CONTRIBUTING to Aura

Thank you for helping build Aura — a multidisciplinary research hub. This guide explains how to contribute safely and consistently.

How to propose changes

1. Fork the repo and create a branch named feature/<short-description>.
2. Update code, add tests (pytest), and update schema/aura_schema.yaml if sheets/columns change.
3. Run tests locally: pytest -q.
4. Open a Pull Request to main with a clear description and link to any related issue.

Workbook schema & versioning

• The canonical schema is schema/aura_schema.yaml. If you add/rename columns or sheets, update this file and increment schema_version.
• For breaking schema changes, create schema/aura_schema_v2.yaml and add migration notes to docs/schema-migrations.md.

Data policies

• Never commit real personal data. Use synthetic or anonymized example data only.
• Follow privacy laws and research ethics. Document consent and anonymization procedures in Ethics_Notes.

Tests & CI

• Add tests for functionality you change. CI will run pytest on pushes and PRs.

Code style

• Python: follow PEP8. Keep functions small and documented.
• Use type hints where helpful.

Getting help

Open an issue and tag @maintainers or post on the project discussion board.