EVERSE-ResearchSoftware · gperu · Apr 8, 2026 · Apr 8, 2026 · Apr 8, 2026 · Apr 8, 2026
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ For larger changes — new sections, structural reorganisation, or changes to co
 
 1. **Fork** this repository and create a branch from `main`.
 2. **Make your changes** in the relevant Markdown file(s) under `source/`.
-3. **Build locally** (optional but recommended) to check the output looks correct — see the [local build instructions](README.md#editing-and-building-locally) in the README.
+3. **Build locally** (optional but recommended) to check the output looks correct — see the [local build instructions](README.md#building-locally) in the README.
 4. **Open a pull request** against `main` with a clear description of what you changed and why.
 5. A maintainer will review and may request changes before merging.
 
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ For larger changes — new sections, structural reorganisation, or changes to co
 
 ## Section ownership
 
-Each chapter and section has an owner listed in the [README](README.md#chapter-and-section-owners). If your change touches a specific section, it is good practice to request a review from the relevant owner.
+Each chapter and section has an owner listed in the [README](README.md#section-owners). If your change touches a specific section, it is good practice to request a review from the relevant owner.
 
 ## Licensing
 
 By submitting a contribution, you agree that your work will be released under the [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) that covers this repository.
 
 ## Questions
 
-If you are unsure where to start or have questions about the contribution process, open an issue or contact the EVERSE Task Force 2 team.
+If you are unsure where to start or have questions about the contribution process, open an issue or contact the maintainers: [@gperu](https://github.com/gperu) and [@fdiblen](https://github.com/fdiblen).
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -1,29 +1,14 @@
 # EVERSE Reference Framework
 
-The EVERSE Reference Framework (RF) establishes quality assessment standards for research software across diverse research communities. It serves as both a theoretical foundation and practical guide for research software quality.
+The EVERSE Reference Framework establishes quality assessment standards for research software. It covers twelve quality dimensions — nine technical dimensions based on ISO/IEC 25010:2023, plus FAIRness, Open Source Software, and Sustainability — and provides four complementary views (three-tier model, software lifecycle, personas, and science clusters) to help different stakeholders apply them.
 
-## About
+**Read the framework:** [Latest version (PDF)](reference-framework.pdf) · [Stable release v2.1 on Zenodo](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15856368)
 
-The RF addresses research software quality through four main pillars:
-- **Technical dimensions** based on ISO/IEC 25010:2023 standards
-- **FAIR principles** for research software
-- **Open source software** practices
-- **Sustainability** considerations
+**Version 2.1** (July 2025) — [![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.15856368.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15856368) [![License: CC BY 4.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-CC_BY_4.0-lightgrey.svg)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
 
-The framework targets multiple stakeholder groups through four complementary views:
-- **Three-tier model** categorising software by complexity
-- **Software lifecycle** development stages
-- **Personas** role-based perspectives
-- **Science clusters** domain-specific applications
+## Section owners
 
-## Current version
-
-**Version 2.1** (published July 2025)
-
-[![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.15856368.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15856368)
-[![License: CC BY 4.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-CC_BY_4.0-lightgrey.svg)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
-
-## Chapter and Section owners
+Each section has an owner responsible for its content. To claim a section, add yourself to the table and open a pull request.
 
 | Name (optionally email) | GitHub username | Affiliation | Chapter and Section |
 | :---------------------- | :-------------: | :---------: | :------------------ |
@@ -40,159 +25,43 @@ The framework targets multiple stakeholder groups through four complementary vie
 | Your name | @username | Your affiliation | **Chapter-3:** Science Clusters View ([#14](https://github.com/EVERSE-ResearchSoftware/reference-framework/issues/14)) |
 | Your name | @username | Your affiliation | **Chapter-4:** Conclusions ([#15](https://github.com/EVERSE-ResearchSoftware/reference-framework/issues/15)) |
 
-## Repository structure
-
-```
-reference-framework/
-├── README.md
-├── CONTRIBUTING.md
-├── LICENSE
-├── Makefile                           # Build targets (pdf, html, markdown)
-├── .github/
-│   └── workflows/
-│       └── build-pdf.yml              # CI pipeline for PDF generation
-├── templates/
-│   ├── everse.latex                   # Pandoc LaTeX template
-│   └── logos/                         # Header/footer logos
-├── source/
-│   ├── main.md                        # Metadata (title, version, authors)
-│   ├── 01-introduction/
-│   │   └── index.md
-│   ├── 02-framework/
-│   │   ├── index.md
-│   │   ├── technical-dimensions.md
-│   │   ├── fair.md
-│   │   ├── open-source-software.md
-│   │   └── sustainability.md
-│   ├── 03-views/
-│   │   ├── index.md
-│   │   ├── three-tiers.md
-│   │   ├── software-lifecycle.md
-│   │   ├── personas.md
-│   │   └── science-clusters.md
-│   ├── 04-conclusions/
-│   │   └── index.md
-│   └── figures/                       # Diagrams and images
-├── assets/
-│   └── EVERSE_reference_framework_v2.pdf  # Archived v2.0 PDF
-└── build/                             # Generated output (gitignored)
-```
+## Building locally
 
-## Editing and building locally
+The document source is in `source/` as Markdown files, combined by the `Makefile`. Output goes to `build/`.
 
-### Prerequisites
-
-To build the PDF you need:
-
-- [Pandoc](https://pandoc.org/installing.html) (3.0 or later)
-- A TeX Live installation with LuaLaTeX and the following packages: `titlesec`, `setspace`, `fontspec`, `fancyhdr`, `geometry`, `longtable`, `booktabs`, `tex-gyre` fonts
-- GNU Make
-
-On **Ubuntu/Debian**:
+**Prerequisites:** [Pandoc](https://pandoc.org/installing.html) 3.0+, LuaLaTeX (via TeX Live), GNU Make.
 
 ```bash
+# Ubuntu/Debian
 sudo apt install pandoc texlive-luatex texlive-latex-extra texlive-fonts-extra make
-```
-
-On **macOS** (with Homebrew):
-
-```bash
-brew install pandoc make
-brew install --cask mactex
-```
-
-On **Fedora**:
-
-```bash
-sudo dnf install pandoc texlive-scheme-medium texlive-titlesec texlive-setspace texlive-tex-gyre make
-```
-
-### Editing
-
-The document source lives under `source/` as Markdown files. Edit the files directly -- they are combined in the order listed in the `Makefile`. Metadata (title, version, authors) is in `source/main.md`.
-
-Images go in `source/figures/` and are referenced with relative paths from each Markdown file, e.g.:
 
-```markdown
-![Caption text](../figures/my-figure.png){ width=70% }
+# macOS
+brew install pandoc make && brew install --cask mactex
 ```
 
-The `{ width=70% }` attribute controls how wide the figure appears in the PDF (percentage of page width).
-
-### Building
-
-From the repository root:
-
 ```bash
-# Build PDF (default target)
-make pdf
-
-# Build single-file HTML
-make html
-
-# Build combined Markdown
-make markdown
-
-# Remove all build output
-make clean
+make pdf       # Build PDF (default)
+make html      # Build single-file HTML
+make markdown  # Build combined Markdown
+make clean     # Remove build output
 ```
 
-Output is written to the `build/` directory.
-
-## Development workflow
-
-The Reference Framework follows a periodic release model:
-
-- **GitHub main branch**: Contains work-in-progress for the next version
-- **Zenodo releases**: Stable, citable versions with DOIs
-- **Version releases**: Major versions only (v2, v3, v4...)
-
-### Release process
-
-1. Work on main branch accumulates changes and improvements
-2. When ready for release, create git tag (e.g., `v3.0`)
-3. Generate PDF from markdown source
-4. Publish to Zenodo with DOI
-5. Continue development on main for next version
+## Contributing
 
-### Between releases
-
-- Changes tracked via GitHub issues and pull requests
-- Feedback from TF2 meetings, presentations, and community incorporated
-- No automatic synchronisation from other EVERSE repositories (indicators, RSQKit)
-- Alignment maintained through manual review and discussion
-
-## How to contribute
-
-See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines on reporting issues, proposing changes, and submitting pull requests.
+See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md). The `main` branch is work-in-progress for the next version; stable releases are published to Zenodo.
 
 ## Relationship to other EVERSE tools
 
-- **RSQKit**: Actionable knowledge hub translating RF concepts into practical guidance
-- **TechRadar**: Tool cataloguing system
-- **Indicators repository**: Canonical source for dimensions and indicators data
-- **QualityPipelines/resqui**: Automated assessment tools
-- **DashVERSE**: Visualisation platform
+The RF provides conceptual foundations for the EVERSE ecosystem: **RSQKit** translates RF concepts into practical guidance, the **Indicators repository** is the canonical source for dimensions and indicators data, and **QualityPipelines/resqui** and **DashVERSE** provide automated assessment and visualisation.
 
-The RF provides conceptual foundations whilst these tools enable practical implementation.
-
-## Versions
+## Contact
 
-- **v2.1** (July 2025): Twelve quality dimensions established (nine technical plus FAIR, Open Source Software, and Sustainability)
-- **v3.0** (target Summer 2026): Refinement and integration of community feedback
+For questions, open an issue or reach out to the maintainers: [@gperu](https://github.com/gperu) and [@fdiblen](https://github.com/fdiblen).
 
-## How to cite
+## Cite as
 
 > EVERSE Consortium. (2025). EVERSE Reference Framework for Research Software Quality (v2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15856368
 
-## Contact
-
-For questions about the Reference Framework, contact the EVERSE Task Force 2 team or open an issue in this repository.
-
 ## Licence
 
-This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
-
-## Acknowledgements
-
-This work is funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101129744 (EVERSE).
+[Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe programme, grant agreement No. 101129744 (EVERSE).
diff --git a/reference-framework.pdf b/reference-framework.pdf