readme update

README.md

@@ -24,44 +24,86 @@ configs:
 
 # 📚 Hmar Digital Corpus & Research Archive
 
-## 🚧 Status: Solo Preservation Project (Work in Progress)
-**This is a personal, manual effort to digitize and catalog Hmar-related materials.** Unlike automated datasets, this corpus is built through **manual scanning of physical volumes** and the careful curation of rare digital documents. Because each book is processed individually—from physical scan to metadata entry—the archive grows one volume at a time.
+## 🚧 Status: Work in Progress
+This archive documents and preserves Hmar-related literature through **manual digitization of physical volumes** and the curation of rare digital materials. Each work is processed individually—from scan to metadata—to prioritize long-term preservation and research usability over scale.
 
 **Current Workflow:**
-- **Manual Digitization:** Scanning physical books to create high-quality, preserved PDFs.
-- **Curation:** Sourcing and verifying existing digital research papers.
-- **Standardization:** Creating structured `metadata.json` for every entry to ensure long-term searchability.
+- **Digitization:** High-quality scans of physical books and documents.
+- **Curation:** Collection and verification of existing digital research papers.
+- **Standardization:** Structured metadata (`metadata.json`) for every entry to ensure consistent indexing and retrieval.
 
 ---
 
 ## 📋 Project Philosophy
-The **Hmar Digital Corpus** aims to prevent the loss of Hmar literature and historical records. By converting physical "Grey Literature" (books with limited circulation, student association journals, and local research) into a structured digital format, we ensure that the Hmar language (ISO 639-3: `hmr`) has a lasting presence in the digital and academic world.
+The **Hmar Digital Corpus** exists to prevent the loss of Hmar literature and historical records. By converting limited-circulation books, community publications, and local research into a structured digital archive, the project ensures that the Hmar language (ISO 639-3: `hmr`) remains accessible for academic, linguistic, and cultural research.
 
+This project prioritizes **preservation, provenance, and transparency** over textual polish or scale.
 
+---
 
 ## 📂 Repository Structure
-The corpus uses an **"Atomic Folder"** system. Every book is a self-contained unit.
+The corpus follows an **Atomic Folder** model: each book or document is a self-contained unit.
 
 ```text
 books/
-├── hmar/          # Hmar language literature & textbooks (Manual Scans)
-├── mizo/          # Mizo-language works regarding Hmar history
+├── hmar/          # Hmar language literature & textbooks
+├── mizo/          # Mizo-language works concerning Hmar history
 ├── english/       # Academic research, ethnographies, and linguistics
 └── bilingual/     # Dictionaries, primers, and parallel texts
 ```
 
+Each document folder typically contains:
+- the scanned PDF (authoritative artifact),
+- a `metadata.json` file,
+- and, when available, an `ocr/` directory.
+
+---
+
 ## 🔍 Metadata & Searchability
-Each folder contains a `metadata.json` file. This is crucial for solo project management, as it allows the archive to remain organized regardless of how many files are added. 
+Every document directory includes a `metadata.json` file, enabling reliable organization and search at scale.
+
+- **Core Fields:** Title (bilingual where applicable), Author, Year, Publisher.
+- **Extended Metadata:** Contextual information such as institutional approvals, author credentials, edition notes, or physical source details.
 
-- **Core Fields:** Title (Bilingual), Author, Year, Publisher.
-- **Extra Metadata:** Includes specific context like Government approval letters, author credentials, or physical source notes.
+Metadata is treated as first-class data and is required even when OCR is absent.
+
+---
+
+## 📁 OCR Directory Structure
+When available, OCR output is stored in a dedicated `ocr/` subdirectory within each book or document folder.
+
+**Example structure:**
+```text
+Bilingual/
+└── hmar_tawng_inchukna/
+    ├── hmar_tawng_inchukna_2012.pdf
+    ├── metadata.json
+    └── ocr/
+        └── hmar_tawng_inchukna_2012.txt
+```
+
+### OCR File Semantics
+- The `ocr/` directory contains **raw, untouched OCR output**.
+- In the current corpus, OCR is typically stored as a **single consolidated `.txt` file** corresponding to the scanned PDF.
+- In future entries, OCR may also be organized per page or per chapter where useful.
+- No semantic corrections, spell-checking, normalization, or stylistic cleanup is applied unless explicitly documented in metadata.
+
+The presence of an `ocr/` directory **does not imply textual accuracy or verification**. OCR text exists to support search, reference, and future annotation—not as a definitive transcription.
+
+The scanned PDF remains the **authoritative source** unless a text has been explicitly marked as *verified* or *curated* in its metadata.
+
+Any corrected or curated text—if introduced—will exist as a **separate layer** and will retain explicit references to the original OCR output.
+
+---
 
 ## 🛠 Progress & Limitations
-As a solo maintainer manually scanning these works:
-1. **OCR is a secondary phase:** The priority is first securing the PDF and Metadata.
-2. **Updates are periodic:** New volumes are pushed to the repository as they are completed.
+1. **Preservation first:** Priority is given to securing high-quality scans and accurate metadata.
+2. **OCR is secondary:** OCR is generated opportunistically and may be incomplete or error-prone.
+3. **Incremental growth:** Materials are added as they are processed and documented.
+
+---
 
 ## ⚖️ Rights & Usage
-This archive is curated for **non-commercial research, linguistic study, and cultural preservation**. 
+This archive is provided for **non-commercial research, linguistic study, and cultural preservation**.
 
-Copyright remains with the original authors, societies, and publishers (e.g., HLS, HSA, AIRTSC). If you are a rights holder and wish to have a document removed or updated, please contact the maintainer via the repository's discussion tab.
+Copyright remains with the original authors, societies, and publishers (e.g., HLS, HSA, AIRTSC). Rights holders may request removal or modification of materials through the repository’s discussion channel.