.. _community_guidelines: ********************* Community Guidelines ********************* Welcome to the quactuary community! We're building an inclusive, collaborative environment where everyone can contribute to advancing quantum-accelerated actuarial modeling. These guidelines help ensure our community remains welcoming, productive, and enjoyable for all participants. .. contents:: Table of Contents :local: :depth: 2 Our Values ========== **Inclusivity** We welcome contributors of all backgrounds, experience levels, and perspectives. Diversity of thought and experience makes our project stronger. **Collaboration** We work together toward common goals, sharing knowledge and supporting each other's growth. **Excellence** We strive for high-quality code, documentation, and community interactions while being patient with those who are learning. **Innovation** We embrace new ideas and experimental approaches, especially in the evolving field of quantum computing. **Transparency** We make decisions openly, document our processes, and communicate clearly about project direction. **Respect** We treat all community members with dignity and respect, regardless of their background or experience level. Code of Conduct =============== Expected Behavior ----------------- All community members are expected to: * **Be welcoming and inclusive**: Use language that welcomes all participants * **Be respectful**: Disagree constructively and focus on ideas, not personalities * **Be collaborative**: Help others learn and contribute effectively * **Be patient**: Remember that everyone has different experience levels * **Be professional**: Maintain appropriate standards in all interactions * **Give credit**: Acknowledge others' contributions and ideas * **Accept feedback gracefully**: Use criticism as an opportunity to improve Unacceptable Behavior --------------------- The following behaviors are not tolerated: * **Harassment or discrimination**: Based on any personal characteristic * **Trolling or deliberately disruptive behavior**: Derailing discussions or creating conflict * **Personal attacks**: Attacking individuals rather than addressing ideas * **Inappropriate content**: Sexual, violent, or otherwise inappropriate material * **Spam or self-promotion**: Excessive promotion of unrelated projects or services * **Privacy violations**: Sharing others' private information without consent * **Abuse of power**: Using position or influence inappropriately Communication Guidelines ======================== GitHub Interactions ------------------- **Issues and Pull Requests:** * Use clear, descriptive titles * Provide complete information and context * Be specific about what you need or are proposing * Respond promptly to questions and feedback * Thank contributors for their time and effort **Code Reviews:** * Focus on the code, not the person * Explain the reasoning behind your suggestions * Be constructive and offer alternatives * Acknowledge good practices and improvements * Ask questions to understand design decisions **Discussions:** * Stay on topic and relevant to quactuary * Search for existing discussions before starting new ones * Use appropriate formatting for code and equations * Cite sources when making technical claims * Be open to different perspectives and solutions Language and Tone ----------------- **Positive Communication:** .. code-block:: text # Good examples "I think there might be an issue with this approach because..." "Have you considered using X instead? It might address..." "This is a great start! One suggestion would be..." "I'm not sure I understand this part. Could you clarify..." **What to Avoid:** .. code-block:: text # Avoid these "This is wrong." "You should know that..." "Obviously, the right way is..." "This doesn't make sense." Technical Discussions --------------------- When discussing technical topics: * **Provide evidence**: Back up claims with data, citations, or examples * **Be precise**: Use accurate terminology and avoid vague statements * **Show your work**: Include code examples or mathematical derivations * **Acknowledge limitations**: Be honest about uncertainties or assumptions * **Learn from others**: Be open to new information and approaches Contributing Guidelines ======================= For New Contributors -------------------- We especially welcome: * **First-time open source contributors**: We'll help you learn the process * **Domain experts**: Actuaries, risk managers, and insurance professionals * **Technical specialists**: Quantum computing researchers and practitioners * **Documentation writers**: Clear communication is as valuable as code * **Testers and users**: Real-world feedback improves the project **Getting Started:** 1. **Introduce yourself**: Comment on issues you're interested in 2. **Start small**: Look for "good first issue" labels 3. **Ask questions**: Don't hesitate to request clarification 4. **Read the docs**: Familiarize yourself with project structure and goals 5. **Join discussions**: Participate in feature planning and design conversations For Experienced Contributors ---------------------------- As you become more involved: * **Mentor newcomers**: Help others learn and contribute * **Review pull requests**: Share your expertise to improve code quality * **Lead initiatives**: Propose and drive important features or improvements * **Represent the community**: Speak about quactuary at conferences or events * **Shape direction**: Participate in roadmap planning and architectural decisions Recognition and Credit ====================== We recognize contributions in several ways: **Documentation:** Contributors are listed in the project documentation and release notes **Authorship:** Significant contributors may be offered co-authorship on research publications **Speaking Opportunities:** Contributors are encouraged to present work at conferences and meetups **Recommendations:** We're happy to provide professional references for active contributors **Community Roles:** Long-term contributors may be invited to take on maintainer responsibilities Types of Contributions ====================== We value many different types of contributions: Code Contributions ------------------ * **Bug fixes**: Resolve issues and improve reliability * **New features**: Add functionality that benefits users * **Performance improvements**: Optimize speed and memory usage * **Algorithm implementations**: Translate research into working code * **Testing**: Improve coverage and reliability Non-Code Contributions ---------------------- * **Documentation**: Write guides, tutorials, and API documentation * **Examples**: Create Jupyter notebooks and real-world case studies * **Design**: Improve user interfaces and user experience * **Research**: Investigate new algorithms and approaches * **Community building**: Organize events, answer questions, and welcome newcomers Research and Academic Contributions ----------------------------------- * **Algorithm development**: Design new quantum algorithms for actuarial problems * **Benchmarking**: Compare approaches and validate theoretical claims * **Mathematical validation**: Ensure correctness of implementations * **Industry applications**: Apply methods to real-world problems * **Educational content**: Create learning materials and courses Decision-Making Process ======================= Project Governance ------------------ **Maintainers:** Core team responsible for project direction and code quality **Contributors:** Regular contributors with expertise in specific areas **Community:** All users and contributors who participate in discussions **Decision Types:** * **Technical decisions**: Architecture, APIs, algorithm choices * **Project direction**: Roadmap, priorities, major features * **Community standards**: Guidelines, processes, and policies **Process:** 1. **Discussion**: Open conversation about proposed changes 2. **Consensus building**: Work toward agreement among stakeholders 3. **Decision**: Maintainers make final decisions if consensus isn't reached 4. **Documentation**: Decisions and reasoning are recorded publicly Roadmap Planning ---------------- The project roadmap is developed through: * **Community input**: Issues, discussions, and user feedback * **Maintainer vision**: Long-term technical and strategic goals * **Research priorities**: Academic and industry research directions * **Resource constraints**: Available time and expertise **Quarterly planning** sessions review progress and adjust priorities based on: * User needs and feedback * Technical feasibility * Available contributors * Research developments * Industry trends Conflict Resolution =================== When Disagreements Arise ------------------------ Technical disagreements are normal and healthy: 1. **Focus on facts**: Use data, benchmarks, and citations 2. **Consider alternatives**: Explore multiple approaches 3. **Seek expertise**: Consult domain experts or literature 4. **Test approaches**: Implement prototypes to compare options 5. **Document trade-offs**: Record the reasoning behind decisions Resolving Conflicts ------------------- If conflicts become personal or disruptive: 1. **Direct communication**: Try to resolve issues privately first 2. **Mediation**: Ask a neutral maintainer to help facilitate discussion 3. **Escalation**: Contact project leadership if resolution isn't possible 4. **Enforcement**: Persistent violations may result in temporary or permanent bans Community Events and Initiatives ================================= Regular Activities ------------------ **Virtual Meetups:** Monthly discussions about project progress, research, and applications **Hackathons:** Periodic events focused on specific features or research problems **Office Hours:** Regular times when maintainers are available for questions and mentoring **Conference Presence:** Presentations at academic conferences and industry events **Blog Posts:** Regular updates about project developments and research findings Getting Involved ---------------- Ways to participate: * **Join virtual meetups**: Network with other users and contributors * **Participate in hackathons**: Collaborate on focused projects * **Present your work**: Share how you use quactuary in your projects * **Write blog posts**: Contribute to the project blog * **Organize local events**: Start meetups in your area or organization Special Programs ================ Mentorship Program ------------------ We offer mentorship for: * **New contributors**: Learn open source development practices * **Students**: Academic projects and research opportunities * **Career changers**: Transition into quantum computing or actuarial fields * **Industry professionals**: Apply academic research to practical problems **How to participate:** * **Mentees**: Apply through GitHub discussions with your background and goals * **Mentors**: Volunteer to help others based on your expertise and availability Research Partnerships --------------------- We collaborate with: * **Academic institutions**: Joint research projects and student internships * **Industry partners**: Real-world applications and validation * **Standards organizations**: Development of industry best practices * **Other open source projects**: Integration and cross-pollination Contributing to These Guidelines ================================ These guidelines evolve with our community: * **Suggest improvements**: Open issues to discuss changes * **Share experiences**: Help us understand what works and what doesn't * **Update documentation**: Keep guidelines current with project changes * **Translate content**: Make guidelines accessible in other languages Feedback and Questions ====================== We welcome feedback about these guidelines: * **GitHub Issues**: For specific suggestions or problems * **Discussions**: For broader conversations about community * **Direct contact**: Email maintainers for sensitive issues * **Community surveys**: Periodic feedback collection Contact Information =================== **Project Maintainers:** See the MAINTAINERS.md file for current contact information **Code of Conduct Reports:** conduct@quactuary.dev (monitored by multiple maintainers) **General Questions:** Use GitHub Discussions or Issues for public questions **Security Issues:** security@quactuary.dev (private reporting) Thank You ========= Thank you for being part of the quactuary community! Your contributions, whether large or small, help advance the field of quantum-accelerated actuarial modeling and make the project better for everyone. Together, we're building something that can have real impact on: * **Scientific research**: Advancing quantum algorithms for financial applications * **Industry practice**: Providing practical tools for risk management * **Education**: Teaching quantum computing concepts through real applications * **Open source**: Demonstrating collaborative development in a specialized field Your participation makes this possible. Welcome to the community!