![repo-hero-cropped.jpg](repo-hero-cropped.jpg)

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com

# Abstract This article presents a comprehensive framework for creating and structuring AI/ML project repositories that maximize accessibility, reproducibility, and community benefit. We introduce a three-tiered evaluation system, namely, Essential, Professional, and Elite, to help practitioners assess and improve their code repositories at appropriate levels of rigor. The framework encompasses five critical categories: Documentation, Repository Structure, Environment and Dependencies, License and Legal considerations, and Code Quality. Drawing from industry standards and best practices, we provide concrete criteria, common pitfalls, and practical examples that enable AI practitioners, researchers, and students to create repositories that serve as valuable resources for both their creators and the wider community. By implementing these practices, contributors can enhance their professional portfolios while simultaneously advancing open science principles in the AI landscape. :::info{title="INFO"} # Repository Assessment Tool Before diving into the framework details, try our open-source repository assessment tool. It analyzes your repository against the criteria in this article and provides an objective score with specific improvement recommendations. **Get started**: [Repository Assessment Tool](https://github.com/readytensor/rt-repo-assessment) **Note:** You'll need an OpenAI API key to run the assessment tool. ::: # Introduction AI and machine learning have advanced dramatically through open collaboration. The field thrives on shared knowledge, with researchers and practitioners expected to contribute their work openly. For many, public repositories serve dual purposes: showcasing personal expertise and advancing collective understanding. Yet most shared repositories fall far short of professional standards that would make them truly valuable to the community. Take a moment to examine two different AI project repositories implementing the same ResNet18 image classification model: **Repository A**: https://github.com/readytensor/rt_img_class_jn_resnet18_exampleA **Repository B**: https://github.com/readytensor/rt_img_class_jn_resnet18_exampleB **What did you notice?** The readme for Repository A contains a brief desription about the project. With no additional information related to pre-requisites, installation, implementation, and usage, visitors cannot determine how to use it or whether it's trustworthy. Most visitors spend less than 30 seconds on Repository A before moving on. Repository B provides clear organization and proper documentation. Visitors immediately understand what the project does and have enough information to use it effectively. Though both repositories contain the same technical work, one presents it in a way that builds trust and facilitates adoption. **Which repository would you want your name attached to?** The reality is that many AI/ML projects resemble Repository A. This is a missed opportunity to showcase the work effectively and benefit the community. A poorly created repository creates a negative impression that can impact career opportunities, collaboration potential, and project adoption. This article presents a comprehensive framework to help you create repositories that are not just functional but truly valuable — repositories that answer four crucial questions for visitors: 1. **What is this about?** (Clear communication of purpose and capabilities) 2. **Why should I care?** (Value proposition and applications) 3. **Can I trust it?** (Demonstrated professionalism and quality) 4. **Can I use it?** (Clear instructions and appropriate licensing) We organize best practices into five categories with three tiers of implementation (Essential, Professional, and Elite), allowing you to match your effort to project needs and resource constraints. Whether you are a student showcasing class projects, a researcher publishing code alongside a paper, or a professional building tools for broader use, these guidelines will help you create repositories that enhance your professional portfolio and contribute meaningfully to the field. :::info{title="Info"} **Important Note** 1. While this framework primarily targets AI/ML and data science projects, most concepts apply to software development repositories in general. The principles of good documentation, organization, and reproducibility benefit all code projects regardless of domain. 2. Many criteria in the current framework are specifically designed for Python-based implementations, reflecting its prevalence in AI/ML work. Future iterations will expand to address the unique requirements of other languages such as R, JavaScript, and others. 3. This article focuses on repository structure and sharing practices, not on AI/ML methodology itself. Even the most technically sound AI/ML project may fail to gain community adoption if it cannot be easily understood, trusted, and used by others. We aim to help you effectively share your work, not instruct you on how to conduct that work in the first place. ::: # Why Well-Organized Repositories Matter For AI/ML engineers and data scientists, the quality of your code repositories directly impacts your work efficiency, career progression, and contribution to the community in three fundamental ways: ![repo-best-practices-benefits.jpg](repo-best-practices-benefits.jpg) **Time Savings Through Enhanced Usability** Well-structured repositories dramatically improve your own productivity by making your work reusable and maintainable. When you properly document and organize code, you avoid spending hours rediscovering how your own implementations work months later. Data scientists frequently report spending more time understanding and fixing old code than writing new solutions. Clean dependency management prevents environment reconstruction headaches, allowing you to immediately resume work on interesting problems rather than debugging configuration issues. This organization also makes your code extensible—when you want to build on previous work, add features, or adapt models to new datasets, the foundation is solid and understandable. **Career Advancement Through Professional Demonstration** Your repositories serve as concrete evidence of your professional capabilities. Hiring managers and potential collaborators regularly evaluate GitHub profiles when assessing candidates, often placing repository quality on par with technical skills. A well-organized repository demonstrates not just coding ability but also production readiness, attention to detail, and consideration for users - all qualities highly valued in professional settings. Many data scientists find that quality repositories lead to unexpected opportunities: conference invitations, collaboration requests, and interview offers frequently come from people who discovered their well-structured work. In a field where practical implementation matters as much as theoretical knowledge, your repositories form a crucial part of your professional identity. **Community Impact Through Accessible Knowledge** The collective advancement of AI/ML depends on shared implementations and reproducible research. When you create quality repositories, you help others avoid reinventing solutions to common problems, allowing the field to progress more rapidly. Consider the frustration you have experienced trying to implement papers with missing details or the hours spent making someone else's code work. Your well-organized repository prevents others from facing these same challenges. Repositories that clearly answer what the project does, why it matters, whether it can be trusted, and how to use it become valuable community resources rather than one-time demonstrations. Every properly structured repository contributes to building a more collaborative, efficient AI ecosystem. Investing time in repository quality is not about perfectionism — it is about practical benefits that directly affect your daily work, career trajectory, and impact on the field. The framework presented in this article provides a structured approach to realizing these benefits in your own projects. # Best Practices Framework The AI repository best practices framework provides a structured approach to organizing and documenting code repositories for AI and machine learning projects. It establishes clear standards across five critical categories, with tiered implementation levels to accommodate different project stages and requirements. ## Framework Structure The framework organizes best practices into five main categories: 1. **Documentation**: The written explanations and guides that help users understand and use your project 2. **Repository Structure**: The organization of directories and files within your repository 3. **Environment and Dependencies**: The specification of software requirements and configuration needed to run your code 4. **License and Legal**: The permissions and terms governing the use of your code and associated assets 5. **Code Quality**: The technical standards and practices applied to your codebase Each category contains specific criteria that can be assessed to determine if a repository meets established standards. Rather than presenting these as an all-or-nothing requirement, the framework defines three progressive tiers of implementation: ## Implementation Tiers The best practices framework is structured into three tiers of implementation - Essential, Professional, and Elite. You can select the tier that aligns with your project goals, audience expectations, and available resources. ![implementation-tiers.jpg](implementation-tiers.jpg) | **Tier** | **Definition** | **Key Characteristics** | **Appropriate For** | |------|-------------|---------------------|-----------------| | **Essential** | Minimum standards for usefulness | • Basic understandability for first-time visitors
• Sufficient information for technical users
• Basic organizational structure | • Personal projects
• Course assignments
• Early-stage research code
• Proof-of-concept implementations | | **Professional** | Comprehensive documentation and organization | • Detailed guidance for various users
• Consistent structure and organization
• Complete environment specifications
• Established coding standards
• Testing frameworks and documentation | • Team projects
• Open-source projects with contributors
• Published research code
• Professional portfolio work
• Small production-quality projects | | **Elite** | Best-in-class practices | • Comprehensive project documentation
• Meticulous logical structures
• Robust dependency management
• Complete legal compliance
• Advanced quality assurance | • Major open-source projects
• Production-level repositories
• Research code for broad adoption
• Reference implementations | The tiered structure allows for incremental implementation, with each level building on the previous one. This progressive approach makes the framework accessible to projects of different scales and maturity levels. The framework is not prescriptive about specific technologies or tools, focusing instead on the underlying principles of good repository design. This flexibility allows it to be applied across different programming languages, AI/ML frameworks, and project types. The criteria fall under 5 main categories. These are: Documentation, Repository Structure, Environment and Dependencies, License and Legal, and Code Quality. ![5-components.jpeg](5-components.jpeg) Each criterion in the framework is designed to be objectively assessable, making it possible to evaluate repositories systematically. This assessment can be conducted manually or through automated tools that check for the presence of specific files, structural patterns, or documentation elements. In the following sections, we will explore each category in detail, examining specific criteria, providing examples, and offering implementation guidance for each tier. ## Documentation Documentation is the foundation of a user-friendly repository, serving as the primary interface between your code and its potential users. Well-crafted documentation answers fundamental questions about your project: what it does, why it matters, how to use it, and what to expect from it. Unfortunately, documentation is often treated as an afterthought, creating immediate barriers to adoption. The following chart lists the common pitfalls in documentation. ![documentation-pitfalls.jpg](documentation-pitfalls.jpg) Many repositories suffer from missing or minimal README files, leaving users with no understanding of project purpose or functionality. Others lack clear installation instructions, causing users to encounter confusing errors during setup. Without usage examples, users cannot verify if the implementation meets their needs. Undocumented prerequisites and methodologies further compound these issues, leaving critical information hidden until users encounter mysterious failures. The documentation component of our framework addresses these challenges through a structured approach that scales with project complexity. The following chart lists the criteria for Essential, Professional, and Elite documentation tiers, guiding you to create effective documentation that meets user needs at every level. ![Documentation.svg](Documentation.svg) Detailed definitions of each of the criteria are provided in the document titled `Ready Tensor Repository Assessment Framework v1.pdf` available in the **Resources** section of this publication. Let's explore the key principles of documentation at each tier. **Essential Documentation** provides the minimum information needed for basic understanding and use. It answers "What is this project?", "Can I use it?", and "How do I use it?" — enabling quick evaluation and adoption with minimal friction. **Professional Documentation** supports serious adoption by providing comprehensive setup instructions, detailed usage guides, and technical specifications. It addresses users who plan to incorporate your work into their projects, answering "How does this work under different conditions?" and "What configuration options exist?" Professional documentation also demonstrates trustworthiness for production environments by incorporating testing procedures, error handling approaches, and other reliability features that signal production readiness. **Elite Documentation** fosters a sustainable ecosystem around your project through contribution guidelines, change tracking, and contact information. It creates pathways for collaboration, answering "How can I contribute?" and "How is this project evolving?" Effective documentation transforms your repository from personal code storage into a valuable community resource, significantly increasing your project's accessibility, adoption, and impact regardless of its scale. ## Repository Structure A well-organized repository structure provides a solid foundation for your AI/ML project, making it easier for users to navigate, understand, and contribute to your code. Proper structure serves as a visual map of your project's architecture and components, guiding users through your implementation. Poorly organized AI/ML repositories create significant barriers to understanding and use. The following chart illustrates common pitfalls in repository structure. ![repo-structure-pitfalls.jpg](repo-structure-pitfalls.jpg) AI/ML project repositories often exhibit a chaotic root directory filled with dozens of unrelated files, making it difficult to identify entry points or understand the project's organization. Code, configuration, and data files might be randomly mixed together without logical separation. Inconsistent or confusing naming conventions create additional cognitive load for new users trying to understand the codebase. Many repositories also lack clear boundaries between different components, such as model definition, data processing, and evaluation code. To address repository organization challenges, our framework offers systematic guidelines that adapt to project size. The chart below presents Essential, Professional, and Elite structure criteria, designed to help you create intuitive and maintainable organization. ![Repository Structure Criteria.svg](Repository%20Structure%20Criteria.svg) Let's explore the key principles of repository structure at each tier. **Essential Structure** provides the minimum level of organization needed for basic navigation and understanding. It establishes a basic modular organization with logical separation of files, consistent and descriptive naming conventions for files and directories, a properly configured .gitignore file, and clearly identifiable entry points. This level focuses on answering "Where do I find what I need?" and "How do I start using this?" **Professional Structure** enhances navigability and maintainability through specific separation of components. It organizes code in dedicated module structures (such as src/ directories with submodules), places data in designated directories, separates configuration from code, and organizes notebooks, tests, documentation, and assets in their own logical locations. Professional repositories maintain appropriate directory density (under 15 files per directory) and reasonable directory depth (no more than 5 levels deep). They also properly isolate environment configuration files and dependency management structures. This level signals that the project is built for serious use and collaboration. **Elite Structure** builds on the Professional tier with the same organizational principles applied at a higher standard of consistency and completeness. The Elite structure maintains all the same criteria as Professional repositories but with greater attention to detail and thoroughness across all components. This comprehensive organization demonstrates adherence to industry best practices, making the project immediately familiar to experienced developers. A thoughtfully designed repository structure communicates professionalism and attention to detail, significantly reducing the barrier to entry for new users while improving maintainability for contributors. It transforms your repository from a personal collection of files into an accessible, professional software project that others can confidently build upon. ## Environment and Dependencies Proper environment and dependency management is critical for ensuring that AI/ML projects can be reliably reproduced and used by others. This aspect of repository design directly impacts whether users can successfully run your code without frustrating setup issues or unexpected behavior. Many repositories fail to adequately address environment configuration, leading to the infamous "works on my machine" problem. The following chart highlights common pitfalls in environment and dependency management. ![environment-and-dependency-pitfalls.jpg](environment-and-dependency-pitfalls.jpg) Dependency management problems appear when repositories fail to specify required libraries clearly, forcing users to guess which packages they need. When dependencies do appear, they often lack version numbers, creating compatibility problems as package APIs evolve. Missing documentation about Python version requirements or hardware dependencies leads to confusing errors when users attempt to run code in unsuitable environments. The environment and dependencies section of our framework provides solutions that grow with project sophistication. Below are the tiered criteria (Essential, Professional, and Elite) that guide reproducible environment setup. ![Environment and Dependencies Criteria.svg](Environment%20and%20Dependencies%20Criteria.svg) Let's explore the key principles of environment and dependency management at each tier. **Essential Environment Management** provides the minimum information needed for basic reproducibility. It clearly lists all project dependencies in standard formats such as requirements.txt, setup.py, or pyproject.toml. This level focuses on answering "What packages do I need to install?" allowing users to at least attempt to recreate the necessary environment. **Professional Environment Management** enhances reproducibility and ease of setup by pinning specific dependency versions to ensure consistent behavior across installations. It organizes dependencies into logical groups (core, dev, test) through separate requirement files or configuration options. Professional repositories specify required Python versions and include configuration for virtual environments such as environment.yml (conda), Pipfile (pipenv), or poetry.lock (poetry). This level provides confidence that the project can be reliably set up and run in different environments. **Elite Environment Management** optimizes for complete reproducibility and deployment readiness. It provides exact environment specifications through lockfiles, documents GPU-specific requirements including CUDA versions when applicable, and includes containerization through Dockerfiles or equivalent solutions. This comprehensive approach ensures that users can recreate the exact execution environment regardless of their underlying system, eliminating "it works on my machine" issues entirely. Proper environment and dependency management transforms your repository from a collection of code that runs only in specific conditions into a reliable, reproducible project that users can confidently deploy in their own environments. This attention to reproducibility demonstrates professional rigor and significantly increases the likelihood that others will successfully use and build upon your work. ## License and Legal Proper licensing and legal documentation is a critical aspect of AI/ML repositories that is frequently overlooked. Without clear licensing, potential users cannot determine whether they can legally use, modify, or build upon your work, regardless of its technical quality. Many repositories either omit licenses entirely or include inappropriate licenses for their content. The following chart highlights common pitfalls in licensing and legal aspects. ![license-legal-pitfalls.jpg](license-legal-pitfalls.jpg) Legal issues arise when repositories operate without licenses, creating ambiguity that prevents use by organizations with compliance concerns. Some repositories include licenses that conflict with their dependencies, while others neglect the unique legal aspects of AI/ML work regarding data and model rights. The absence of copyright notices and unclear terms for incorporated datasets or pretrained models further complicates legitimate use. For proper licensing and legal considerations, our framework provides clear benchmarks at varying complexity levels. The following chart presents Essential, Professional, and Elite tier criteria for legal compliance and clarity. ![License and Legal Criteria.svg](License%20and%20Legal%20Criteria.svg) Let's explore the key principles of licensing and legal documentation at each tier. **Essential Legal Documentation** ensures that users can determine basic usage rights. It includes a recognized license file (LICENSE, LICENSE.md, or LICENSE.txt) in the root directory that explicitly states terms of use, modification, and distribution. The chosen license must be appropriate for the project's purpose, dependencies, and intended use, avoiding unclear or conflicting terms. This level answers the fundamental question: "Am I legally permitted to use this?" **Professional Legal Documentation** enhances legal clarity by addressing AI/ML-specific concerns. In addition to proper licensing, it includes clear documentation of data usage rights, stating ownership, licensing, compliance requirements, and restrictions for any datasets used or referenced. Similarly, it documents model usage rights, specifying ownership, licensing terms, and redistribution policies for any ML models included or referenced. This level provides confidence that the project can be legally used in professional contexts. **Elite Legal Documentation** establishes a comprehensive legal framework supporting long-term community engagement. It builds on the Professional tier by adding explicit copyright statements in source files and documentation to prevent ambiguity in legal rights and attribution. Elite repositories also include a Code of Conduct that outlines contributor behavior expectations, enforcement mechanisms, and reporting guidelines to foster an inclusive and respectful environment. This level demonstrates commitment to professional standards and community values. Proper licensing and legal documentation transforms your repository from a potentially risky resource into a legally sound project that organizations and individuals can confidently incorporate into their work. This attention to legal concerns removes a significant barrier to adoption and signals professionalism to potential users and contributors. ## Code Quality Code quality is the foundation of maintainable, reliable AI/ML projects. While functional code can deliver results, high-quality code enables long-term sustainability, collaboration, and trust in your implementation. In AI/ML repositories, functionality frequently takes precedence over quality, resulting in maintainability and reliability issues. The following chart highlights common code quality pitfalls. ![code-quality-pitfalls.jpg](code-quality-pitfalls.jpg) Code quality issues manifest in sprawling, monolithic scripts that defy debugging efforts. Excessive function length and high cyclomatic complexity make maintenance difficult. The prevalence of hardcoded values, minimal error handling, and lack of tests results in brittle, unpredictable code. In the AI/ML context, missing random seed settings compromise reproducibility, while poorly documented notebooks obscure the development process. Our framework tackles code quality through graduated standards appropriate for different project stages. The chart below details the Essential, Professional, and Elite criteria that promote maintainable, reliable code as projects evolve ![Code Quality Criteria.svg](Code%20Quality%20Criteria.svg) Let's explore the key principles of code quality at each tier. **Essential Code Quality** establishes basic maintainability by organizing code into functions and methods rather than monolithic scripts, keeping individual scripts under 500 lines, and implementing basic error handling through try/except blocks. It uses dedicated configuration files to separate parameters from code logic and sets random seeds to ensure reproducibility. For notebooks, it maintains reasonable cell length (under 100 lines) and includes markdown documentation (at least 10% of cells). This level provides the minimum quality needed for others to understand and use your code. **Professional Code Quality** significantly enhances maintainability and reliability by implementing comprehensive best practices. Functions are kept under 50 lines, code duplication is limited, and hardcoded constants are minimized. Professional repositories use environment variables for sensitive configurations, implement logging, include tests with framework support, and provide docstrings with parameter and return documentation. They also implement type hints, use style checkers for consistent formatting, control function complexity, and include data validation. For notebooks, they import custom modules and manage output cells properly. This level demonstrates serious software engineering practices. **Elite Code Quality** takes quality to production-grade standards by adding advanced practices such as comprehensive logging configuration, custom exception classes, and test coverage metrics. These repositories represent the highest standard of code quality, suitable for critical production environments and long-term maintenance. High-quality code communicates professionalism and reliability, significantly increasing confidence in your implementation. This attention to quality transforms your repository from working code into trustworthy software that others can confidently build upon, adapt, and maintain over time. # Implementation Guide with Examples The following steps outline a practical approach to creating high-quality AI/ML project repositories. For detailed examples of repository structures and README templates at each implementation tier, see **Appendix A: Sample Repository Structures** and **Appendix B: Sample README Structures**. ### Step 1: Select an Appropriate Template Choose a repository structure that matches your project complexity and goals: - **Essential**: For personal projects, educational demonstrations, or proof-of-concepts - **Professional**: For team projects, research code intended for publication, or open-source contributions - **Elite**: For production systems, major open-source projects, or reference implementations Refer to **Appendix A: Sample Repository Structures** for detailed examples at each tier. Customize these templates to fit your specific needs while maintaining the core organizational principles. Remember that even a small project can benefit from good structure. ### Step 2: Choose the Right License Select a license appropriate for your project's content and intended use: - **MIT License**: Permissive license good for most software projects, allowing commercial use - **Apache 2.0**: Similar to MIT but with patent protections - **GPL (v3)**: Strong copyleft license requiring derivative works to be open-sourced - **Creative Commons**: Various options for non-software content like datasets or documentation Consider the licenses of your dependencies, as they may constrain your options. Ensure your license is compatible with the libraries and frameworks you use. ### Step 3: Implement Environment and Dependency Management Choose the appropriate dependency management approach for your project: - **Essential**: `requirements.txt` listing direct dependencies - **Professional**: - Pinned version numbers (`numpy==1.21.0` instead of just `numpy`) - Separated requirements files for different purposes - Virtual environment configuration (conda, venv, etc.) - **Elite**: - Lockfiles for exact reproduction (poetry.lock, Pipfile.lock) - Containerization with Docker - Environment variables for configuration Document any non-Python dependencies or system requirements clearly in your README. ### Step 4: Create a Structured README Develop a README that matches your target implementation tier. A well-structured README is critical as it's often the first thing visitors see when discovering your project. When creating your README: - Focus on answering the four key questions: what the project is about, why users should care, whether they can trust it, and how they can use it - Match the detail level to your target tier (Essential, Professional, or Elite) - Include examples and code snippets where appropriate - Consider adding screenshots or diagrams for visual clarity Refer to **Appendix B: Sample README Structures** for detailed templates at each implementation tier, from basic structures covering essential information to comprehensive documents that support serious adoption and community engagement. ### Step 5: Follow Coding Best Practices Adopt established coding standards appropriate for your language: - **Python**: - Follow PEP 8 style guidelines (consistent indentation, naming conventions, etc.) - Use type hints for function signatures - Write docstrings for modules, classes, and functions - Consider using linters and formatters (black, flake8, pylint) - **Markdown**: - Use proper heading hierarchy - Include code blocks with language specification - Use lists, tables, and emphasis consistently - Add alt text to images for accessibility - **General Practices**: - Keep functions small and focused on a single task - Write descriptive variable and function names - Include comments explaining "why" not just "what" - Control script and function length - Set random seeds for reproducibility in AI/ML code For a comprehensive list of relevant tools and references, see the **Additional Resources** section at the end of this article, which includes links to code style guides, repository templates, documentation tools, and dependency management solutions. # Tools and Resources The following tools can significantly reduce the effort required to implement best practices in your repositories: ## Documentation Tools - [Sphinx](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/): Python documentation generator - [ReadTheDocs](https://readthedocs.org/): Documentation hosting platform - [Markdown Guide](https://app.readytensor.ai/publications/LX9cbIx7mQs9): Project documentation with Markdown - [Jupyter Book](https://jupyterbook.org/): Create publication-quality books from notebooks - [Docstring Conventions](https://app.readytensor.ai/publications/DM3Ao23CIocT): Guide for Python docstrings ## Repository Structure and Templates - [Cookiecutter](https://github.com/cookiecutter/cookiecutter): Project template tool - [Cookiecutter Data Science](https://github.com/drivendata/cookiecutter-data-science): Template for data science projects - [PyScaffold](https://github.com/pyscaffold/pyscaffold): Project generator for Python packages - [nbdev](https://nbdev.fast.ai/): Create Python packages from Jupyter notebooks ## Dependency Management - [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv): Fast Python package installer and resolver - [Poetry](https://python-poetry.org/): Python packaging and dependency management - [Conda](https://docs.conda.io/): Package and environment management system - [pip-tools](https://github.com/jazzband/pip-tools): Set of tools for managing pip-compiled requirements - [Pipenv](https://pipenv.pypa.io/): Python development workflow tool - [Docker](https://www.docker.com/): Containerization platform ## Code Quality and Testing - [Pre-commit](https://pre-commit.com/): Git hook scripts manager - [Black](https://black.readthedocs.io/): Uncompromising Python code formatter - [Flake8](https://flake8.pycqa.org/): Python code linter - [Pylint](https://pylint.org/): Python static code analysis tool - [mypy](https://mypy.readthedocs.io/): Static type checker for Python - [pytest](https://docs.pytest.org/): Python testing framework - [Coverage.py](https://coverage.readthedocs.io/): Code coverage measurement for Python ## License Resources - [License Guide](https://app.readytensor.ai/publications/qWBpwY20fqSz): A primer on licenses for ML projects - [Choose a License](https://choosealicense.com/): Help picking an open source license - [Open Source Initiative](https://opensource.org/licenses): License information and standards - [TL;DR Legal](https://tldrlegal.com/): Software licenses explained in plain English - [Creative Commons](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/): Licenses for non-code assets ## Style Guides and Standards - [PEP 8](https://app.readytensor.ai/publications/pCgumBWFPD90): Style Guide for Python Code - [Google Python Style Guide](https://google.github.io/styleguide/pyguide.html): Comprehensive style guide - [Docstrings Guide](https://app.readytensor.ai/publications/DM3Ao23CIocT): Python Docstrings for Machine Learning code These tools address different aspects of repository quality, offering options for projects of all scales. Select tools that match your project needs and team capabilities rather than adopting everything at once. # Conclusion Well-structured repositories are essential for the success of AI/ML projects in the wider community. Our framework addresses five fundamental aspects of repository quality: 1. **Documentation** that communicates purpose, usage, and technical details 2. **Repository Structure** that organizes code logically 3. **Environment and Dependencies** that enable reproducibility 4. **License and Legal** considerations that establish usage rights 5. **Code Quality** standards that ensure maintainability The tiered approach, namely Essential, Professional, and Elite, allows you to match your effort to project needs and resource constraints. By evaluating your repositories against this framework, you can systematically improve their quality and impact. This will not only benefit your work efficiency and career prospects but also contribute to the wider AI/ML community. # Appendices ## Appendix A: Sample Repository Structures This appendix provides example repository structures for AI/ML projects at the Essential, Professional, and Elite levels. These examples are starting points that should be adapted to your specific project requirements, technology stack, and team preferences. ### A.1 Essential Repository Structure This basic structure is suitable for simple projects, educational demonstrations, or exploratory research work primarily using Jupyter notebooks: ``` project-name/ │ ├── README.md # Essential project information ├── LICENSE # Appropriate license file ├── requirements.txt # Project dependencies ├── .gitignore # Configured for Python/Jupyter │ ├── notebooks/ # Organized notebooks │ ├── 01_data_exploration.ipynb │ ├── 02_preprocessing.ipynb │ └── 03_model_training.ipynb │ ├── data/ # Data directory (often gitignored) │ ├── .gitkeep # Placeholder to track empty directory │ └── README.md # Data acquisition instructions │ └── models/ # Saved model files (often gitignored) └── .gitkeep # Placeholder to track empty directory ``` **Key Characteristics:** - Clear separation of notebooks, data, and models - Sequential naming of notebooks to indicate workflow - Basic documentation with README files - Simple dependency management with requirements.txt ### A.2 Professional Repository Structure This structure is appropriate for more advanced projects, team collaborations, or code intended for wider distribution: ``` project-name/ │ ├── README.md # Comprehensive project documentation ├── LICENSE # Appropriate license file ├── setup.py # Package installation configuration ├── requirements.txt # Core dependencies ├── requirements-dev.txt # Development dependencies ├── pyproject.toml # Python project metadata ├── .gitignore # Configured for project needs │ ├── src/ # Source code package │ └── project_name/ # Main package directory │ ├── __init__.py # Package initialization │ ├── data/ # Data processing modules │ │ ├── __init__.py │ │ ├── loader.py │ │ └── preprocessor.py │ ├── models/ # Model implementation modules │ │ ├── __init__.py │ │ └── model.py │ ├── utils/ # Utility functions │ │ ├── __init__.py │ │ └── helpers.py │ └── config.py # Configuration parameters │ ├── notebooks/ # Jupyter notebooks (if needed) │ ├── exploration.ipynb │ └── evaluation.ipynb │ ├── tests/ # Test modules │ ├── __init__.py │ ├── test_data.py │ └── test_models.py │ ├── docs/ # Documentation files │ ├── usage.md │ ├── api.md │ └── examples.md │ ├── data/ # Data directory (often gitignored) │ └── README.md # Data acquisition instructions │ └── models/ # Saved model outputs (often gitignored) └── README.md # Model usage information ``` **Key Characteristics:** - Proper Python package structure with `src` layout - Modular organization of code with clear separation of concerns - Comprehensive documentation in dedicated directory - Test directory that mirrors package structure - Separated dependency specifications for different purposes ### A.3 Elite Repository Structure This structure demonstrates a comprehensive repository setup suitable for production-level projects, major open-source initiatives, or reference implementations: ``` project-name/ │ ├── README.md # Main documentation with quick start guide ├── LICENSE # Appropriate license file ├── CHANGELOG.md # Version history and changes ├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines ├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md # Community standards ├── setup.py # Package installation ├── pyproject.toml # Python project config (PEP 518) ├── poetry.lock # Locked dependencies (if using Poetry) ├── requirements/ # Dependency specifications │ ├── base.txt # Core requirements │ ├── dev.txt # Development requirements │ ├── test.txt # Testing requirements │ └── docs.txt # Documentation requirements ├── Dockerfile # Container definition ├── docker-compose.yml # Multi-container setup ├── .gitignore # Git ignore patterns ├── .pre-commit-config.yaml # Pre-commit hook configuration ├── .github/ # GitHub-specific configurations │ ├── workflows/ # CI/CD workflows │ └── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/ # Issue templates │ ├── src/ # Source code package │ └── project_name/ # Main package │ ├── __init__.py # Package initialization with version │ ├── cli.py # Command-line interface │ ├── config.py # Configuration management │ ├── exceptions.py # Custom exceptions │ ├── logging.py # Logging configuration │ ├── data/ # Data processing │ ├── models/ # Model implementations │ └── utils/ # Utility functions │ ├── scripts/ # Utility scripts │ ├── setup_environment.sh │ └── download_datasets.py │ ├── notebooks/ # Jupyter notebooks (if applicable) │ └── examples/ # Example notebooks │ ├── tests/ # Test suite │ ├── conftest.py # Test configuration │ ├── integration/ # Integration tests │ └── unit/ # Unit tests organized by module │ ├── docs/ # Documentation │ ├── conf.py # Sphinx configuration │ ├── index.rst # Documentation home │ ├── installation.rst # Installation guide │ ├── api/ # API documentation │ ├── examples/ # Example usage │ └── _static/ # Static content for docs │ ├── data/ # Data directory (structure depends on project) │ ├── raw/ # Raw data (often gitignored) │ ├── processed/ # Processed data (often gitignored) │ └── README.md # Data documentation │ └── models/ # Model artifacts ├── trained/ # Trained models (often gitignored) ├── pretrained/ # Pretrained models └── README.md # Model documentation ``` **Key Characteristics:** - Comprehensive community documents (CONTRIBUTING, CODE_OF_CONDUCT) - Advanced dependency management with separated requirements - Containerization for reproducible environments - CI/CD configuration for automated testing and deployment - Extensive documentation with proper structure - Clear separation of all project components ### Adapting These Structures These sample structures serve as templates that should be adapted based on: 1. **Project Size and Complexity**: Smaller projects may not need all components shown in the Professional or Elite examples. Include only what serves your project's needs. 2. **Technology Stack**: While these examples focus on Python-based projects, adjust directory structures for other languages or frameworks accordingly. 3. **Team Conventions**: Align with existing conventions your team has established for consistency across projects. 4. **Project Type**: Different AI/ML applications may require specialized structures: - Time series forecasting projects might need additional data versioning - Computer vision projects might require separate directories for images/videos - NLP projects might benefit from corpus and vocabulary management structures 5. **Deployment Context**: Projects deployed as APIs, web applications, or embedded systems will need additional structure to support their deployment environments. Remember that repository structure should facilitate development and use—not impose unnecessary overhead. Start with the simplest structure that meets your needs and expand as your project grows in complexity. ## Appendix B: Sample README Structures This appendix provides example README structures for AI/ML projects at the Essential, Professional, and Elite levels. These templates offer a starting point that should be customized to fit your specific project needs and audience. ### B.1 Essential README Structure This basic structure covers the minimum needed for a useful README: ```markdown # Project Name Brief description of the project. ## Overview Detailed explanation of what the project does and why it's useful. ## Installation Basic installation instructions. ## Usage Simple examples of how to use the project. ## License Information about the project's license. ``` **Key Characteristics:** - Clear project identity with title and description - Basic explanation of purpose and value - Simple instructions for installation and use - License information for legal clarity ### B.2 Professional README Structure This comprehensive structure supports serious adoption: ```markdown # Project Name Brief description of the project. ## Overview Detailed explanation of what the project does and why it's useful. ## Target Audience Who this project is intended for. ## Prerequisites Required knowledge, hardware, and system compatibility. ## Installation Step-by-step installation instructions. ## Environment Setup Environment and dependency information. ## Usage Detailed usage instructions with examples. ## Data Requirements Expected data formats and setup. ## Testing How to run tests for the project. ## Configuration Information on configuration options. ## License Information about the project's license. ## Contributing Guidelines for contributing to the project. ``` **Key Characteristics:** - Comprehensive project description with target audience - Detailed prerequisites and installation steps - Thorough usage documentation with examples - Technical details on data, testing, and configuration - Community engagement through contribution guidelines ### B.3 Elite README Structure This advanced structure creates a complete resource for all users: ```markdown # Project Name Brief description of the project. ## Overview Detailed explanation of what the project does and why it's useful. ## Target Audience Who this project is intended for. ## Prerequisites Required knowledge, hardware, and system compatibility. ## Installation Step-by-step installation instructions. ## Environment Setup Environment and dependency information. ## Usage Detailed usage instructions with examples. ## Data Requirements Expected data formats and setup. ## Testing How to run tests for the project. ## Configuration Information on configuration options. ## Methodology Explanation of the approach and algorithms. ## Performance Benchmarks and performance expectations. ## License Information about the project's license. ## Contributing Guidelines for contributing to the project. ## Changelog Version history and key changes. ## Citation How to cite this project in academic work. ## Contact How to reach the maintainers. ``` **Key Characteristics:** - All elements from Professional README - Technical depth with methodology and performance sections - Project history through changelog - Academic integration with citation information - Maintainer accessibility through contact information ### Customizing README Content These templates provide structure, but effective READMEs require thoughtful content: 1. **Project Description**: Be clear and specific about what your project does. Avoid vague descriptions and technical jargon without explanation. 2. **Examples**: Include concrete, runnable examples that demonstrate key functionality. Code snippets should be complete enough to execute with minimal modification. 3. **Visual Elements**: Consider adding diagrams, screenshots, or other visual elements that clarify complex concepts or demonstrate the project in action. 4. **Audience Adaptation**: Adjust technical depth based on your expected audience. Research projects may include more mathematical detail, while application-focused projects should emphasize practical usage. 5. **Maintenance Status**: Clearly indicate the current maintenance status of the project, especially for open-source work. Remember that a README is often the first interaction users have with your project. It should provide enough information for users to quickly determine if the project meets their needs and how to get started using it.