SIG Research Projects

Welcome! This repository serves as a central hub for the research projects conducted by our Special Interest Group (SIG) members. The goal is to foster collaboration, share findings, and create a persistent, reproducible record of our work.

How to Contribute

We encourage all SIG members to contribute, either by starting new research or by contributing to existing projects. Our workflow is described below.

Contribution Workflow

1. Create a Branch: All work must be done in a new branch. Name your branch descriptively.
   • Example for a new project: research-average-github-repo-file-size
   • Example for an update: update-most-common-secret-leak-types
2. Create a Project Folder: If you are starting a new research topic, create a new folder in the root of the repository. The folder name should be concise and use kebab-case.
   • Example: most-common-secret-leak-types
3. Conduct Your Research: Add all relevant materials to your project folder. This can include:
   • Notes and raw data.
   • Scripts used for analysis (e.g. Python, R, shell scripts).
   • Visualizations (e.g. charts, graphs).
   • A detailed README.md (see guidelines below).
4. Submit a Pull Request (PR): Once your work is ready for review, submit a pull request from your branch to the main branch.
5. Review Process: Announce your PR in the SIG #research channel and request reviews from other members. The PR can be merged after at least one approval.

Project README Guidelines

Every project folder must contain its own README.md with details to ensure the research understandable and reproducible for others. It should include the following sections:

• Goal: A clear, one-paragraph description of the research question or objective.
• Last Updated: The date the findings or data were last refreshed.
• Methodology: A detailed, step-by-step guide on how to reproduce your research. This should include links to data sources, setup instructions for any code, and the exact commands to run. If too long or more easily captured in something like a Jupyter notebook, this section can link to other resources in the project folder.
• Results & Conclusion: A summary of your findings, including key data points, visualizations, and your final conclusions or takeaways.