community at events
  • Guide strategic direction

Community Leader:

  • Help organize community events
  • Facilitate discussions and decisions
  • Onboard and mentor new contributors
  • Shape community guidelines and processes

Getting Help

When You're Stuck

  1. Search existing resources:
  2. GitHub Issues and Discussions
  3. Documentation and guides

  4. Examples and templates

  5. Ask for help:

  6. Create a GitHub Discussion
  7. Comment on relevant issues

  8. Reach out to assigned mentors

  9. Common issues and solutions:

  10. Formatting errors: Review markdown linting rules
  11. Failed tests: Check validation script output
  12. Merge conflicts: Rebase or merge upstream changes
  13. Unclear requirements: Ask in the issue or PR

Mentorship Program

New contributors are automatically assigned mentors who will:

  • Provide guidance on standards and processes
  • Review contributions and provide feedback
  • Answer questions about implementation
  • Support you through the contribution process

Office Hours

Community maintainers hold regular office hours:

  • When: Announced in GitHub Discussions
  • Format: Virtual meetings or chat sessions
  • Purpose: Q&A, guidance, community planning

Success Metrics

We measure contribution success through:

  • Quality: Code and documentation meets standards
  • Impact: Contributions provide value to the community
  • Engagement: Active participation in discussions and reviews
  • Growth: Developing skills and taking on larger contributions

Your Growth Path

Month 1: First contributions and community engagement Month 3: Regular contributions and helping others Month 6: Leading initiatives and mentoring newcomers Year 1: Significant impact and community leadership

Next Steps

Ready to contribute? Here's what to do next:

  1. Choose your first contribution:
  2. Browse good first issues
  3. Pick something that matches your skills and interests

  4. Read all related documentation

  5. Set up your environment:

  6. Follow the setup instructions above
  7. Test that everything works

  8. Familiarize yourself with the codebase

  9. Make your contribution:

  10. Follow our Contributing Guidelines
  11. Use appropriate PR templates

  12. Ask for help when needed

  13. Engage with the community:

  14. Join GitHub Discussions
  15. Follow the repository for updates
  16. Share your experience and learnings

Welcome to our community! We're excited to see your contributions and support your growth as a contributor.