# README files ## Overview A README file is a document that introduces and explains a project, helping colleagues and your future self navigate through a past project (Briney, 2014). ## Developing README files contain information about the other files in a directory or folder. The concept comes from programming but is also very useful for research projects. It is usually a simple plain text file called README in capital letters. A good README includes information that helps the reader understand what the project is about, including helping them do basic navigation through the subfolders (Briney, 2014). ## Skilled README files can be used to record [data provenance](https://ardc.edu.au/resources/working-with-data/data-provenance/). They are important for capturing [metadata](https://ardc.edu.au/resources/working-with-data/metadata/) related to research projects and datasets. ## Helpful resources Here are some good resources and templates used for creating README files so that you know what information you should include about your project: [README editor](https://readme.so/editor) [Make a README](https://www.makeareadme.com/) These are more detailed guides on what to include in a README file for a research project, with links to templates: [Research Data Management: Guide to writing “readme” type metadata](https://www.open.ac.uk/library-research-support/research-data-management/research-data-management-guide-writing-%E2%80%9Creadme%E2%80%9D-type-metadata) [Guide to writing "readme" style metadata](https://data.research.cornell.edu/content/readme) Briney, K. (2014, February 25). README.txt. Data Ab Initio: Managing Research Data Right, from the Start. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://aarnet.gitbook.io/digital-skills-gitbook-1/ict-proficiency-productivity/readme-file.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.