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Reference Note Guidelines

Use this guide for curated reference notes under contributor-kit/reference-notes/.

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What a reference note is

A curated reference note is not a lab article and not a source project. It is a structured source roundup that helps future contributors understand a topic quickly. Good fits:
  • source maps
  • comparison roundups
  • bounded reading lists
  • topic briefings for future lab expansion

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Placement and naming

  • Place notes in contributor-kit/reference-notes/
  • Use topic-first filenames such as deep-research-source-map.md
Keep these notes clearly separate from imported materials in references/.

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Required shape

Start from Reference Note Template. Required sections:
  • Summary
  • Why It Matters
  • Scope Notes
  • Source Map
  • Synthesis
  • Gaps And Follow-up
  • Update Log

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Working rules

  • Curate and synthesize sources instead of copying them.
  • Make the scope explicit so future contributors know what the note does not cover.
  • Prefer short synthesis over long quotes.
  • Keep the note useful for future drafting, not just as a bookmark dump.

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Completion standard

A reference note is ready for review when it:
  • has a clear topic boundary
  • includes a real source map
  • adds synthesis rather than raw extraction
  • stays outside the imported references/ tree