awesome-quant/CONTRIBUTING.md

# Contributing

Your contributions are always welcome! Please ensure your pull request meets the following guidelines.

## Entry Format

Each non-commercial entry must include one or more backtick-delimited tags and follow one of
these formats. Tags work like a compact tag cloud: use concise terms that help readers
understand the project, such as programming languages, runtimes, protocols, interfaces, data
types, or domains.

### Single tag

```markdown
- [Project Name](https://github.com/owner/repo) - `Python` - Short description ending with a period.
```

Tags are not limited to programming languages. For example:

```markdown
- [Project Name](https://github.com/owner/repo) - `MCP` - Short description ending with a period.
```

### Multiple tags

List each tag separately in adjacent backticks:

```markdown
- [Project Name](https://github.com/owner/repo) - `Python` `Rust` `MCP` - Short description ending with a period.
```

### Project with website and GitHub repo

For projects that have a dedicated website, link to the site and append the GitHub repo in the description:

```markdown
- [Project Name](https://project-site.com) - `Python` - Short description ending with a period. [GitHub](https://github.com/owner/repo)
```

### CRAN project

Link to the CRAN package page. If the project has a GitHub repo, append it after the description:

```markdown
- [Package Name](https://cran.r-project.org/package=pkgname) - `R` - Short description ending with a period.
- [Package Name](https://cran.r-project.org/package=pkgname) - `R` - Short description ending with a period. [GitHub](https://github.com/owner/repo)
```

### PyPI project

Link to the PyPI package page. If the project has a GitHub repo, append it after the description:

```markdown
- [package-name](https://pypi.org/project/package-name/) - `Python` - Short description ending with a period.
- [package-name](https://pypi.org/project/package-name/) - `Python` - Short description ending with a period. [GitHub](https://github.com/owner/repo)
```

### General rules

- Use `https://` URLs only.
- GitHub repository URLs are strongly preferred and are a major positive relevance signal.
  Projects with a verifiable GitHub repository are easier to evaluate for source availability,
  documentation, activity, maintenance, and community adoption, and they receive automated
  tracking of stars, activity, and archive status on
  [the awesome-quant site](https://wilsonfreitas.github.io/awesome-quant/).
- A public GitHub repository containing the substantive implementation is preferred. Use it
  as the main URL, or append the exact `[GitHub](https://github.com/owner/repo)` suffix when
  the project has a separate website. Repository-less commercial services are considered only
  under the eligibility rules below. A valid GitHub repository mentioned in either place
  receives the same relevance consideration.
- Use short, meaningful tags. Each concept must have its own backtick pair; for example,
  use `` `Python` `C++` `` rather than `` `Python, C++` ``.
- The description must end with a period (before the `[GitHub]` link, if present).
- Keep descriptions concise — one sentence.

## Quality Requirements

- **Source-backed projects**: Projects backed by substantive source must show recent
  repository activity (commits within the last 12 months) and provide a clear README with
  usage examples.
- **Repository-less commercial services**: See the permanent-free-tier, public-documentation,
  and transparency rules in the commercial section below.


## Commercial & Proprietary Projects

Public repositories containing substantive implementation remain preferred. A commercial or
proprietary project without such a repository qualifies only when it has a meaningful permanent
free tier that provides useful quantitative-finance functionality without requiring payment
information. Trials, demos, waitlists, and paid-only products do not qualify.

Commercial services without substantive public source—including those with only a thin SDK,
integration, examples, generated-data, or marketing repository—are repository-less for every
eligibility check. They must publish pricing and free-tier limits, as well as public documentation,
methodology, or usage examples. Their entries must use a stable HTTPS URL without affiliate or
tracking parameters, have a concise, factual, non-promotional description, and be placed in the
**Commercial & Proprietary Services** section. Backtick tags are optional in that section. For
example:

```markdown
- [Project Name](https://project.example) - Concise factual description ending with a period.
```

Only a repository containing substantive implementation supports placement in a functional
section. Commercial submissions without a qualifying permanent free tier—including paid-only,
trial-only, demo-only, and waitlist-only offerings—are `REJECT`. Reserve `NEEDS CHANGES` for
correctable evidence or disclosure, wording, URL, documentation, or placement defects when the
underlying offering can qualify.

## Section Placement

The README is organized by **category** (not by language). Add your entry under the appropriate category heading (`##`). The available categories are:

- Numerical Libraries & Data Structures
- Financial Instruments & Pricing
- Technical Indicators
- Trading & Backtesting
- Portfolio Optimization & Risk Analysis
- Factor Analysis
- Sentiment Analysis & Alternative Data
- Time Series Analysis
- Market Data & Data Sources
- Prediction Markets
- Calendars & Market Hours
- Visualization
- Excel & Spreadsheet Integration
- Quant Research Environments
- Cross-Language Frameworks
- Reproducing Works, Training & Books
- Commercial & Proprietary Services
- Related Lists

For example, if your project is a Python backtesting library, it goes under `## Trading & Backtesting` (not under Technical Indicators or another category).

If no existing category fits, suggest a new one in your PR description.

## Multiple Related Projects Per PR

**Preferred:** One project per pull request for clarity and focused reviews.

**Acceptable:** Multiple closely related projects in a single PR if they share a common theme or data source. Examples:
- Multiple data sources from the same market or exchange (e.g., all NSE/BSE tools for Indian markets)
- Multiple tools from the same author with complementary functionality
- Multiple APIs/SDKs for the same service or data provider
- Related packages addressing a specific domain gap (e.g., UK company identifier validators)

When submitting multiple projects:
- Explain the relationship and rationale in the PR description
- Ensure each entry is placed in the correct section
- Avoid creating duplicate entries within the same README file
- All entries must meet quality and format requirements independently

## Before Submitting

1. Search the existing list to make sure the project is not already included.
2. Search previous Pull Requests (open and closed) to avoid duplicates.
3. Make sure the entry format matches exactly — our parser relies on it.

## Automatic Rejection

PRs will be closed if:

- Multiple unrelated projects added in a single PR without a clear grouping rationale.
- Entry format does not match the required pattern.
- Duplicate of an existing entry or a recently closed PR.
- Project is archived or abandoned.
- Empty PR description.