add contributing guidelines

Signed-off-by: Jose Borreguero <[email protected]>

README.md

@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ Backend code for the reduction of USANS data.
 
 # User
 
-User guide at [readthedocs]()https://usansred.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/user.html
+User guide at [readthedocs](https://usansred.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/user.html)
 
 # Developer
 
-Developer documentation at [readthedocs]()https://usansred.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/developer.html
+Developer documentation at [readthedocs](https://usansred.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/developer.html)
+
+- [contributing to the project](https://usansred.readthedocs.io/en/latest/source/contributing.html)

docs/index.rst

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Developer Guide
 .. toctree::
    :titlesonly:
 
+   /source/developer/contributing
    /source/developer/developer
 
 Contents

docs/source/developer/contributing.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+.. contributing
+
+Guide to Contributing
+=====================
+
+Contributions to this project are welcome. All contributors agree to the following:
+
+- It is assumed that the contributor is an ORNL employee and belongs to the development team.
+  Thus the following instructions are specific to ORNL development team's process.
+- You have permission and any required rights to submit your contribution.
+- Your contribution is provided under the license of this project and may be redistributed as such.
+- All contributions to this project are public.
+
+All contributions must be "signed off" in the commit log and by doing so you agree to the above.
+
+Getting access to the main project
+----------------------------------
+Direct commit access to the project is currently restricted to core developers.
+All other contributions should be done through pull requests.
+
+
+Development procedure
+---------------------
+
+1. A developer is assigned with a task during neutron status meeting and changes the task's status to **In Progress**.
+2. The developer creates a branch off *next* and completes the task in this branch.
+3. The developer creates a pull request (PR) off *next*.
+4. The developer asks for another developer as a reviewer to review the PR.
+   A PR can only be approved and merged by the reviewer.
+5. The developer changes the task’s status to **Complete** and closes the associated issue.
+
+
+Contacting the Team
+-------------------
+The best mechanism for a user to request a change is to contact the SANS CIS.
+Please email `Yingrui Shang`_ with your request.
+
+.. _Yingrui Shang: [email protected]
+
+A change needs to be in the form of a:
+
+- Story for any enhancement request
+- Defect for any bug fix request.