Ways to Contribute

This is a community-driven project. Every contribution helps build our collective understanding of democratic capture.

1. Validate Existing Events

Help verify sources and fact-check timeline events:

• Check that sources are still accessible
• Verify facts against original documents
• Identify events that need additional sources
• Flag potential duplicates or inaccuracies

How: Browse the timeline, check sources, and open an issue if you find problems.

2. Submit New Events

Add documented events with reliable sources:

Event Requirements:

• Minimum 2 credible sources (tier-1 or tier-2)
• Clear date and significance
• Proper formatting (JSON or Markdown)
• Connection to democratic capture patterns

Source Tiers:

• Tier 1: Court documents, official records, congressional testimony, primary source documents
• Tier 2: Verified reporting from established outlets (NYT, WaPo, WSJ, Reuters, AP, ProPublica, etc.)
• Tier 3: Secondary analysis from credible researchers

How: See our contribution guide on GitHub.

3. Improve Documentation

Help make the timeline more accessible:

• Clarify event summaries
• Improve tagging consistency
• Add context to complex events
• Fix typos and formatting issues

How: Submit pull requests or open an issue with suggestions.

4. Technical Contributions

Help improve the infrastructure:

• Enhance the interactive viewer
• Improve search functionality
• Add new visualization features
• Optimize performance

How: Check our GitHub repository for open issues and development guidelines.

5. Share and Discuss

Spread awareness and join the conversation:

• Share the timeline on social media
• Discuss patterns in GitHub Discussions
• Write analysis of specific patterns
• Help counter disinformation with verified facts

Event Format

Events can be submitted in either JSON or Markdown format:

JSON Format

{
  "id": "YYYY-MM-DD--descriptive-slug",
  "date": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "title": "Event Title",
  "summary": "Detailed summary explaining what happened and why it matters...",
  "importance": 8,
  "tags": ["regulatory-capture", "corruption"],
  "actors": ["Actor Name", "Organization Name"],
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://example.com/article",
      "title": "Article Title",
      "publisher": "Publisher Name",
      "date": "YYYY-MM-DD",
      "tier": 1
    }
  ],
  "status": "confirmed"
}

Markdown Format

---
id: YYYY-MM-DD--descriptive-slug
date: YYYY-MM-DD
title: Event Title
importance: 8
tags:
  - regulatory-capture
  - corruption
actors:
  - Actor Name
  - Organization Name
sources:
  - url: https://example.com/article
    title: Article Title
    publisher: Publisher Name
    date: YYYY-MM-DD
    tier: 1
status: confirmed
---

Detailed summary explaining what happened and why it matters...

Contribution Guidelines

Quality Standards

1. Accuracy First: Every fact must be verifiable
2. Neutral Tone: Document what happened, not opinions
3. Clear Significance: Explain why it matters
4. Proper Sourcing: Cite credible, accessible sources

Dos and Don’ts

Do:

• ✅ Use credible, verifiable sources
• ✅ Provide context and significance
• ✅ Check for duplicates before submitting
• ✅ Follow the event format exactly
• ✅ Include importance scores (1-10 scale)

Don’t:

• ❌ Submit events without sources
• ❌ Use partisan or biased language
• ❌ Include speculation or predictions
• ❌ Submit duplicates of existing events
• ❌ Use unreliable or questionable sources

Getting Started

1. Fork the repository on GitHub
2. Create a new branch for your changes
3. Add your event(s) in the timeline/data/events/ directory
4. Test locally if possible
5. Submit a pull request with a clear description

Code of Conduct

This project adheres to a strict code of conduct:

• Be respectful and professional
• Focus on facts, not opinions
• Assume good faith in disagreements
• Prioritize accuracy over speed
• Welcome constructive feedback

Questions?

• General questions: GitHub Discussions
• Bug reports: GitHub Issues
• Technical help: Check our README

License

By contributing, you agree that your contributions will be licensed under:

• Data: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike)
• Code: MIT License

This ensures the timeline remains free and open for everyone.

Thank you for helping document the capture of democracy. Your contributions make a difference.