# An Empirical Study on README contents for JavaScript Packages

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1802.08391 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1802.08391/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 23 Feb 2018.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Uncovering Intention through LLM-Driven Code Snippet Description Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.15453/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Contemporary software projects often utilize a README.md to share crucial information such as installation and usage examples related to their software. Furthermore, these files serve as an important source of updated and useful documentation for developers and prospective users of the software. Nonetheless, both novice and seasoned developers are sometimes unsure of what is required for a good README file. To understand the contents of a README, we investigate the contents of 43,900 JavaScript packages. Results show that these packages contain common content themes (i.e., usage, install and license). Furthermore, we find that application-specific packages more frequently included content themes such as options, while library-based packages more frequently included other specific content themes (i.e., install and license).