add wiki information to CONTRIBUTING.md

Author: jonwzheng

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -2,44 +2,57 @@
 
 Thank you for contributing to RMG-Py! Please take a moment to review our guidelines:
 
-#### **Did you find a bug?**
+#### **Did you find a bug? Do you want to see a new feature?**
 
-* ** Example...**
-
-* Please include in the ISSUES page.
+* Please open an Issue to the corresponding repository:
+    * [RMG-Py](https://github.com/ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-Py/issues): For functionality of the RMG and Arkane software packages
+    * [RMG-database](https://github.com/ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-database/issues): For issues related to the data available to RMG
+    * [RMG-website](https://github.com/ReactionMechanismGenerator/RMG-website/issues): For issues related to the [RMG website](https://rmg.mit.edu)
 
 * For more detailed information on submitting a bug report and creating an issue, visit our [reporting guidelines](https://example.com).
 
-#### **Did you write code that fixes a bug?**
+#### **Did you write code that fixes a bug, or adds a new feature?**
 
-* Open a new GitHub PR to merge into the main branch.
+* Open a new GitHub PR to merge into the main branch. Make sure the PR clearly describes the problem + solution. If applicable, include the relevant issue.
 
-* Make sure the PR clearly describes the problem + solution. If applicable, include the relevant issue.
+* Your PR must pass unit tests, regression tests, and code coverage, and receive approval from at least one reviewer before it can be merged in.
 
-* Your PR must pass unit tests, regression tests, and code coverage, and receive approval from a reviewer before it can be merged in.
+* If you wrote a new feature, please add unit tests. If it is a significant new feature, please add a regression test.
+    * First, please create an input file that includes your new feature. Ensure `saveEdgeSpecies` is set to `True` so that the edge model will also be saved to a file. If applicable, include diverse sets of input conditions to test compatibility with other features.
+    * Generate the reaction mechanism corresponding to the input file. Ensure that the simulation does not take more than 15 minutes maximum. You can reduce simulation times in multiple ways, e.g. by increasing the `toleranceMoveToCore` flag.
+    * In the `test/regression` folder, create a new folder with a relevant name, and copy the RMG-Py simulation input file in this folder. Include this new folder in your PR.
+    * In `.github/workflows/CI.yml`, edit the two lists of regression tests in the `Regression Tests - Execution` and `Regression Tests - Compare to Baseline` steps to add the name of your folder. Be sure to follow BASH syntax.
 
-#### **Do you want to see a new feature added?**
+    > ** Warning **
+    > This will __fail__ CI because of directory not found errors. This is because the baseline files used for comparison in the regression tests do not exist yet. Your PR will need to be merged by bypassing branch protection restrictions.
 
-* Suggest your change in the Issues tab. 
 
-#### **Do you have questions?**
+#### **Do you want to contribute to the documentation?**
 
-* Email us at rmg_dev@mit.edu.
+* Documentation is [hosted here](http://reactionmechanismgenerator.github.io/RMG-Py/) using [Sphinx](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/). 
 
-#### **Do you want to contribute to the documentation?**
+* The live version of the documentation is hosted on the `gh-pages` branch which is updated upon pushes to the `main` branch of RMG-Py.
+
+* To add new documentation, create or modify `.rst` (reStructuredText) files under the `documentation` directory. For a primer on how to write `.rst` markup, please [check out the Sphinx documentation.](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/basics.html)
 
-* Example here...
+* Please test the documentation on a local build (e.g., via `make html` in the `documentation` directory) before pushing changes.
 
-### Best practices for PRs:
+#### **Do you have questions?**
+
+* Email us at rmg_dev@mit.edu.
+
+####  **Best practices for PRs**
 
 * Rebase to the main branch before working, to avoid merge conflicts.
 
 * Keep PRs small and aim to merge quickly.
 
-* Submit a PR only when the code is polished and ready for review. Consider opening a draft PR for work in progress that requires collaborator input.
+* Commits should be specific and as small as required; commit messages should be descriptive and as long as required. Commit messages should explain *why* the change is needed. We recommend following [these guidelines.](https://wiki.openstack.org/wiki/GitCommitMessages) 
 
-* For complex, multi-step PRs, consider opening "megathread" PRs pointing to the main branch. Then, create other PRs that merge into the "megathread" PR branch. This helps divide the review process into smaller chunks.
+* Submit a PR only when the code is polished and ready for review. Consider opening a draft PR for work in progress that requires collaborator input.
 
+* Please follow the [PEP8 Python style guide.](https://peps.python.org/pep-0008/)
 
 Thank you!
+
 RMG Developers