diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 40d5195..e354ab5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ soul-frame/
 ├── SoulFrameIntroduction.md  # Narrative framework draft
 │
 ├── research/                 # Discipline- and theme-organized work
+│   └── paper-dialogues/      # One-paper comparative commentaries
 ├── sources/                  # Bibliography and source notes
 ├── concepts/                 # Working concept definitions
 ├── paper/                    # Outline and drafts
@@ -64,7 +65,16 @@ character/persona, spirits, ghosts/digital legacy, law/governance, fiction).
 
 Details: [`ResearchProgram.md`](ResearchProgram.md).
 
+## Parallel research line — paper dialogues
+
+Comparative readings of single external works against Soul Frame:
+
+- Setup: [`research/paper-dialogues/README.txt`](research/paper-dialogues/README.txt)
+- First paper: Deppert, *Die Evolution des Bewusstseins* →
+  [`research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/`](research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/)
+
 ## Status
 
-Repository structure established; literature work not yet started. Conceptual draft
-in `SoulFrameIntroduction.md` is provisional pending research.
+Research phases I–VI complete; paper-dialogues line opened (Deppert first).
+Conceptual draft in `SoulFrameIntroduction.md` remains provisional relative to
+research instruments.
diff --git a/research/README.md b/research/README.md
index dba7ea4..06636cb 100644
--- a/research/README.md
+++ b/research/README.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 Discipline- and theme-organized literature and synthesis work.
 
+## Parallel line: paper dialogues
+
+One-paper comparative commentaries live under
+[`paper-dialogues/`](paper-dialogues/) (see `paper-dialogues/README.txt`).
+First entry: Deppert, *Die Evolution des Bewusstseins*.
+
 Each subdirectory corresponds to clusters in `ResearchProgram.md` (workstreams
 WS1–WS13). Phase order prefers foundations before applied and cultural layers.
 
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/README.txt b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/README.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..117628b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/README.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+001 — Wolfgang Deppert: Die Evolution des Bewusstseins
+======================================================
+
+Paper-dialogue entry for Soul Frame.
+
+Work
+----
+Author:  Wolfgang Deppert
+Title:   Die Evolution des Bewusstseins
+Language: German (expected; confirm against the edition used)
+Type:    to be locked in bibliographic-note.md (book / essay / lecture text)
+
+This directory is the working home for:
+
+  bibliographic-note.md     citation lock + abstract in Deppert's terms
+  reading-notes.md          section/claim notes while reading
+  commentary.md             comparative commentary vs Soul Frame
+  support-challenge-matrix.md
+  glossary-bridge.md        Deppert term <-> Soul Frame term (optional but likely needed)
+
+Procedure
+---------
+Follow research/paper-dialogues/README.txt.
+
+Priority questions for this dialogue
+------------------------------------
+Deppert's title centers *Bewusstsein* (consciousness). Soul Frame deliberately
+treats consciousness as first-person relevant but not the primary third-person
+criterion of Beinghood. This paper is therefore a natural stress test for:
+
+  - Mind vs consciousness
+  - evolution / development of awareness vs co-adaptive model building
+  - whether "Bewusstsein" maps to Mind, personhood, recognition, or something
+    Soul Frame currently refuses to place at the center
+  - implications (if any) for artificial beings
+
+Status
+------
+Scaffolded: 2026-08-12
+Next step: lock the exact bibliographic identity (edition, year, pages) and
+begin internal reconstruction in reading-notes.md before Soul Frame translation.
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/bibliographic-note.md b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/bibliographic-note.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b7fd2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/bibliographic-note.md
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Bibliographic note — Deppert, *Die Evolution des Bewusstseins*
+
+## Citation
+
+```text
+Author: Wolfgang Deppert
+Title: Die Evolution des Bewusstseins
+Year: (to be confirmed against the edition used)
+Work type: (to be confirmed — book / essay / chapter / lecture text)
+Language: German
+Publisher / venue: (to be confirmed)
+ISBN / DOI / URL: (to be confirmed)
+Edition / pages: (to be confirmed)
+```
+
+## Access
+
+```text
+Local path or library: (add once obtained)
+Access date:
+```
+
+## Unit of analysis
+
+Whole work unless we later restrict to specific chapters. Lock this before deep
+commentary so page references stay stable.
+
+## Abstract in the source's own vocabulary
+
+*(Fill after first full pass — no Soul Frame terms yet.)*
+
+## Why selected for Soul Frame
+
+```text
+Relevance:
+  Consciousness-centered evolutionary/developmental account of mind-like
+  phenomena. Direct pressure test for Soul Frame's choice to decenter
+  consciousness as the interop criterion of Beinghood while still needing a
+  disciplined place for Bewusstsein-talk.
+
+Risk (collision / scope creep):
+  High terminological collision around Bewusstsein, Geist, evolution.
+  Risk of absorbing a consciousness theory Soul Frame explicitly postponed.
+  Keep Step 2 (internal reconstruction) strict.
+```
+
+## Status
+
+`not started` — scaffold only; bibliographic identity still to lock.
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/commentary.md b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/commentary.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..993fdd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/commentary.md
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Commentary: Wolfgang Deppert — *Die Evolution des Bewusstseins*
+
+**Status:** scaffold (not drafted)  
+**Soul Frame instruments:** Terminology, Claims (esp. H3, consciousness stance), OpenQuestions RQ3  
+**Dialogue dir:** `research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/`
+
+---
+
+## 1. Paper thesis (internal reconstruction)
+
+*(Write only after reading-notes pass.)*
+
+## 2. Method and scope of the paper
+
+## 3. Translation into Soul Frame vocabulary
+
+| Paper term / claim | Nearest Soul Frame term | Fit |
+|---|---|---|
+| Bewusstsein | consciousness / Mind / personhood (TBD) | |
+| Evolution des … | development / continuity / lineage (TBD) | |
+
+## 4. Where Soul Frame is supported
+
+## 5. Where Soul Frame is challenged
+
+Likely pressure points (hypotheses before reading — revise after):
+
+- Consciousness as primary vs Soul Frame third-person recognition stance  
+- Evolutionary narrative of mind vs model-based Mind (H3)  
+- Possible moral or anthropological assumptions about personhood  
+
+## 6. Extensions offered by the paper
+
+## 7. Orthogonal material (park for later)
+
+## 8. Implications for artificial beings / Sp. / Gh. (if any)
+
+## 9. Proposed follow-ups
+
+- [ ] Update `Claims.md`
+- [ ] Update `OpenQuestions.md`
+- [ ] Update concept note(s):
+- [ ] New thought experiment:
+- [ ] Bibliography entry in `sources/bibliography.md`
+
+## 10. Working judgment
+
+```text
+Net effect on Soul Frame:
+  mostly support | mixed | serious challenge | orthogonal
+One-sentence judgment:
+  (pending)
+```
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/glossary-bridge.md b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/glossary-bridge.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..420b301
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/glossary-bridge.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Glossary bridge — Deppert ↔ Soul Frame
+
+**Status:** scaffold  
+**Rule:** do not force false friends. Prefer “no good map” over a bad map.
+
+| Deppert term | Provisional English gloss | Soul Frame candidate | Fit | Notes |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| Bewusstsein | consciousness / awareness | consciousness (asymmetric); not automatically Mind | TBD | Central collision risk |
+| Evolution | evolution / development | continuity / developmental process (not identity) | TBD | |
+| | | | | |
+
+Add rows as reading proceeds.
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/reading-notes.md b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/reading-notes.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08301ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/reading-notes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Reading notes — Deppert, *Die Evolution des Bewusstseins*
+
+**Status:** not started  
+**Rule:** reconstruct Deppert first; Soul Frame comments go in brackets or in
+`commentary.md`, not as if they were Deppert's claims.
+
+---
+
+## Edition used
+
+```text
+Edition:
+Pages / structure:
+```
+
+## Outline of the work
+
+| Part / section | Topic (Deppert's terms) | Notes |
+|---|---|---|
+| | | |
+
+## Claim log (paper-internal)
+
+| ID | Claim (Deppert) | Where | Confidence of paraphrase |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| D-01 | | | low / med / high |
+
+## Definitions to track
+
+| Term in Deppert | Working paraphrase | Open issues |
+|---|---|---|
+| Bewusstsein | | |
+| Evolution | | |
+| | | |
+
+## Quotations worth preserving
+
+```text
+p.??  "..."
+```
+
+## Questions for the commentary pass
+
+1.
+2.
+3.
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/support-challenge-matrix.md b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/support-challenge-matrix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f3df01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/support-challenge-matrix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Support / challenge matrix — Deppert
+
+**Paper:** Wolfgang Deppert — *Die Evolution des Bewusstseins*  
+**Status:** scaffold (fill during commentary pass)
+
+| # | Paper claim (short) | Soul Frame concept(s) | Verdict | Rationale | Instrument follow-up |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | *(pending reading)* | consciousness / Mind | UNCLEAR | | |
+
+## Verdict legend
+
+| Verdict | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| SUPPORT | Strengthens an existing Soul Frame claim or definition |
+| CHALLENGE | Pressures revision, split, rename, or abandonment |
+| EXTEND | Adds a useful distinction Soul Frame lacked |
+| ORTHOGONAL | Interesting but outside current Soul Frame scope |
+| UNCLEAR | Needs rereading or secondary sources |
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/README.txt b/research/paper-dialogues/README.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b27f0bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/README.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+Soul Frame — Paper Dialogues
+============================
+
+Purpose
+-------
+This research line takes one external paper (or book chapter / essay) at a time
+and reads it *in dialogue* with Soul Frame.
+
+The goal is not a full literature review and not a hostile refutation exercise.
+
+The goal is:
+
+  1. understand the paper on its own terms,
+  2. translate its claims into (or against) Soul Frame vocabulary,
+  3. record where Soul Frame is supported, extended, challenged, or forced
+     to revise terminology,
+  4. feed durable findings back into Claims.md, Terminology.md, OpenQuestions.md,
+     and concept notes when warranted.
+
+This line runs in parallel with the main research phases and the eventual paper.
+It may delay or reshape the Soul Frame paper when a strong challenge appears.
+
+
+What a dialogue produces
+------------------------
+Each selected work gets its own subdirectory under:
+
+  research/paper-dialogues/<NNN>-<author-short-slug>/
+
+Recommended contents:
+
+  bibliographic-note.md
+      Full citation, language, access path, genre, one-paragraph abstract
+      in the paper's own vocabulary (not yet Soul Frame translation).
+
+  reading-notes.md
+      Section-by-section or claim-by-claim notes while reading.
+      Prefer short quotations with page numbers where available.
+
+  commentary.md
+      Structured comparative essay:
+        - paper thesis
+        - Soul Frame translation
+        - agreements
+        - tensions / challenges
+        - open questions raised for Soul Frame
+        - proposed follow-ups (claims, TEs, terminology edits)
+
+  support-challenge-matrix.md
+      Table mapping paper claims -> Soul Frame concepts ->
+      support | challenge | orthogonal | unclear
+      with brief rationale.
+
+Optional:
+
+  glossary-bridge.md
+      Term-by-term map (paper term <-> Soul Frame term).
+
+  excerpts.md
+      Longer excerpts reserved for fair-use/private working notes only;
+      do not publish copyrighted text beyond fair quotation practice.
+
+
+Method (standing procedure)
+---------------------------
+For each paper:
+
+  Step 1 — Bibliographic lock
+      Fix citation, edition, language, and what counts as the unit of analysis
+      (whole book vs chapter vs essay).
+
+  Step 2 — Internal reconstruction
+      State the paper's problem, method, main claims, and conclusion *without*
+      Soul Frame jargon. Misrepresentation here invalidates the dialogue.
+
+  Step 3 — Vocabulary bridge
+      For each key term in the paper, note nearest Soul Frame terms and
+      mismatches (false friends).
+
+  Step 4 — Support / challenge pass
+      Explicitly mark:
+        SUPPORT   — strengthens a Soul Frame claim or definition
+        CHALLENGE — pressures revision, rename, split, or abandonment
+        EXTEND    — adds a useful distinction Soul Frame lacked
+        ORTHOGONAL — interesting but outside current scope
+        UNCLEAR   — needs rereading or secondary sources
+
+  Step 5 — Feedback into instruments
+      If a challenge is serious, open or update:
+        - OpenQuestions.md
+        - Claims.md (evidence / contradicting literature)
+        - concepts/*.md
+        - ThoughtExperiments.md (if a new edge case appears)
+      Do not silently rewrite Terminology to absorb the paper.
+
+  Step 6 — Close the dialogue
+      Commentary status: draft | reviewed | integrated
+      Note which Soul Frame instruments were updated (if any).
+
+
+Comparison focus (Soul Frame side)
+----------------------------------
+Always ask at least:
+
+  - What counts as a system / individual / being?
+  - Body / Mind / Soul triad: fit, force-fit, or reject?
+  - Consciousness: first-person vs third-person recognition
+  - Identity / continuity / lineage
+  - Personhood (descriptive / social / moral / legal)
+  - Recognition and co-adaptive modeling
+  - Implications for artificial beings, Sp., Gh.
+
+
+Naming convention
+-----------------
+  NNN-author-short-slug/
+
+Examples:
+  001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/
+  002-park-generative-agents/
+
+NNN is a local sequence number in this directory, not a claim ID.
+
+
+Relation to other research dirs
+-------------------------------
+  research/foundations/     long thematic notes
+  research/paper-dialogues/ one-paper comparative commentaries (this line)
+  sources/bibliography.md   index entries for durable citations
+  sources/source-notes/     optional short notes linked from bibliography
+
+After a dialogue matures, add a bibliography entry under sources/bibliography.md
+with pointer path back here.
+
+
+Status
+------
+Line established: 2026-08-12
+First paper: Wolfgang Deppert — Die Evolution des Bewusstseins
+  -> 001-deppert-evolution-des-bewusstseins/
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/_template/bibliographic-note.md b/research/paper-dialogues/_template/bibliographic-note.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f8417cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/_template/bibliographic-note.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Bibliographic note
+
+## Citation
+
+```text
+Author:
+Title:
+Year:
+Work type: book | chapter | article | essay | preprint
+Language:
+Publisher / venue:
+ISBN / DOI / URL:
+Edition / pages:
+```
+
+## Access
+
+```text
+Local path or library:
+Access date:
+```
+
+## Unit of analysis
+
+What exactly are we dialoguing with (whole work / chapter / essay)?
+
+## Abstract in the source's own vocabulary
+
+*(One paragraph. No Soul Frame terms yet.)*
+
+## Why selected for Soul Frame
+
+```text
+Relevance:
+Risk (collision / scope creep):
+```
+
+## Status
+
+`not started | reading | drafting | reviewed | integrated`
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/_template/commentary.md b/research/paper-dialogues/_template/commentary.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c2d645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/_template/commentary.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Commentary: <Author> — <Title>
+
+**Status:** draft  
+**Soul Frame instruments:** Terminology, Claims, OpenQuestions  
+**Dialogue dir:** `research/paper-dialogues/<slug>/`
+
+---
+
+## 1. Paper thesis (internal reconstruction)
+
+## 2. Method and scope of the paper
+
+## 3. Translation into Soul Frame vocabulary
+
+| Paper term / claim | Nearest Soul Frame term | Fit |
+|---|---|---|
+| | | good / partial / poor |
+
+## 4. Where Soul Frame is supported
+
+## 5. Where Soul Frame is challenged
+
+## 6. Extensions offered by the paper
+
+## 7. Orthogonal material (park for later)
+
+## 8. Implications for artificial beings / Sp. / Gh. (if any)
+
+## 9. Proposed follow-ups
+
+- [ ] Update `Claims.md`
+- [ ] Update `OpenQuestions.md`
+- [ ] Update concept note(s):
+- [ ] New thought experiment:
+- [ ] Bibliography entry:
+
+## 10. Working judgment
+
+```text
+Net effect on Soul Frame:
+  mostly support | mixed | serious challenge | orthogonal
+One-sentence judgment:
+```
diff --git a/research/paper-dialogues/_template/support-challenge-matrix.md b/research/paper-dialogues/_template/support-challenge-matrix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bcd6cbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/research/paper-dialogues/_template/support-challenge-matrix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# Support / challenge matrix
+
+**Paper:**  
+**Status:** draft
+
+| # | Paper claim (short) | Soul Frame concept(s) | Verdict | Rationale | Instrument follow-up |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | | | SUPPORT / CHALLENGE / EXTEND / ORTHOGONAL / UNCLEAR | | |
+
+## Verdict legend
+
+| Verdict | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| SUPPORT | Strengthens an existing Soul Frame claim or definition |
+| CHALLENGE | Pressures revision, split, rename, or abandonment |
+| EXTEND | Adds a useful distinction Soul Frame lacked |
+| ORTHOGONAL | Interesting but outside current Soul Frame scope |
+| UNCLEAR | Needs rereading or secondary sources |