First pass at contributing guidelines
-Contributing
-============
+# Contributing
+
+We want you to contribute to Hydroshare development, and we want you to be
+as successful as possible in doing so. This document's aim is to provide you
+with everything you need to succeed in your contributions.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+1. Fork the repo under your own name.
+
+2. Set up your Hydroshare development environment by following the directons
+[here](https://github.com/hydroshare/hydroshare#simplified-installation-instructions).
+
+3. Make the required edits to the code.
+
+4. Push to your fork and [submit a pull request][pr].
+
+[pr]: https://github.com/hydroshare/hydroshare/compare/
+
+The Hydroshare team varies in size and responsiveness over time. However, we try
+to at least comment on pull requests within three business days (typically sooner).
+
+We may suggest some changes or improvements or alternatives. Some things that will
+increase the chance that your pull request is accepted:
+
+* Create an issue to pair your pull request with
+* Write tests.
+* Follow the [PEP8 style guide](https://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0008/).
+* Write a [good commit message][commit].
+
+[style]: https://github.com/thoughtbot/guides/tree/master/style
+[commit]: http://tbaggery.com/2008/04/19/a-note-about-git-commit-messages.html
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