Add beginner-friendly guide for new contributors

docs/beginner-guide.md

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# Beginner Guide – AI-on-Demand Metadata Catalogue
+
+A beginner-friendly guide to help new contributors get started with the AI-on-Demand Metadata Catalogue.
+
+---
+
+## Overview
+The AI-on-Demand Metadata Catalogue is a platform that provides a unified REST API to access metadata of AI resources such as datasets, models, and research papers. It integrates with platforms like Hugging Face, OpenML, and Zenodo.
+
+This guide helps new contributors understand the project and start contributing easily.
+
+---
+
+## Project Structure (High-Level)
+- `src/` → Core backend logic (FastAPI)
+- `docs/` → Documentation
+- `scripts/` → Utility scripts (setup, export, etc.)
+- `docker-compose.yaml` → Multi-service setup (DB, Keycloak, etc.)
+
+---
+
+## How to Get Started
+
+### 🔹 Option 1: Quick Contribution (Recommended)
+If you are new:
+1. Fork the repository  
+2. Explore the `docs/` folder  
+3. Make small improvements (typos, explanations, examples)  
+4. Submit a Pull Request  
+
+Example:
+- Fix a typo in documentation  
+- Improve explanation of an API endpoint  
+
+👉 This does not require setting up the full local environment.
+
+---
+
+### 🔹 Option 2: Full Development Setup (Advanced)
+For backend contributions:
+- Requires Docker, MySQL, Keycloak, Elasticsearch  
+- Follow the Hosting documentation for setup  
+
+---
+
+## Contribution Workflow
+
+1. Fork the repository  
+2. Create a new branch  
+3. Make your changes  
+4. Commit and push  
+5. Open a Pull Request  
+
+For more details, see the contributing guide.
+
+---
+
+## Tips for Beginners
+
+- Start with documentation contributions  
+- Avoid complex backend or infrastructure issues initially  
+- Check if an issue is already assigned before working on it  
+- Read existing documentation before making changes  
+
+---
+
+## Common Challenges
+
+- Docker setup can be complex  
+- Windows users may face dependency issues (e.g., mysqlclient)  
+- The project uses multiple services, which can be overwhelming at first  
+
+---
+
+## Useful Links
+
+- Contributing Guide → `docs/contributing.md`  
+- Hosting Guide → `docs/hosting`  
+- API Usage → `docs/using`  
+
+---
+
+## Recommended Path
+
+Start with small contributions like:
+- Improving documentation  
+- Fixing typos  
+- Adding beginner-friendly explanations  
+
+Once comfortable, move to backend features and API improvements.