From dd9e03203648ab0fb84176e416185a060c01e097 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Joise S Arakkal <110761281+joise-s-arakkal@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2025 23:07:53 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] Added the missing CONTRIBUTING.md file

---
 CONTRIBUTING.md | 85 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 85 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 CONTRIBUTING.md

diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c228adff3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+# Contributing to AI Engineering Hub 🚀
+
+Thank you for your interest in contributing! This repository is a community-driven collection of 93+ hands-on, production-ready AI projects covering LLMs, RAG, agents, fine-tuning, multimodal systems, MCP/ACP protocols, and more. Whether you're fixing a typo, improving documentation, or adding a brand-new project, your contribution is very welcome.
+
+We follow the “fork → branch → pull request” workflow. All contributions must adhere to this guide.
+
+## Code of Conduct
+This project adheres to the [Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct](https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/1/code_of_conduct/). By participating, you agree to uphold this code. Report unacceptable behavior to the maintainers.
+
+## How to Contribute
+
+### 1. Find something to work on
+- Check the [Issues tab](https://github.com/patchy631/ai-engineering-hub/issues) for “help wanted” or “good first issue” labels.
+- If you have a new project idea, open an issue first to discuss it — this prevents duplicated effort.
+
+### 2. Fork & Clone
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/ai-engineering-hub.git
+cd ai-engineering-hub
+```
+
+### 3. Create a descriptive branch
+```bash
+git checkout -b feature/your-awesome-feature
+# or
+git checkout -b fix/typo-in-project-42
+```
+
+### 4. Make your changes
+#### General rules
+- Keep projects self-contained (code + README + requirements in its own folder).
+- Use Python 3.10+.
+- Prefer open/free models & tools (Ollama, Groq, DeepSeek, Llama-3, Qwen, Gemma, etc.) so everyone can run the project without paid API keys.
+- Include a clear `README.md` inside the project folder with:
+  - Short description & learning goal
+  - Installation steps
+  - How to run
+  - Example output/screenshot (highly encouraged!)
+  - Difficulty level tag: `[Beginner]`, `[Intermediate]`, or `[Advanced]`
+
+#### Adding a new project
+1. Create a new folder named kebab-case or snake_case (e.g., `multi-modal-rag-with-qwen-vl`).
+2. Add your code/notebooks.
+3. Add a detailed `README.md` (see existing projects as templates).
+4. Update the main repository README:
+   - Add your project to the correct difficulty section.
+   - Include a short one-line description and the difficulty tag.
+
+#### Code style
+- Python → follow PEP 8 (use `ruff` or `black` if you want).
+- Notebooks → keep them clean; restart kernel and run all before committing.
+
+### 5. Commit with clear messages
+```bash
+git commit -m "feat: add real-time voice agent with AssemblyAI and CrewAI [Intermediate]"
+```
+
+### 6. Keep your branch up to date
+```bash
+git remote add upstream https://github.com/patchy631/ai-engineering-hub.git
+git fetch upstream
+git rebase upstream/main
+```
+
+### 7. Push & open a Pull Request
+- Push to your fork.
+- Open a PR against `main`.
+- Use a clear title and description.
+- Link related issues (`Closes #123` or `Fixes #45`).
+- Tag @patchy631 if you want quick feedback.
+
+## What makes a great contribution?
+- Projects that teach a new technique or stack (MCP, ACP, GraphRAG, tool-calling agents, etc.).
+- Clear, beginner-friendly explanations.
+- Screenshots or short Loom/GIF demos.
+- Comparisons (e.g., “Llama-3.2 vs DeepSeek-R1 on reasoning tasks”).
+- Performance benchmarks when relevant.
+
+## Questions?
+- Open an issue — we’re happy to help!
+- Join the community via the [Daily Dose of DS newsletter](https://join.dailydoseofds.com/) for updates and discussions.
+
+Thank you for helping make the AI Engineering Hub better for everyone! ❤️
+
+>The AI Engineering Hub community