CONTRIBUTING

Contributing
************

**catsim** is built in an object-oriented paradigm (or as object-oriented as Python allows) so it is rather simple to extend it. You can write new `initializers <catsim.initialization.html>`_, `selectors <catsim.selection.html>`_, `estimators <catsim.reestimation.html>`_ or `stopping criteria <catsim.stopping.html>`_ by extending the base classes that are present in each of the corresponding modules. You can also write new `IRT-related functions <catsim.irt.html>`_ ot `CAT-related functions <catsim.cat.html>`_, as long as you have the right academic papers to prove they are relevant.

If you think the simulator could be doing something it is currently not doing, feel free to sudy it and `make a contribution <catsim.simulation.html>`_

If you know a better way to present all the data collected during simulation, fell free to contribute with `your own plots <catsim.plot.html>`_.

Psychometrics
=============

**catsim** still has a way to go before it can be considered a mature package. Here is a list of features that may be of interest:

* Bayesian ability estimators (maybe using `PyMC <https://pymc-devs.github.io/pymc/>`_);
* Other test evaluation methods;
* Comparisons between simulation results (for example [Barr2010]_);
* Other information functions, selection methods based on intervals or areas of information etc. (see [Lind2010]_).

Unit testing
============

If you are interested in making a contribution to **catsim**, I'd encourage you to also contribute with unit tests in the package's testing module.

How to contribute
=================

**Contributing code:** create a fork on GitHub, make your changes on your own repo and then send a pull request to out **testing** branch so that we can check your contributions. Make sure your version passes on the unit tests.

**Contributing ideas:** file an `issue on GitHub <https://github.com/douglasrizzo/catsim/issues>`_, label it as an **enhancement** and describe as thoroughly as possible what could be done.

**Blaming me:** file an `issue on GitHub <https://github.com/douglasrizzo/catsim/issues>`_ describing as thoroughly as possible the problem, with error messages, descriptions of your tests and possibly suggestions for fixing it.

.. [Lind2010] Linden, W. J. V. D., & Pashley, J. P. Item Selection and Ability Estimation in Adaptive Testing. _In_ Linden, W. J. V. D., & Glas, C. A. W. (2010). Elements of Adaptive Testing. New York, NY, USA: Springer New York.

.. [Barr2010] Barrada, J. R., Olea, J., Ponsoda, V., & Abad, F. J. (2010). A Method for the Comparison of Item Selection Rules in Computerized Adaptive Testing. Applied Psychological Measurement, 34(6), 438–452. http://doi.org/10.1177/0146621610370152