# Contributor Covenant Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct establishes the standards and expectations for all participants in the UCID (Urban Context Identifier) community. Our goal is to create an inclusive, respectful, and productive environment for everyone involved in the project.

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## Table of Contents

1. [Our Pledge](#our-pledge)
2. [Our Standards](#our-standards)
3. [Responsibilities](#responsibilities)
4. [Scope](#scope)
5. [Enforcement](#enforcement)
6. [Enforcement Guidelines](#enforcement-guidelines)
7. [Reporting](#reporting)
8. [Appeals Process](#appeals-process)
9. [Definitions](#definitions)
10. [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions)
11. [Attribution](#attribution)

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## Our Pledge

We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, caste, color, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and healthy community.

### Core Values

The UCID community is built on the following core values:

| Value | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Respect** | Treat all community members with dignity and courtesy |
| **Inclusivity** | Actively welcome and support people of all backgrounds |
| **Collaboration** | Work together constructively toward shared goals |
| **Transparency** | Communicate openly and honestly |
| **Accountability** | Take responsibility for our actions and their impact |
| **Excellence** | Strive for quality in all contributions |

### Community Goals

Our community aims to:

1. Advance the field of urban data science through open source software
2. Provide accessible tools for researchers and practitioners worldwide
3. Foster innovation in urban planning and policy analysis
4. Build a sustainable, self-governing open source community
5. Maintain the highest standards of code quality and documentation
6. Create opportunities for learning and professional development

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## Our Standards

### Positive Behavior

Examples of behavior that contributes to a positive environment for our community include:

#### Communication Standards

| Standard | Examples |
|----------|----------|
| **Constructive Feedback** | Specific, actionable suggestions for improvement |
| **Active Listening** | Acknowledging others' perspectives before responding |
| **Clear Expression** | Writing clearly and avoiding jargon when possible |
| **Timely Response** | Responding to issues and PRs within reasonable timeframes |
| **Inclusive Language** | Using gender-neutral terms and avoiding exclusionary language |

#### Collaboration Standards

1. **Demonstrating empathy and kindness toward other people**
   - Acknowledging the feelings and perspectives of others
   - Offering help to those who are struggling
   - Celebrating the successes of community members
   - Being patient with newcomers and those learning

2. **Being respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences**
   - Engaging in productive debate without personal attacks
   - Seeking to understand before seeking to be understood
   - Accepting that reasonable people can disagree
   - Valuing diverse perspectives as a strength

3. **Giving and gracefully accepting constructive feedback**
   - Focusing on the work, not the person
   - Providing specific, actionable suggestions
   - Thanking reviewers for their time and input
   - Accepting criticism as an opportunity to improve

4. **Accepting responsibility and apologizing to those affected by our mistakes**
   - Acknowledging errors promptly and sincerely
   - Taking corrective action to prevent recurrence
   - Learning from the experience
   - Not making excuses or shifting blame

5. **Focusing on what is best for the overall community**
   - Considering the long-term impact of decisions
   - Balancing individual preferences with community needs
   - Supporting decisions once they are made
   - Prioritizing project health over personal interests

#### Technical Standards

| Area | Expectations |
|------|--------------|
| **Code Review** | Respectful, thorough, and educational feedback |
| **Issue Reporting** | Clear, complete, and reproducible problem descriptions |
| **Documentation** | Accurate, comprehensive, and accessible writing |
| **Testing** | Thorough coverage that helps maintain quality |
| **Mentoring** | Patience and support for new contributors |

### Unacceptable Behavior

The following behaviors are considered unacceptable in our community:

#### Harassment and Discrimination

1. **The use of sexualized language or imagery, and sexual attention or advances of any kind**
   - This includes unwelcome comments about appearance
   - Sexual jokes, innuendo, or requests for sexual favors
   - Sharing sexually explicit content
   - Unwelcome physical contact at events

2. **Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks**
   - Deliberately inflammatory or provocative statements
   - Name-calling, slurs, or derogatory nicknames
   - Sustained disruption of discussions
   - Personal attacks unrelated to technical matters

3. **Public or private harassment**
   - Repeated unwanted contact after being asked to stop
   - Following or stalking behavior
   - Threats of violence or intimidation
   - Doxing (publishing private information)

4. **Publishing others' private information without explicit permission**
   - Real names, addresses, or phone numbers
   - Email addresses or social media accounts
   - Employer information or financial details
   - Private communications without consent

5. **Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting**
   - Excessive profanity
   - Aggressive or confrontational tone
   - Refusing to follow community guidelines
   - Deliberate intimidation

#### Professional Misconduct

| Behavior | Examples |
|----------|----------|
| **Plagiarism** | Copying code or documentation without attribution |
| **Misrepresentation** | Falsely claiming contributions or credentials |
| **Sabotage** | Intentionally introducing bugs or security vulnerabilities |
| **Spam** | Excessive self-promotion or off-topic content |
| **Bad Faith** | Deliberately wasting maintainers' time |

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## Responsibilities

### Community Leaders

Community leaders are responsible for clarifying and enforcing our standards of acceptable behavior and will take appropriate and fair corrective action in response to any behavior that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.

#### Leader Responsibilities

| Responsibility | Description |
|----------------|-------------|
| **Enforcement** | Apply Code of Conduct fairly and consistently |
| **Communication** | Explain decisions clearly and respectfully |
| **Confidentiality** | Protect reporter identity in investigations |
| **Impartiality** | Recuse themselves when personally involved |
| **Timeliness** | Respond to reports within stated timeframes |
| **Documentation** | Keep records of incidents and decisions |

Community leaders have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, and will communicate reasons for moderation decisions when appropriate.

### Maintainers

Maintainers have additional responsibilities:

1. Reviewing and merging contributions fairly
2. Providing constructive feedback on pull requests
3. Helping new contributors understand the project
4. Escalating Code of Conduct violations appropriately
5. Modeling positive behavior for the community
6. Creating a welcoming environment for all participants

### Contributors

All contributors are expected to:

1. Read and follow this Code of Conduct
2. Treat all community members with respect
3. Accept feedback gracefully
4. Report violations they witness
5. Support the goals of the community
6. Help maintain a positive environment

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## Scope

This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces, and also applies when an individual is officially representing the community in public spaces.

### Covered Spaces

| Space Type | Examples |
|------------|----------|
| **Code Repositories** | GitHub issues, PRs, comments, commits |
| **Communication Channels** | Discord, Slack, mailing lists, forums |
| **Events** | Conferences, meetups, workshops, webinars |
| **Social Media** | Official accounts and project-related posts |
| **Documentation** | README files, wikis, tutorials |

### Official Representation

Examples of representing our community include:

- Using an official project email address
- Posting via an official social media account
- Acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event
- Speaking at conferences about the project
- Wearing project-branded merchandise at events

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## Enforcement

### Reporting Process

Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported to the community leaders responsible for enforcement at:

**Email**: conduct@ucid.org

**Response Time**: We aim to respond within 48 hours

All complaints will be reviewed and investigated promptly and fairly.

### Confidentiality

All community leaders are obligated to respect the privacy and security of the reporter of any incident.

| Information | Confidentiality |
|-------------|-----------------|
| Reporter identity | Not disclosed without consent |
| Report contents | Shared only with enforcement team |
| Investigation details | Limited to necessary parties |
| Final decision | Public with identifying details removed |

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## Enforcement Guidelines

Community leaders will follow these Community Impact Guidelines:

### 1. Correction

**Community Impact**: Use of inappropriate language or other behavior deemed unprofessional.

**Consequence**: A private, written warning providing clarity around the nature of the violation.

**Duration**: Immediate and one-time

### 2. Warning

**Community Impact**: A violation through a single incident or series of actions.

**Consequence**: A warning with consequences for continued behavior. No interaction with the people involved for a specified period.

**Duration**: Typically 30-90 days

### 3. Temporary Ban

**Community Impact**: A serious violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior.

**Consequence**: A temporary ban from any sort of interaction or public communication with the community.

**Duration**: Typically 90 days to 1 year

### 4. Permanent Ban

**Community Impact**: Demonstrating a pattern of violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior or harassment.

**Consequence**: A permanent ban from any sort of public interaction within the community.

**Duration**: Indefinite

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## Reporting

### How to Report

If you experience or witness behavior that violates this Code of Conduct:

1. **Direct Resolution**: If comfortable, address the issue directly with the person involved
2. **Report to Leaders**: Email conduct@ucid.org with details
3. **Anonymous Report**: Use our anonymous reporting form (if available)

### What to Include

| Information | Description |
|-------------|-------------|
| **Date and Time** | When the incident occurred |
| **Location** | Where the incident occurred (channel, PR, etc.) |
| **Description** | What happened, as specifically as possible |
| **Evidence** | Screenshots, links, or other documentation |
| **Witnesses** | Names of others who observed the incident |
| **Context** | Any relevant background information |

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## Appeals Process

### Appealing a Decision

If you believe an enforcement decision was made in error:

1. Submit an appeal to appeals@ucid.org within 30 days
2. Include the original decision and your reasoning
3. Provide any new information not previously considered
4. The appeals committee will review within 14 days
5. The appeals decision is final

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## Definitions

### Glossary

| Term | Definition |
|------|------------|
| **Community** | All participants in UCID, including users, contributors, maintainers, and leaders |
| **Community Leaders** | Individuals responsible for enforcing this Code of Conduct |
| **Contributor** | Anyone who contributes to the project (code, documentation, issues, etc.) |
| **Harassment** | Unwanted behavior that demeans, threatens, or offends |
| **Maintainer** | Project members with commit access and review responsibilities |
| **Public Space** | Any venue where community members interact publicly |
| **Safe Space** | An environment free from harassment and discrimination |

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### General Questions

**Q: Does this Code of Conduct apply to me?**
A: Yes, if you participate in the UCID community in any capacity.

**Q: What if I witness a violation but am not the target?**
A: You can and should report it. Bystander reports help maintain community health.

**Q: Are volunteers held to the same standards as paid maintainers?**
A: Yes, all community members are held to the same standards of conduct.

### Reporting Questions

**Q: What happens if I report anonymously?**
A: Anonymous reports are taken seriously, but limited information may limit our ability to investigate.

**Q: Will my report be kept confidential?**
A: Yes, we protect reporter identity unless you consent to disclosure.

**Q: What if I am being harassed by a maintainer?**
A: Report to conduct@ucid.org. We have procedures for handling reports involving community leaders.

### Enforcement Questions

**Q: Can I appeal an enforcement decision?**
A: Yes, you may request a review within 30 days of the decision.

**Q: What if I disagree with a warning I received?**
A: You may respond to the enforcement team with your perspective.

**Q: Are enforcement actions public?**
A: Generally, only severe actions (bans) are announced publicly, without identifying details.

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## Attribution

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the [Contributor Covenant](https://www.contributor-covenant.org/), version 2.1, available at [https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/1/code_of_conduct.html](https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/1/code_of_conduct.html).

Community Impact Guidelines were inspired by [Mozilla's code of conduct enforcement ladder](https://github.com/mozilla/diversity).

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## Amendments

This Code of Conduct may be amended through the following process:

1. Proposed changes posted for community review (30 days)
2. Feedback collected and incorporated
3. Final version approved by governance board
4. Updated version published with effective date

Current version: 2.1
Effective date: 2026-01-01
Last reviewed: 2026-01-12

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Copyright 2026 UCID Foundation. All rights reserved.
