Initial README.md file

README.md

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 # lgfam-newick
 Language family classifications as Newick trees
+
+This repository contains the data and code associated with the **PAPER**.
+The code is released under GPL v2, but the various pieces of input data might be govered by different licenses (specified in the respective folders).
+
+The aims of this project are to:
+
+a) provide several well-known linguistic (genealogical) classifications (currently [WALS](http://wals.info/), [Ethnologue](http://www.ethnologue.com/), [Glottolog](http://glottolog.org/) and [AUTOTYP](http://www.autotyp.uzh.ch/)) in the *de facto* standard [Newick format](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newick_format), and
+b) offer a set of [`R`](http://www.r-project.org/) `S3` classes and functions for reading, converting, writing and working with language family trees.
+
+The accompanying **PAPER** describes in detail the data sources and conversion process.
+
+This repository contains:
+
+a) the original data and code associated with the **PAPER**, but also
+b) updates and bugfixes concerning the data and code.
+
+If you find this useful please cite the **PAPER** in your work!
+
+Thank you,
+Dan Dediu
+August 2015
+
+