Add release process

CITATION.cff

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+cff-version: 1.2.0
+title: Virtual Stores Feasibility Report
+message: >-
+  If you use or reference this report, please cite it using the
+  metadata in this file.
+type: report
+authors:
+  - given-names: Aimee
+    family-names: Barciauskas
+  - given-names: Ed
+    family-names: Armstrong
+  - given-names: Amy
+    family-names: Steiker
+  - given-names: Owen
+    family-names: Littlejohns
+  - given-names: Daniel
+    family-names: Kaufman
+  - given-names: Chris
+    family-names: Battisto
+  - given-names: Hailiang
+    family-names: Zhang
+  - given-names: Christine
+    family-names: Smit
+  - given-names: Jack
+    family-names: McNelis
+  - given-names: Luis
+    family-names: Lopez
+  - given-names: Joseph H.
+    family-names: Kennedy
+  - given-names: Kim
+    family-names: Fairbanks
+repository-code: >-
+  https://github.com/NASA-IMPACT/virtual-stores-feasibility-report
+url: https://github.com/NASA-IMPACT/virtual-stores-feasibility-report
+abstract: >-
+  A feasibility report on virtual stores at NASA: lightweight
+  metadata that provides a single entrypoint to datasets comprised
+  of many files, enabling analysis-ready access without downloading,
+  scanning, or pre-processing.
+keywords:
+  - NASA
+  - virtual stores
+  - virtual zarr
+  - cloud-optimized data
+  - analysis-ready data
+license: CC-BY-4.0
+version: 2026.04.0
+date-released: '2026-04-15'
+# After the first Zenodo archive, add the concept DOI here:
+identifiers:
+  - type: doi
+    value: 10.5281/zenodo.XXXXXXX
+    description: Concept DOI (always resolves to the latest version)

_quarto.yml

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ website:
       - href: resources.qmd
         text: Resources, References and Presentations
       - href: contributing.qmd
-        text: Contributing        
+        text: Contributing
 
 format:
   html:

contributing.qmd

@@ -19,6 +19,50 @@ To add a new page:
 
 To preview changes, you can run this site locally (see instructions to setup quarto locally below) or use the automated preview generation when opening a PR (see [the PR preview workflow](./.github/workflows/pr-preview.yml)).
 
+## Release Process
+
+Releases mark citable snapshots of the report. Not every merged PR needs a release — cut one when there is a meaningful body of new or revised content.
+
+We use [calendar versioning (CalVer)](https://calver.org/) in the form `YYYY.MM.MICRO` — the year and month the release is published, plus a micro segment that increments within a month, starting at `0` (e.g., `2026.04.0`). The first release in a given month is `.0`; a second release that same month is `.1`, and so on. Keeping all three segments makes every version the same shape, which sorts and parses predictably.
+
+### Steps to create a release
+
+1. **Decide on a version number.** Use `YYYY.MM.MICRO` for the current year and month. Set `MICRO` to `0` for the first release of the month, or the next number up if that month already has a release (e.g., `2026.06.0`, then `2026.06.1`).
+
+2. **Update `releases.md`.** Add an entry at the top of the list with the version, date, and a short summary of what changed.
+
+3. **Update `CITATION.cff`.** Set `version` to the new version and `date-released` to the publication date (`YYYY-MM-DD`). After the Zenodo DOI is minted (see below), keep the concept DOI in place — it always resolves to the latest version.
+
+4. **Open and merge a PR** with the `releases.md` and `CITATION.cff` updates. The site will be published automatically on merge to `main`.
+
+5. **Create a GitHub Release.** Go to [Releases → Draft a new release](https://github.com/NASA-IMPACT/virtual-stores-feasibility-report/releases/new):
+   - Set the tag to match the version (e.g., `2026.06.0`), targeting the `main` branch.
+   - Use the version as the title (e.g., `2026.06.0`).
+   - Copy the summary from `releases.md` into the release notes.
+   - Publish the release.
+
+6. **Archive on Zenodo.** If the Zenodo integration is enabled (see [Citing this report](#citing-this-report)), publishing the GitHub Release automatically creates a new Zenodo version and mints a DOI.
+
+## Citing this report
+
+This repository includes a [`CITATION.cff`](https://citation-file-format.github.io/) file describing how to cite the report. GitHub renders a "Cite this repository" button from it, and tools like Zenodo read it when archiving.
+
+### Setting up Zenodo archiving (one-time)
+
+Archiving on [Zenodo](https://zenodo.org/) gives the report a permanent, citable DOI. Do this once, then every GitHub Release is archived automatically.
+
+1. Sign in to [Zenodo](https://zenodo.org/) with GitHub (the account must have admin access to the repository, or ask an org admin to do this).
+2. Go to your Zenodo profile → **GitHub** (<https://zenodo.org/account/settings/github/>).
+3. Find `NASA-IMPACT/virtual-stores-feasibility-report` in the repository list and flip the toggle **On**. (If it isn't listed, click **Sync** to refresh from GitHub.)
+4. Create a GitHub Release (or re-publish the existing one). Zenodo will detect it, archive the tagged snapshot, and mint a DOI.
+
+Zenodo issues two DOIs:
+
+- A **concept DOI** that always points to the latest version — use this one in `CITATION.cff` and for general citation.
+- A **version DOI** unique to each release.
+
+After the first archive, copy the concept DOI into the `identifiers` section of `CITATION.cff` and add a DOI badge to the `README.md`. Zenodo's [GitHub integration guide](https://help.zenodo.org/docs/profile/linking-accounts/#github) has full details.
+
 ## Local Development
 
 ### Install Quarto