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Community Contribution Guidelines

Welcome to Our Documentation Community!​

Thank you for your interest in contributing to SyftBox documentation! This guide will walk you through our contribution process, helping you create high-quality documentation that serves the OpenMined community effectively.

Getting Started​

Join Our Community​

  • Connect with us on Slack - our primary hub for team coordination
  • Join the #team-doc channel to meet fellow contributors and mentors
  • Participate in our regular sync calls (bi-weekly) to stay connected with ongoing efforts

Understanding Our Framework​

We follow the Diataxis framework which organizes content into four types:

  • Tutorials: Step-by-step lessons for beginners
  • How-to guides: Practical problem-solving instructions
  • Reference: Technical information and specifications
  • Explanation: Conceptual discussions that provide context

This framework helps us create documentation that addresses different user needs at various stages of their journey.

Before You Contribute​

Technical Requirements​

  • Familiarity with Git and GitHub workflows
  • Understanding of pull requests, issues, and version control basics
  • Experience with markdown formatting
  • Comfort with asynchronous collaboration
  • Review the current documentation structure
  • Familiarize yourself with basic SyftBox concepts and terminology

Our Quality Standards​

  • Accuracy: All information must be verified and tested
  • Functionality: Code examples must be working and validated
  • Clear structure: Logical information flow with consistent formatting
  • Concise language: Active voice with straightforward explanations
  • Engaging tone: Tutorial-style approach with practical examples
  • Consistency: Uniform terminology throughout the documentation

Contribution Workflow​

1. Find Your Starting Point​

  • For beginners: Check our good first issues
  • For experienced contributors: Identify documentation gaps or improvement opportunities

2. Develop your contribution​

  • Determine the content type (tutorial, how-to, reference, or explanation)
  • Create a proposal outlining the changes and ask for feedback
  • Create a fork and feature branch with a descriptive name
  • Include all necessary sections and metadata

4. Submit Your Work​

  • Create a pull request describing your changes
  • Verify that automated tests pass successfully

Communication Channels​

Team Collaboration​

  • Synchronous: Bi-weekly team calls for updates and knowledge sharing
  • Asynchronous: GitHub issues/PRs and Slack discussions
  • Feedback loop: Community input guides our documentation priorities

Getting Help​

  • Reach out in the #team-doc Slack channel for questions
  • Attend office hours for direct assistance from experienced contributors
  • Review our comprehensive resources for self-guided learning

Recognition and Growth​

We value every contribution to our documentation. Regular contributors may be invited to join the core documentation team, with opportunities for mentorship and skill development.

Your contributions help build a stronger, more accessible resource for the entire OpenMined community. We look forward to collaborating with you!