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Section 6: Contributing & Community

Welcome to Section 6 of the OSA FAQ! This section covers everything you need to know about contributing to OSA, engaging with the community, getting help, and properly citing the project in your work.

6.1 How can I contribute to OSA?

OSA welcomes contributions from developers, researchers, documentation writers, and users of all skill levels. Here's how you can get involved:

Ways to Contribute:

Contribution Type Description Skill Level Time Commitment
🐛 Bug Reports Report issues you encounter Beginner 10-30 min
💡 Feature Ideas Suggest improvements or new features Beginner 15-45 min
📝 Documentation Improve README, FAQ, API docs Beginner-Intermediate 1-4 hours
🧪 Testing Test new releases, verify fixes Beginner 30 min - 2 hours
🔧 Code Contributions Fix bugs, implement features Intermediate-Advanced 2-20+ hours
🌍 Translation Localize documentation and UI Intermediate 2-10 hours
📚 Examples Create tutorial repos, use cases Intermediate 1-5 hours
🎨 Design Improve UI, logos, visuals Intermediate 2-8 hours

Getting Started with Code Contributions:

# Step 1: Fork the repository
# Visit https://github.com/aimclub/OSA and click "Fork"

# Step 2: Clone your fork
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/OSA
cd OSA

# Step 3: Set up development environment
python -m venv osa-dev
source osa-dev/bin/activate  # Linux/macOS
# OR
osa-dev\Scripts\activate     # Windows

# Step 4: Install development dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

# Step 5: Create a feature branch
git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

# Step 6: Make your changes
# ... edit code, add tests, update docs ...

# Step 7: Run tests and checks
pytest tests/
black osa_tool/ --check

# Step 8: Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "feat: add your feature description"
git push origin feature/your-feature-name

# Step 9: Open a Pull Request
# Visit your fork on GitHub and click "New Pull Request"

Contribution Guidelines:

Guideline Details
Code Style Follow PEP 8, use Black for formatting
Type Hints Add type annotations to new functions
Docstrings Use Google-style docstrings for all public APIs
Tests Add tests for new features, ensure existing tests pass
Commits Use conventional commits: feat:, fix:, docs:, chore:
PR Description Explain what changed, why, and how to test
Review Process Be responsive to feedback, iterate on changes

Code of Conduct:

OSA follows a community-focused Code of Conduct:

✅ We encourage:

  • Respectful, inclusive communication
  • Constructive feedback and collaboration
  • Patience with newcomers and diverse perspectives
  • Focus on technical merit, not personal attributes

❌ We don't tolerate:

  • Harassment, discrimination, or offensive language
  • Spam, trolling, or disruptive behavior
  • Plagiarism or misrepresentation of contributions

Report concerns to: OSA_helpdesk Telegram or project maintainers.

6.2 How do I report issues or request features?

Use GitHub Issues for structured bug reports and feature requests.

Reporting a Bug:

  1. Search first: Check if the issue already exists at github.com/aimclub/OSA/issues

  2. Create a new issue: Click "New Issue" → "Bug Report"

  3. Use the template:

## Bug Description
[Clear, concise description of the problem]

## Steps to Reproduce
1. [First step: e.g., "Install OSA via pip"]
2. [Second step: e.g., "Run command: osa_tool -r <repo>"]
3. [Third step: e.g., "Observe error message"]

## Expected Behavior
[What should have happened]

## Actual Behavior
[What actually happened, including error messages]

## Environment
- OSA Version: [e.g., 1.2.0]
- Python Version: [e.g., 3.11.5]
- OS: [e.g., Ubuntu 22.04, macOS 14.0, Windows 11]
- Installation: [pip/Docker/source]
- LLM Provider: [OpenAI/Ollama/ITMO/etc.]

## Logs/Error Output

[Paste relevant logs or error messages here]

## Additional Context
[Screenshots, repository links, or other helpful info]

  1. Add labels (if you have permissions): bug, priority:high, etc.

  2. Submit and monitor for maintainer responses.

Requesting a Feature:

  1. Search first: Ensure the feature hasn't been requested

  2. Create a new issue: Click "New Issue" → "Feature Request"

  3. Use the template:

## Feature Request

## Problem Statement
[What problem does this feature solve?]

## Proposed Solution
[Describe how the feature should work]

## Use Cases
[Who would benefit? Provide examples]

## Alternatives Considered
[What other approaches did you consider?]

## Implementation Notes (Optional)
[Technical suggestions, if you have any]

## Additional Context
[Links, mockups, or related discussions]

Tips for Effective Issues:

Do Don't
✅ Provide minimal reproducible example ❌ Post large code dumps without context
✅ Include environment details ❌ Assume everyone uses your setup
✅ Search before posting ❌ Create duplicate issues
✅ Be specific about expected behavior ❌ Write vague titles like "It doesn't work"
✅ Respond to maintainer questions ❌ Abandon issues after posting

6.3 Where can I get help from developers?

Multiple channels are available for getting help, from quick questions to in-depth technical discussions.

Support Channels Overview:

Channel Best For Response Time Link
💬 Telegram Chat Quick questions, community help, announcements Minutes to hours @OSA_helpdesk
🐙 GitHub Issues Bug reports, feature requests, technical discussions 1-7 days github.com/aimclub/OSA/issues
💬 GitHub Discussions General questions, ideas, showcase projects 1-7 days github.com/aimclub/OSA/discussions
📚 Documentation Self-help, API reference, usage guides Instant aimclub.github.io/OSA
🎬 Video Tutorials Visual learners, step-by-step guides On-demand YouTube Demo

Telegram Community Details:

@OSA_helpdesk is the primary real-time support channel:

Feature Description
Active Community Developers, researchers, and users from around the world
Maintainer Presence Core team members regularly answer questions
Announcements Release notes, events, and project updates
Networking Connect with other OSA users and collaborators
Language Primarily English and Russian

When to Use Each Channel:

Need Recommended Channel
"How do I install OSA?" Documentation
"I found a bug" GitHub Issues
"Can OSA do X?" Telegram or GitHub Discussions
"I have a feature idea" GitHub Discussions → GitHub Issues
"Can you review my PR?" GitHub PR comments + Telegram mention
"Security concern" Direct message to maintainers (private)
"Just saying thanks!" GitHub Star

⚠️ Please respect maintainers' time: Use public channels when possible, and provide complete information upfront.

6.4 Is there a Telegram community?

Yes! OSA has an active Telegram community for real-time support and collaboration.

Join the Community:

🔗 @OSA_helpdesk

Community Guidelines:

✅ Do:

  • Search chat history before asking
  • Share your OSA success stories
  • Help others when you can
  • Keep discussions respectful and on-topic

❌ Don't:

  • Spam or advertise unrelated projects
  • Share API keys or sensitive credentials
  • Use aggressive or disrespectful language
  • Expect immediate responses (maintainers have other commitments)

6.5 How do I cite OSA in my research?

If you use OSA in your research or mention it in publications, please cite the project appropriately.

Citation Formats:

Simple Format (for text):

Nikitin N. et al. An LLM-Powered Tool for Enhancing Scientific Open-Source Repositories // 
Championing Open-source DEvelopment in ML Workshop@ ICML25.

BibTeX Format (for LaTeX):

@inproceedings{nikitinllm,
    title={An LLM-Powered Tool for Enhancing Scientific Open-Source Repositories},
    author={Nikitin, Nikolay and Getmanov, Andrey and Popov, Zakhar and 
        Ulyanova Ekaterina and Aksenkin, Yaroslav and 
        Sokolov, Ilya and Boukhanovsky, Alexander},
    booktitle={Championing Open-source DEvelopment in ML Workshop@ ICML25}}

Example Repository Badge:

[![OSA-improved](https://img.shields.io/badge/improved%20by-OSA-yellow)](https://github.com/aimclub/OSA)

Renders as: OSA-improved