A simple RDA in XML example, with options

Karen Coyle, July, 2011

There's a lot of talk about what we will do with RDA as data - what format we will use, how it will look to users, etc etc etc. In fact, the options are legion. The key point is that we don't have to decide on just ONE WAY to carry and store RDA data elements, as long as we follow a few rules.

As an experiment, I have coded a very simple bibliographic record using two different possible ways to encode RDA in XML. For the XML data elements I use the RDA elements from the Open Metadata Registry. These elements are defined in OWL, and therefore are compatible with semantic web applications. Their use in XML (and by that I mean non-RDF XML) may be a bit questionable, yet at the same time XML may be a good transition format from our current data to a ful RDF-based implementation.

I present the two XML files that I've created, side-by-side, in their entirety. I confess that I have not created an XML schema for this work, partly because I haven't done a schema in a while and would have to study up, but also because there are so many RDA data elements (around 1000 as I recall) that creating a schema is a huge undertaking. The RDA Toolkit has (or had, not sure) an XML schema for RDA core, but it didn't use URI forms for the elements.

Note that I welcome comments on better ways to do this, and consider this an exercise not a declaration of how RDA should be coded.

Legend: plain text | URI

RDA in XML with textual values [download]RDA in XML with URI values[download]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rdaSimple 
       xmlns:rda="http://rdvocab.info/Elements/"
       xmlns:rdg2="http://rdvocab.info/ElementsGr2/"
       xmlns:rdg3="http://rdvocab.info/ElementsGr3/"
       xmlns:frbr="http://iflastandards.info/ns/fr/frbr/frbrer/"
       xmlns:role="http://rdvocab.info/roles/"
       >
    <!-- with textual values -->
    <!-- the LC bib record:
        LC control no.:       53025269 
        Type of material:  Book (Print, Microform, Electronic, etc.)
        Personal name:     Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. 
        Uniform title:     Hamlet. Italian.
        Main title:        La tragedia di Amleto, principe di Danimarca.
        Published/Created: [Torino] Società editrice torinese [1949]
        Description:       100 p. 21 cm.
        Related names:     Montale, Eugenio, 1896-1981, tr.
        Subjects:          Hamlet (Legendary character)-Drama.
                           Revenge-Drama.
        LC classification: PR2784.H3 S8
        CALL NUMBER:       PR2784.H3 S8
        Copy 1 -->
    <!-- frbr Work -->
   <frbr:C1001>
      <rda:identifierForTheWork uri="http://example.com/w1234" />
      <rda:preferredTitleForTheWork>
          Hamlet
      </rda:preferredTitleForTheWork> 
       <rda:formOfWork>
           Play
       </rda:formOfWork>
       <rdg2:author>
           <rdg2:nameOfThePerson>
               Shakespeare, William
           </rdg2:nameOfThePerson>
           <rdg2:dateOfBirth>
               1564
           </rdg2:dateOfBirth>
           <rdg2:dateOfDeath>
               1616
           </rdg2:dateOfDeath>
       </rdg2:author>

       <!-- is subect (concept) of -->
       <frbr:P2024>
           Revenge--Drama
       </frbr:P2024>
      <frbr:P2024>
          Hamlet (Legendary character)--Drama
      </frbr:P2024>
       <frbr:P2024>
           PR2784.H3 S8
       </frbr:P2024>       
       <!-- frbr:is realized through -->
       <frbr:P2001 uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
   </frbr:C1001> 
    <!-- frbr Expression -->
    <frbr:C1002>
        <rda:identifierForTheExpression uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
        <rda:languageOfTheContentExpression>
            ita
        </rda:languageOfTheContentExpression>
        <rdg2:translator>
           <rdg2:nameOfThePerson>
               Montale, Eugenio
           </rdg2:nameOfThePerson>
           <rdg2:dateOfBirth>
               1896
           </rdg2:dateOfBirth>
           <rdg2:dateOfDeath>
               1981
           </rdg2:dateOfDeath>
        </rdg2:translator>
        <!-- expresses work -->
        <frbr:P2002 uri="http://example.com/W1234" />
        <!-- is manifested in -->
        <frbr:P2003 uri="http://example.com/M385620" />
    </frbr:C1002>
    <!-- frbr Manifestation -->
    <frbr:C1003>
        <rda:identifierForTheManifestation uri="http://example.com/M385620" />
        <rda:carrierTypeManifestation>
            volume
        </rda:carrierTypeManifestation>
        <rda:mediaTypeManifestation>
            unmediated
        </rda:mediaTypeManifestation>
        <rda:contentTypeManifestation>
            text
        </rda:contentTypeManifestation>
        <rda:titleProperManifestation>
            La tragedia di Amleto, principe di Danimarca
        </rda:titleProperManifestation>
        <publicationStatementManifestation>
            <placeOfPublicationManifestation>
                [Torino]
            </placeOfPublicationManifestation>
            <publishersNameManifestation>
                Societa editrice torinese
            </publishersNameManifestation>        
            <dateOfPublicationManifestation>
               [1949]         
            </dateOfPublicationManifestation>
        </publicationStatementManifestation>
        <extentOfTextManifestion>
            100 pages
        </extentOfTextManifestion>
        <dimensionsManifestation>
            21 cm
        </dimensionsManifestation>
        <!-- manifests -->
        <frbr:P2004 uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
        <!-- is exemplified by item -->
        <frbr:P2005 uri="http://example.com/I293546203" />
    </frbr:C1003>
    <!-- frbr Item -->
    <frbr:C1004>
        <frbr:identifierForTheItem uri="http://example.com/I293546203" />
        <!-- is exemplar of -->
        <frbr:P2006 uri="http://example.com/M385620" />
    </frbr:C1004>
</rdaSimple>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rdaSimple 
       xmlns:rda="http://rdvocab.info/Elements/"
       xmlns:rdg2="http://rdvocab.info/ElementsGr2/"
       xmlns:rdg3="http://rdvocab.info/ElementsGr3/"
       xmlns:frbr="http://iflastandards.info/ns/fr/frbr/frbrer/"
       xmlns:role="http://rdvocab.info/roles/"
       >
    <!-- with URI values -->
    <!-- the LC bib record:
        LC control no.:       53025269 
        Type of material:  Book (Print, Microform, Electronic, etc.)
        Personal name:     Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. 
        Uniform title:     Hamlet. Italian.
        Main title:        La tragedia di Amleto, principe di Danimarca.
        Published/Created: [Torino] Società editrice torinese [1949]
        Description:       100 p. 21 cm.
        Related names:     Montale, Eugenio, 1896-1981, tr.
        Subjects:          Hamlet (Legendary character)-Drama.
                           Revenge-Drama.
        LC classification: PR2784.H3 S8
        CALL NUMBER:       PR2784.H3 S8
        Copy 1 -->
    <!-- frbr Work -->
   <frbr:C1001>
      <rda:identifierForTheWork uri="http://example.com/w1234" />
      <rda:preferredTtitleForTheWork>
          Hamlet
      </rda:preferredTtitleForTheWork> 
        <rda:formOfWork>
           Play
       </rda:formOfWork>
       <rdg2:author uri="http://viaf.org/viaf/96994048/#Shakespeare,_William,_1564-1616" />
       <!-- frbr:is realized through -->
       <frbr:P2001 uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
       <!-- is subect (concept) of -->
       <frbr:P2024 uri="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh2008110765" />
       <frbr:P2024 uri="http://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh2008105474" />             
       <frbr:P2024 uri="http://id.lcc.gov/PR2784.H3 S8" />
       <!-- frbr:is realized through -->
       <frbr:P2001 uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
   </frbr:C1001> 
    <!-- frbr Expression -->
    <frbr:C1002>
        <rda:identifierForTheExpression uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
        <rda:languageOfTheContentExpression uri="http://www.sil.org/iso639-3/ita" />
        <rdg2:translator uri="http://viaf.org/viaf/73857542/#Montale,_Eug%C3%A9nio,_1896-1981" />
        <!-- expresses work -->
        <frbr:P2002 uri="http://example.com/W1234" />
        <!-- is manifested in -->
        <frbr:P2003 uri="http://example.com/M385620" />
    </frbr:C1002>
    <!-- frbr Manifestation -->
    <frbr:C1003>
        <rda:identifierForTheManifestation uri="http://example.com/M385620" />
        <rda:carrierTypeManifestation uri="http://rdvocab.info/termList/RDACarrierType/1049" />
        <rda:mediaTypeManifestation uri="http://rdvocab.info/termLIst/RDAMediaType/1007" />
        <rda:contentTypeManifestation uri="http://rdvocab.info/termList/RDAContentType/1020" />
        <rda:titleProperManifestation>
            La tragedia di Amleto, principe di Danimarca
        </rda:titleProperManifestation>
        <publicationStatementManifestation>
            <placeOfPublicationManifestation>
                [Torino]
            </placeOfPublicationManifestation>
            <publishersNameManifestation>
                Societa editrice torinese
            </publishersNameManifestation>        
            <dateOfPublicationManifestation>
                [1949]         
            </dateOfPublicationManifestation>
        </publicationStatementManifestation>
        <extentOfTextManifestion>
            100 pages
        </extentOfTextManifestion>
        <dimensionsManifestation>
            21 cm
        </dimensionsManifestation>
        <!-- manifests -->
        <frbr:P2004 uri="http://example.com/E78765" />
        <!-- is exemplified by item -->
        <frbr:P2005 uri="http://example.com/I293546203" />
    </frbr:C1003>
    <!-- frbr Item -->
    <frbr:C1004>
        <frbr:identifierForTheItem uri="http://example.com/I293546203" />
        <!-- is exemplar of -->
        <frbr:P2006 uri="http://example.com/M385620" />
    </frbr:C1004>
</rdaSimple>
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