diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 5bcbfc11d..c68f4bcaf 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -59,13 +59,18 @@ Getting Started
 Making Changes
 --------------
 
-+ Create a topic branch from where you want to base your work (this is usually the master/trunk branch).
++ Create a topic branch from where you want to base your work (this is usually the develop/trunk branch).
 + Make commits of logical units.
 + Respect the original code style:
   + Only use spaces for indentation.
   + Create minimal diffs - disable on save actions like reformat source code or organize imports. If you feel the source code should be reformatted create a separate PR for this change.
   + Check for unnecessary whitespace with git diff --check before committing.
++ Topic branch names should directly correspond to the JIRA issues they are intended to resolve. For example branch names should look like:
+  + `improvement-MATH-852`
+  + `bug-MATH-1329`
+  + `feature-MATH-621`
 + Make sure your commit messages are in the proper format. Your commit message should contain the key of the JIRA issue.
+  + For example, a commit message might look like `MATH-852: Adding documentation for development`
 + Make sure you have added the necessary tests for your changes.
 + Run all the tests with `mvn clean verify` to assure nothing else was accidentally broken.