Guidance on recording methods

[briesenberg07]

Guidance on recording methods

@pan-zhuo

The RDA Toolkit provides guidance for four recording methods.

The data value of an RDA element can be recorded using one or more of the following methods:

• unstructured description
• structured description
• identifier
• IRI

Sinopia property template structure isn't sufficient to provide recording method information to users

When creating a Sinopia resource template (RT) using RDA/RDF properties, each property template in the RT provides an indication of what kind of value should be recorded. For example, distinct types of property templates (PTs) may be set up for entry of literal values, IRIs, and for lookup of an IRI from an external or cached value vocabulary. But these do not correspond to the RDA recording methods, and selection of a Sinopia PT type is not sufficient to indicate which recording method should be used for a given property.

Additional examples

• Property template configuration is not sufficient to enforce entry of a desired value type; even for IRI or lookup PTs, users may enter literal values
• Even where a literal property template is set up, users would require additional guidance on whether to use unstructured or structured description, which string encoding scheme to use for structured description, etc.

Options for providing guidance

Sinopia property template structure allows for including both a remark and remark URL. At present these features are used as follows in UWSINOPIA templates:

• Remark is used to display any guidance text written or copied by the resource template author.
• Remark URL is used to provide a link to the Toolkit display for an RDA element which is implemented in the PT.

❓ Is additional guidance on recording methods desired?

If yes:

1. This information could be included as part of the remark text included by template authors
   • In this case remark text may become lengthy
   • Note that remark text is not displayed in Sinopia by default, users must click on an 'i' icon to view this
2. This information could be presented as part of reference templates presented as web documents (see RDA Work Print Monograph)
   • In this case remark URL could provide a link to the HTML presentation of details for the property template, and from there users could view information related to recording method, click on Toolkit links, etc.

[briesenberg07]

See #119 -- recording methods will be given, in order of preference, in expanded HTML RT representations.
CC @pan-zhuo