Include a project description that explains what your project is and why it exists. Aim for no more than 3-5 concise sentences. For example, you might say:

{Project Name} is a project of Hack for LA. Hack for LA is a brigade of a Code for America that exists to {your mission}. {Project Name} helps {target users} accomplish {goal of project}. The {app/site/thing you're building}'s main features include {very brief feature descriptions}.

Civic projects often exist within a larger context that may include multiple stakeholders, historic relationships, associated research, or other details that are relevant but not required for direct contributions. Gathering these details in one place is useful, but the ReadMe isn't that place. Use this section to link to a Google Doc or other documentation repository where contributors can dig in if they so choose. This is also a good place to link to your Code of Conduct.

• Each platform or framework should get its own bullet.
• Each platform should include an active link to the official documentation.

Explain the different ways people can contribute. For example:

• Join the team {on Slack/at our weekly hack night/etc}.
• To help with user research, {do ABC}.
• To provide design support, {do XYZ}.
• To contribute to the code, follow the instructions below.

Remember to provide direct links to each channel.

1. Step-by-step instructions help new contributors get a development environment up and running quickly.
2. You'll want to find the balance between being specific enough for novices to follow, without being so specific that you reinvent the wheel by providing overly-basic instructions that can be found elsewhere.
3. Feel free to adapt this section and its sub-sections to your own processes.
4. Alternatively, you can move everything from Installation instructions through Testing to a separate Contributing.md file to keep your ReadMe.md more succinct.

• Explain how to submit a bug.
• Explain how to submit a feature request.
• Explain how to contribute to an existing issue.

To create a new issue, please use the blank issue template (available when you click New Issue). If you want to create an issue for other projects to use, please create the issue in your own repository and send a slack message to one of your hack night hosts with the link.

• Explain your guidelines here.

• Explain your process.

• Provide instructions.

Include at least one way (or more, if possible) to reach your team with questions or comments.

Include details about the project's open source status.

this readme file sourced from Jessica Sand