Add the contributing guidelines

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+<div align="left">
+<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA/release/logo/ProMCDA_logo.png">
+<div>
+
+## Contributing to Probabilistic Multi Criteria Decision Analysis, ```ProMCDA```.
+
+### Table of Contents
+- [Introduction](#introduction)
+- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
+- [Getting started](#getting-started)
+- [Issue tracking](#issue-tracking)
+- [Making changes](#making-changes)
+- [Code style](#code-style)
+- [Testing](#testing)
+- [Project origins and author affiliations](#affiliation)
+- [Mantainers](#mantainers)
+
+### Introduction
+Welcome to ```ProMCDA```! We're thrilled that you're interested in contributing to our project. Whether you're fixing 
+a bug, implementing a new feature, or improving documentation, your contributions help make ```ProMCDA``` better for 
+everyone.
+
+Before you get started, please take a moment to review the following guidelines to ensure that your contributions are 
+effective and in line with our project's standards. If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to 
+reach out to the maintainers.
+
+### Prerequisites
+Before contributing to ```ProMCDA```, ensure that you have the following prerequisites installed:
+
+- Python (version Python 3.9)
+- Pip (version 23.2.1)
+- Other project-specific dependencies listed in the `requirements.txt` file
+
+You can install the Python dependencies listed in the `requirements.txt` file using pip. For example:
+
+```bash
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+```
+
+### Getting Started
+First, you'll need to fork the project repository and clone it to your local machine. Go to the 
+[GitHub repository of the project](https://github.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA) and click the "Fork" button 
+in the top-right corner to create a copy of the repository in your GitHub account. Clone your forked repository from 
+your GitHub account to your local machine using the following command:
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/your-username/project.git
+```
+
+Replace "your-username" with your GitHub username.
+
+Then, navigate to the project directory and install the required dependencies using pip as described above in 
+[Prerequisites](#prerequisites).
+
+If you plan to contribute code, it's recommended to set up a virtual environment for development, for example with 
+[conda](https://conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/tasks/manage-environments.html#activating-an-environment):
+
+```bash
+conda create --name <my-env>
+source activate <my-env>
+```
+
+Now you're ready to make changes to the codebase! Feel free to explore the project and make improvements. Before 
+submitting a pull request, make sure to test your changes thoroughly. Run any relevant tests and ensure that the code 
+meets the project's coding standards, see [Code Style](#code-style). We have used 
+[pylint](https://pypi.org/project/pylint/) and [Flake8](https://flake8.pycqa.org/en/latest/) for code quality improvement.
+
+Once you're happy with your changes, push your branch to GitHub and submit a pull request. Be sure to provide a clear 
+description of the changes you've made and any relevant information for reviewers.
+
+### Issue tracking
+We use GitHub Issues to track bugs, feature requests, and other tasks related to the project. If you encounter any 
+issues or have suggestions for improvements, please open a new issue on the 
+[GitHub repository](https://github.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA).
+
+Before opening a new issue, search [existing issues](https://github.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA/issues) to see if the 
+problem or feature request has already been reported. You can also search the 
+[closed issues](https://github.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aclosed) to see if the issue have been
+already closed without implementation for any reason.
+
+Navigate to the repository of the project. In the repository menu, click on the 
+["Issues"](https://github.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA/issues) tab and create a new issue.
+Fill out the issue title and description. When you create a new issue for a new feature, be as descriptive as possible, 
+and provide detailed information on your expectations. When you open a bug-fix, include steps to reproduce the issue 
+if applicable. Provide detailed information about the problem, including what you expected to happen and what actually 
+happened. If applicable, include code snippets, error messages, or steps to reproduce the issue. 
+
+Optionally, you can assign labels to categorize the issue (e.g., new feature, bug, enhancement, documentation).
+
+We use the following labels to categorize issues:
+- *Bug*: Indicates a problem with the current implementation that needs to be fixed.
+- *Feature Request*: Suggests a new feature or enhancement to be added to the project.
+- *Documentation*: Relates to improvements or issues with project documentation.
+
+Click the green "Submit new issue" button to create the issue when you are ready.
+
+### Making changes
+Contributing to the project is easy! Follow these steps to make changes and submit them for review:
+
+#### Fork the repository
+If you still did not fork the repository, follow the instructions in [Getting Started](#getting-started).
+
+#### Create a branch
+Create a new branch on your forked directory to work on your changes using the following command:
+
+```bash
+git checkout -b my-feature
+```
+
+Replace "my-feature" with a descriptive name for your feature or fix.
+
+#### Make changes
+Make the necessary changes to the code, documentation, or other project files.
+
+#### Commit changes
+Once you've made your changes, commit them to your local repository using the following commands:
+
+```bash
+git add . # or be explicit and add only the changes you really want to push
+git commit -m <descriptive commit message> 
+```
+
+#### Push changes
+Push your changes to your GitHub repository:
+
+```bash
+git push origin my-feature
+```
+
+#### Submit a pull request
+Go to your fork of the repository on GitHub and click the "New Pull Request" button. Compare the changes you made in 
+your branch with the main branch of the original repository.
+Provide a title and description for your pull request, detailing the changes you made. Submit your changes for review.
+
+#### Review and iterate
+A project maintainer will review your pull request and provide feedback. Make any requested changes and push them to 
+your branch. The pull request will be updated automatically.
+
+#### Merge pull request
+Once your pull request is approved, a project maintainer will merge your changes into the main branch of the repository.
+
+### Code style
+This code adheres to the [PEP 8 style guide](https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/), which promotes readability and 
+consistency in Python code:
+
+- Functions are defined using snake_case convention, where lowercase words are separated by an underscore.
+- Function names should be descriptive and reflect the purpose or functionality of the function.
+- Comments start with # and are used to explain code functionality.
+- Docstrings (multiline strings enclosed in triple quotes) are used to document non-private functions (optionally also private ones).
+- Indentation is consistent and consists of four spaces per level.
+- If `__name__ == "__main__":` block is used to allow the script to be executed directly as well as imported as a module.
+- Private functions are defined starting with an underscore "_", .e.g., _name_of_private_function.
+- Classes are named using CamelCase convention, starting with an uppercase letter, with subsequent words capitalized.
+- Class names should be descriptive and reflect the purpose or functionality of the class.
+- Docstrings should be provided for classes to describe their purpose, attributes, and methods (optional for static methods).
+- Static methods are defined using the `@staticmethod` decorator and do not receive a reference to the instance or the class.
+- Test classes are named using a descriptive name with prefix "Test", and test methods are named using snake_case also with a prefix "test_".
+- Test classes should inherit from a test framework-specific base class, such as unittest.TestCase for the built-in unittest framework or pytest for pytest.
+
+### Testing
+The project uses the unittest framework in Python. We define a function e.g., `add(a, b)` that adds two numbers.
+We create a test class `TestAddFunction` that inherits from unittest.TestCase. Inside the test class, we define 
+multiple test methods, each testing a specific scenario of the add function. Each test method starts with the word test 
+to indicate that it's a test case. Inside each test method, we call the function being tested with specific inputs 
+and use assert methods like `assertEqual` to verify the expected behavior. In each test method we use three conceptual
+blocks to help reading and understanding the test: `# Given`; `# When`; and `# Then`. 
+
+### Project origins and author affiliations
+```ProMCDA``` was initiated by Flaminia Catalli while working at [WEtransform GmbH](https://wetransform.to) and 
+Matteo Spada while working at [Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)](https://www.zhaw.ch/en/university/). 
+Flaminia Catalli was supported by the Future Forest II project funded by the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, 
+Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz (Germany), grant Nr. 67KI21002A.
+The project has since evolved with contributions from various individuals and organizations. We would like to express 
+our gratitude to the reviewers who provided valuable feedback during the review phase of the paper submitted to the 
+Journal of Open Software (JOSS). Thank you to Jan Bernoth, Mengbing Li, and Paul Rougieux. Their insights and 
+suggestions have significantly contributed to the initial improvement and evolution of ```ProMCDA```.
+
+### Maintainers
+If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding ```ProMCDA```, you can reach out to the project 
+maintainers via the following methods:
+
+- **Email:** [email protected], [email protected]
+- **GitHub Issues:** [Create a new issue](https://github.com/wetransform-os/ProMCDA) on our GitHub repository.
+
+We appreciate your feedback and are here to help with any issues or inquiries you may have.

README.md

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 # Probabilistic Multi Criteria Decision Analysis
 
-
 <!-- [![PyPi version](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/promcda?color=blue)](https://pypi.org/project/promcda) -->
 
 ![PyPI](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/ProMCDA?label=pypi%20package)
@@ -17,6 +16,24 @@
 
 A tool to estimate scores of alternatives and their uncertainties based on a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach.
 
+### Table of Contents
+- [Contributing](#contributing)
+- [MCDA quick overview and applications](#MCDAoverview)
+- [Input information needed in the configuration file](#configuration)
+- [Output](#output)
+- [Requirements](#requirements)
+- [Running the code](#running)
+- [Running the tests](#testing)
+- [Toy example](#toyexample)
+- [Code overview: a high-level summary](#overview)
+- [General information and references](#references)
+
+### Contributing
+We welcome contributions from the community! Before contributing, please read our 
+[Contribution Guidelines](./CONTRIBUTING.md) to learn about our development process, coding standards, and how to submit 
+pull requests.
+
+
 ### MCDA quick overview and applications
 A MCDA approach is a systematic framework for making decisions in situations where multiple criteria or objectives need to be 
 considered. It can be applied in various domains and contexts. Here are some possible usages of an MCDA approach:
@@ -134,7 +151,6 @@ e.g., larger or equal than 1000). The ***number of cores*** used for the paralle
   - Poisson distribution, **"poisson"**
 
 ### Output
-
 The user gives the ***path to output file*** (e.g. `path/output_file.csv`). In the output file the scores (normalised or rough) 
 and the ranks relative to the alternatives can be found in the form of CSV tables. If the weights are iteratively sampled, 
 multiple tables are saved in a PICKLE file as an object ```dictionary```. Plots of the scores are saved in PNG images. The configuration.json file
@@ -177,13 +193,14 @@ source activate <choose-a-name-like-Promcda>
 pip install -r requirements.txt
 ```
 
-### Running the code (from root dir)
-On Windows:
+### Running the code 
+From the root dir, 
+- on Windows:
 ```bash
 activate.bat <your-env>
 python3 -m mcda.mcda_run -c configuration.json
 ```
-On Mac and Linux:
+- on Mac and Linux:
 ```bash
 source activate <your-env>
 python3 -m mcda.mcda_run -c configuration.json
@@ -194,7 +211,7 @@ where an example of configuration file can be found in `./configuration.json`.
 ```bash
 python3 -m pytest -s tests/unit_tests -vv
 ```
-### Running a toy example
+### Toy example
 The directory of ```ProMCDA``` contains a toy example, a simple case to test run the package. In the `toy_example/output` directory you 
 can find three different tests that have been run with the relative configuration and output files. Please modify your configuration file 
 according to the desired experiment. The directory contains also a Jupyter notebook to allow one to modify the input matrix easily.