README Generator App for Research Data Deposits in Borealis

[Tameem Hamid]

At Scholars Portal we are currently developing the Borealis README Generator (not to be confused with readme.io).

The README Generator is a Next.js web app registered as a Dataverse external tool that unifies features and metadata captured from various README file generator tools across different institutions into a single, integrated solution. It reads dataset metadata and file information via the Dataverse API and uses that data to populate a structured README template.

Key features include version control, file selection with variable metadata support, custom sections, dual markdown editing, light / dark mode and EN / FR localization.

The workflow is simple: go to a dataset → click Edit Dataset → click Create README → select a version, customize files and metadata sections → save the README directly to the dataset, or copy/download it separately.

More information about comparisons of metadata and features across various README generators can be found here: https://borealisdata.ca/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.5683/SP3/CJ5X5O

The GitHub repository for the prototype is available at: https://github.com/scholarsportal/README-generator-prototype

If anyone is interested, whether as an individual or a team feel free to contact us or ask questions at in...@borealisdata.ca

[Philip Durbin]

Hi Tameem!

This tool looks really nice!

At the end of the last community call I mentioned that the next one on September 1st* will be about DataverseNO's URGE tool, which stands for Universal Readme file GEnerator: https://urge.usn.no

Would you be available to present your tool as well? It sounds like they could be cousins!

Either way, please feel free to open an issue and PR to add your tool to the list of external tools in the guides. As of this writing the file to edit is doc/sphinx-guides/source/_static/admin/dataverse-external-tools.tsv at https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse

I poked around your dataset a bit but I'm a bit confused about what you mean by various README generators. I'm left wondering how many there are! 😄

Finally, https://github.com/IQSS/dataverse-pm/issues/595 is on-topic for all of this:

"#### Deposit README creator agent

- Tools to enable users to automatically generate README files for their dataset deposits
  - **Inputs**: read-only access to a user's dataset directory (e.g., on their laptop), dataset draft on Harvard Dataverse, and/or related publications and documentation
  - **Example Workflow**: user asks Claude (or other LLM) to use Harvard Dataverse and/or CAFE-related skill.md and agents.md to create a draft README for the dataset."

Thanks!

Phil

* https://dataverse.org/community-calls

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Philip Durbin
Software Developer for http://dataverse.org
http://www.iq.harvard.edu/people/philip-durbin

[Tameem Hamid]

Hi Philip,

Exciting stuff! I should be available to give a demo and background for our tool. I think it'll benefit both our README development.

Different institutions have different guidelines / objectives for their READMEs. Some use a sample file, some have a generator like McMaster: https://rdm.mcmaster.ca/readme-general, others will have a template like https://ubc-library-rc.github.io/rdm/content/03_create_readme.html.

Our tool just tries to create a generator that follows a wide web of institutional README requirements for Borealis.

Thanks, Tameem