# Using References

Templates are your primary tool for writing READMEs. References provide depth - use them to refine your understanding or handle edge cases.

**Tip:** Don't load all references at once. Pick the one most relevant to your situation.

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### art-of-readme.md
`references/art-of-readme.md`

**Why:** The philosophy behind great READMEs - understanding how readers actually scan and evaluate projects
**What:** Cognitive funneling (broad → specific), brevity as a feature, README as the "one-stop shop" that keeps users out of source code

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### make-a-readme.md
`references/make-a-readme.md`

**Why:** Practical, section-by-section guidance for what to include
**What:** Walks through each common section (Name, Description, Installation, Usage, etc.) with concrete suggestions. Good reminder: "too long is better than too short"

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### standard-readme-spec.md
`references/standard-readme-spec.md`

**Why:** Formal specification when consistency or compliance matters
**What:** Required vs optional sections, exact ordering, formatting rules. Useful for OSS projects wanting a standardized format.

Examples:
- `references/standard-readme-example-minimal.md` - Bare minimum compliant README
- `references/standard-readme-example-maximal.md` - Full-featured with badges, ToC, all optional sections