docs: add docs/README.md reading-order index

MANIFEST.sha256

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 eeafe296521594d62361a6fb168d23cee7bf0ad357fb5ec231d0b0264d888b97  README.md
 c3ae05270d76ec205da3bb7bece26663a612f2e608836af25eee96c66270eeaf  configs/ablations.csv
 8346e5ca6fae19e5dfb441e5a35fb3da3a99a034f03c465dc5f0714ef9a0cce2  data/README.md
+3009fbc801c20c5a2d9b4f5b8a80cb65888b8b969b501d47cf8f18ea0d2a4f66  docs/README.md
 19ec2160d5dc910147671c3ce678cd89fa60d8382b16cb1c5cb830fbc58ddc0b  docs/experiment_plan.md
 51897c6ba5a98e2790eec4b9d440aa64644064c42501bd14d01efbc32e3fc550  docs/literature_review.md
 f071ca15394dea34339784af23cece8acdc4320a2773d5b9969632bf997c93b7  docs/manuscript_outline.md

docs/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# Research dossier — reading order
+
+Read the five main-line documents in this order. Each states its own evidence boundary; none establishes novelty or publishability on its own.
+
+1. `research_decision.md` — which project runs first and why (engineering allocation, not a novelty finding).
+2. `novelty_matrix.md` — novelty matrix; reference IDs resolve to `literature_review.md` and `evidence/papers.json`.
+3. `mathematical_analysis.md` — analytical derivations proved under stated assumptions; numerical checks live in `results/`.
+4. `literature_review.md` — literature and novelty verification, evidence standard and per-reference status.
+5. `experiment_plan.md` — dataset audit, access status and planned runs; no benchmark completed yet.
+
+Supporting records:
+
+- `manuscript_outline.md` — writing outline.
+- `research_log.md` — milestone log.