Contributor Agreement Template
A contributor agreement sets out the terms for people who help build the dataset, such as annotators, translators, and chapter authors, covering what they will do, how their work is licensed, and how they are paid and credited. Adapt it to your project and local law.
When to use this template
When onboarding annotators, translators, or other contributors whose work becomes part of the dataset or the playbook.
What this agreement covers
The scope of the contribution, the rights granted, compensation and attribution, data handling, and how either side can end the arrangement.
Part 1. Contributor and project details: [contributor name, contact]; [project, coordinator].
Part 2. Scope of contribution: the contributor will [annotate / translate / write / review] [describe the work and volume] to the standards in the project guidelines.
Part 3. Intellectual property and licensing: the contributor grants the project the rights needed to include and release their contribution under the dataset's licence [licence], while [retaining / transferring] their own rights as agreed.
Part 4. Compensation and attribution: compensation is [amount, schedule, method, e.g. mobile money]; the contributor will be credited as [name / pseudonym / anonymous] in datasheets and publications.
Part 5. Confidentiality and data handling: the contributor will handle any sensitive or personal data only as the project directs and will not redistribute it.
Part 6. Termination: either party may end the agreement with [notice]; completed and paid work remains licensed as above.
Part 7. Signature: [names, dates, signatures].
Pay fairly and on time, and make attribution real. A contributor agreement is also a statement of respect for the people building the data (see Project Management and Data Governance).
