ANSI/NISO Scientific and Technical Reports

Scientific and Technical Reports: Preparation, Presentation, and Preservation (alternatively known as ANSI/NISO Z39.18; hereinafter, the Standard) is the ANSI/NISO Z39.18-2005 (R2010) American national standard that is developed by the National Information Standards Organization and approved in 2005 and reaffirmed by 2010 by the American National Standards Institute.

Trivia

Abstract

The Standard outlines the elements, organization, and design of scientific and technical reports, including guidance for uniform presentation of front and back matter, text, and visual and tabular matter in print and digital formats, as well as recommendations for multimedia reports.

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 by the National Information Standards Organization. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. For noncommercial purposes only, this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher, provided it is reproduced accurately, the source of the material is identified, and the NISO copyright status is acknowledged. All inquiries regarding translations into other languages or commercial reproduction or distribution should be addressed to: NISO, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Suite 302, Baltimore, MD 21211.

Appendices

The appendices are not part of the Standard and included for information only.

• Appendix A -- Selected Annotated Bibliography
• Appendix B -- Glossary
• Appendix C -- Dublin Core Data Elements
• Appendix D -- Formats for Organizing a Scientific or Technical Report
• Appendix E -- Report Documentation Page, Standard Form (SF)
• Appendix F -- XML DTD and Sample XSL (Style Sheet)

General Information

Role

The guidelines in the Standard address issues related to creating, discovering, presenting, publishing, disseminating, maintaining, and preserving reports. Previous editions of the Standard focused on reports printed on paper, but, with the increased availability of computers, paper is only one of the many media of publication a report can have. In addition, reports can now include digital sections as well as traditional printed text. This revised Standard attempts to accommodate the diverse forms reports can take. Report writers should refer to the many examples throughout the Standard as models to follow rather than using the Standard as a model.

Scope

The Standard will guide individuals and organizations in preparing reports. It is generally couched in terms of the traditional printed report because that medium is the most concrete and common example for readers to consider and visualize. However, the Standard is expressed in such a way that adapting to other means of publication (for example, electronic formats on the Web) is recognized.

Although the Standard necessarily has to consider means of distribution, facilitate methods of literature control, and accommodate methods of accessibility, it is not a standard for cataloging, describing, or preserving publications. Those roles are fulfilled by other standards, such as those associated with using MARC 21 records, Dublin Core, and evolving standards for persistent identification.

Audience

The Standard will prove valuable to researchers, scientists, and academics to document their research and results, provide consistent guidelines for creating reports, and assist in collaboration among organizations. Writers, editors, and publishers can use the Standard to provide consistency throughout their organizations and adopt uniform practices as needed. Information specialists in areas such as libraries, depositories, databases, and archives will find it helpful in categorizing, discovering, and maintaining information in a consistent fashion.

Best Practices

In keeping with quality standards and practices, the Standard contains examples of best practices used by authors who produce exemplary reports—that is, reports that provide information the user needs in a form and format the user can easily understand. Authors, however, must be aware that the best practices identified by the Standard are those judged to be so at the time the Committee developed it, and they should seek to identify other practices, not only within the user’s organization but also within the user’s discipline.

Key Concepts

Metadata

The Standard advocates provision for the capture of appropriate metadata in report preparation. Metadata refer to information about information or, equivalently, data about data. In current practice, the term has come to mean structured information that feeds into automated processes, and this definition is currently the most useful way to think about metadata. This definition further applies whether the publication that the metadata describes is in print or electronic form. In publishing, metadata can be classified according to a variety of specific functions, such as technical metadata for technical processes, rights metadata for rights resolution, preservation metadata for digital archiving, and descriptive metadata (metadata that characterizes the content itself).

Persistence

The Standard addresses the need for persistence in links that are incorporated in reports. A key component of the digital information infrastructure is a mechanism for addressing and locating digital objects on a network or in an archival system. The current addressing structure for the World Wide Web is based on the Uniform Resource Locator (URL). While the URL provides direct, efficient access, URL-only naming fails whenever the resources are moved or reorganized. The lack of persistence leads to "404" (file not found) errors, inhibiting access to information and causing problems when archiving material for long-term preservation and permanent access. These links should also be documented for accessibility in print format.

Interoperability

The Standard encourages the achievement of interoperability in report presentation. In paper-based publication of scientific and technical reports, interoperability, except for language differences and visual challenges, is achieved through a single publication medium. In the digital environment with its multiple types of media, even defining the concept of publishing is a challenge. Interoperability can be achieved at three levels: technical, content, and organizational. At the technical level, protocol and format should be consistent so messages can be exchanged. Content agreements cover data and metadata and include semantic agreements on interpreting messages. The organizational level of interoperability includes rules for access, for changing collections and services, payment, authentication, etc. While the URL protocol permits interoperability in addressing, it offers no interoperability regarding content.

Creation

The Standard recognizes that certain critical actions must be taken at the time a report is created. The initial stage of creating a report should include a thorough review of intellectual property rights, security issues, ease of repurposing the information, and consistent guidelines for software and file naming conventions. Given the collaborative nature of many reports, copyright should be established at the outset, and permission for using pre-existing material should be consistent with U.S. Copyright Office regulations. Potentially classified material may require authentication for release to a limited audience. If the report is best served by being released through multiple channels and repurposed into multiple formats (for example, print and Web) or parsed for repurposing in other collaborative projects, production should include standards for coding the information for such use. Creators should capture metadata tied to producing the report, such as platform, operating system, software version, and consistent file-naming conventions and extensions when they create the report.

Discovery

The Standard emphasizes the importance of ensuring that reports will be discovered. Traditionally, the ability for the target audience to find and use scientific and technical reports produced solely in print format depended on governmental and commercial bibliographic databases or specific, specialized knowledge of primary resource producers. Reports produced in digital format should also enable discovery and access through the incorporation of appropriate associated metadata. Producers of reports should ensure that the report production workflow provides for metadata capture. Discovery is also enhanced by populating metadata with published, controlled vocabularies rather than ad hoc terminology for subjects.

Another discovery issue in a digital environment is the ability of a report to allow access to all potential audiences, including those with physical restrictions. A 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), popularly referred to as “Section 508,” requires U.S. Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Other producers of scientific and technical reports should follow guidelines provided for this requirement for greatest accessibility. A further limit to access to be avoided is using proprietary software not commonly used by the primary target audience.

Presentation in Digital Format

The Standard recommends that reports in digital form be presented in a structured way. Some methods for structured representation of reports in digital form are the DTD, XML, and XSL. The DTD defines the format that reports should follow; XML maintains the report's contents and structures; and XSL defines how to represent the report for different vehicles of display (e.g. desktop computer or PDA). Two main advantages of this approach are its automatic validation and its flexibility of representation. Also, the XML format is widely used and can be easily processed by computer programs.

Document Type Definition (DTD)

A DTD defines the building blocks of a document using extensible Markup Language (XML). XML improves the functionality of the Web by providing more flexible and adaptable information identification, delivery, and presentation.

XML Document

The XML document contains the report with its metadata. Elements in an XML document should comply with the DTD provided (see Appendix F), which validates the document.

XSL (Style Sheet)

The XSL (extensible Style Sheet) provides a mechanism for presenting data available in an XML document. It provides formatting information and ordering of presentation (not always the same order as in the XML document) and can generate extra metadata, such as a table of contents, list of figures, etc. Multiple XSL sheets can be used for the same document to accommodate the needs of various communities: Web publication of reports, printed reports, etc.

Presentation

The Standard is cognizant of and reflects the requirements and limitations of different methods of publication. The concept of publication (literally, to make known to the public) changed drastically in the 1960s when computers were applied to the typesetting process. Suddenly, machine-readable electronic records were being produced along with traditional print. The subsequent development of new media, recording devices, codes of expression, and means of transmission made these electronic records eminently usable. Scientific, business, military, and government communities found these new media to be a convenient and economical means for distributing and storing information, including reports. As a result, we now see diverse ways of publishing data and information, from printed pages to files accessible over the World Wide Web.

The prescriptions of the Standard are flexible enough to be adapted to a great variety of publication methods, both extant and yet to be discovered. However, it also recognizes that many users of a report find a printed version more convenient, portable, or permanent. Therefore, the Standard states that electronic publications be formatted so that standardized, usable print copies can be produced from any medium through common or specialized software. The Standard suggests producing reports that can be converted from medium to medium and format to format to allow ease of use and future migration.

Dissemination

The Standard encourages the effective dissemination of reports. It is important that scientific and technical reports be readily available to as broad an audience as allowed to facilitate research and to promote general education goals. Online access to information opens new arenas to find reports. Reports that can be easily identified and ordered by libraries and the general public through a variety of distribution channels (for example, wholesalers, library jobbers, and online retailers) support the sustainability of the information. Archiving reports on the Web with a unique identifier, and with an agency that can support their presence over time, improves their long-term value. Therefore, creators of reports should envision a dissemination strategy at the outset of the project.

Access and Distribution

The Standard recognizes the importance of controlling access to some reports. Originating organizations have specific responsibilities to determine the distribution of reports. Classification/distribution information is provided by electronic labeling or in print. If physical marking of a report is not possible, identifying information must be accomplished by other means, such as metadata schema. Marking is the means of informing users of classified, or otherwise controlled, information about specific protection requirements for reports (for example, for internal use only). For print materials, this information should be easily visible on the cover or title page. For reports in a digital format, this information should be on the opening screen or other points of initial access.

Examples

• Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
• Distribution authorized to DoD components only (reason, date). Other requests for this document shall be referred to (controlling office information).

Maintenance and Preservation

The Standard advocates adopting practices that ensure long-term preservation of reports. Compilers and publishers of scientific and technical reports can and should take action to ensure their efforts will be appreciated for as long as the reports have value to users. This requirement means that reports should be prepared using techniques and materials that enable discovery and usability over the long term. Continuing discovery is assured by associating a report with clear, distinct, and unchanging identifying information (descriptive metadata). Continuing usability is assured by adopting an easily navigated and navigable structure, including maintenance of internal and external links, and by using publishing techniques that withstand the test of time. Time-tested publishing techniques involve the appropriate choice of publishing medium, such as acid-free paper or polyester-based silver gelatin film. However, publishing increasingly involves producing digital products that can be migrated and shared across media, platforms, applications, and organizations. At the time the Committee developed the Standard, the most promising method for assuring continuing migration is employment of an XML DTD to encode electronic reports when produced.

Many complex, electronic scientific and technical reports are used to produce multimedia publications and presentations. In such cases, it is particularly important to use presentation standards and practices that not only enable the widest possible access at the time of report creation, but also ensure continuous availability of content and structure despite changes in the delivery environment. In cases of multimedia reports, it is desirable to preserve the original presentation media as well as the original content. When this preservation cannot be achieved, it is most important to preserve the content so that the original source material is preserved.

Components of Reports - Overview

Introduction

There are many possible patterns for organizing the components of reports. Some of these are referenced in Appendix D, Model Formats for Organizing a Scientific or Technical Report. These model formats allow for presenting information about the creation, structure, content, and availability of reports in a readily comprehensible manner. When not using traditional publishing channels, the author/creator should ensure this information is captured and available to potential readers/users.

Metadata

A scientific or technical report is an important information resource and, as such, requires effective information management. The body of the report, with its discussion of methods, results, and conclusions, is content. Any information that helps the user find, assemble, and properly attribute the report are metadata.

Metadata are a significant matter for the Standard because of the large amount and diversity of data represented. The quantity and diversity of report content and format presented information management challenges in an era when reports were published exclusively on paper; in the digital age these challenges have multiplied considerably. A scientific or technical report that does not take metadata into account has no readily-found identity and will not be used. To avoid this problem, compilers of reports must provide metadata in three broad classes: descriptive, structural, and administrative.

Descriptive Metadata

Descriptive metadata, such as cataloging information prepared following standards such as Dublin Core or MARC 21, convey information that helps the user find a report and distinguish it from other similar ones. Descriptive metadata are commonly used for resource discovery, such as author/title/subject searching, or grouping like objects for browsing. Such metadata include the title and creator (author), as well as any keywords or subject references.

Structural Metadata

Structural metadata explain the relationship between parts of multipart objects and enhance internal navigation. Such metadata include a table of contents or list of figures and tables.

Administrative Metadata

Administrative metadata support maintaining and archiving reports and ensure their long-term availability. Administrative metadata are needed for migration of data from one format to another and contain rights information used for access control. Such metadata include type and version of software used in preparing the report and rights-management requirements.

Components

The author/creator of a scientific or technical report must keep all metadata requirements in mind throughout report creation and should prepare the components to enable ready recognition of key descriptive, structural, and administrative information about the report.

Table 1 presents the Standard components of scientific and technical reports in the traditional order of presentation. In reports organized in this manner, the listed components from cover through acknowledgments are commonly referred to as front matter, the components from summary through references are referred to as the body or text matter, and components from appendices through distribution list are referred to as back matter.

In the Inclusion Status column, the table indicates which components are required by the Standard, which are optional, and which are conditional. Finally, in the column headed Function, the table indicates the primary role served by the information conveyed in each component.

Table 1: Components of reports

	Component	Inclusion Status	Function
Front Matter	Cover	Optional	Descriptive metadata
	Title Section	Required	Descriptive metadata, such as Dublin Core elements: Identifier, Title, Creator, Publisher, Contributor, Date, and Language
	Notice Section	Conditional (include when needed to specify intellectual property rights or state restrictions on access or use)	Administrative metadata, such as the Dublin Core elements: Rights Management and Format
	Format Information Section	Conditional (include when the original is created in digital format)	Administrative metadata, such as Dublin Core element: Format
	Report Documentation Section	Conditional (include in reports prepared for federal governmental agencies)	Descriptive metadata, such as the Dublin Core elements: Title, Creator, and Publisher Source of administrative metadata, such as the Dublin Core element: Rights Management
	Abstract Section	Required	Descriptive metadata, such as the Dublin Core elements: Description, Subject, and Coverage
	Contents Section	Required	Structural metadata
	List of Figures and Tables	Conditional (include when there are more than 5 figures and/or tables)	Structural metadata
	Foreword	Conditional (include when background and context is needed)	Descriptive metadata
	Preface	Conditional (include when background and context is needed)	Descriptive metadata
	Acknowledgments	Conditional (include when significant)	Content
Body or Text Matter	Summary	Required	Content
	Introduction	Required	Content
	Methods, Assumptions, and Procedures	Required	Content
	Results and Discussion	Required	Content
	Conclusions	Required	Content
	Recommendations	Conditional (include when purpose of report is to suggest a course of action)	Content
	References	Conditional (use if references are provided)	Structural metadata, such as the Dublin Core element: Relation
Back Matter	Appendices	Conditional (include when needed to supplement Results and Discussion)	Structural metadata
	Bibliography	Conditional (include when needed to amplify references)	Structural metadata
	List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Acronyms	Conditional (include if symbols, abbreviations, or acronyms appear in any other component of the report; this section might appear as part of the front matter)	Structural metadata
	Glossary	Conditional (include if report incorporates terms unfamiliar to the intended audience)	Structural metadata
	Index	Conditional (include when needed to ensure that a user locates all references to a concept)	Structural metadata
	Distribution List	Conditional (include when needed to control access)	Administrative metadata, such as the Dublin Core element: Rights Management

Components of Reports - Details

This section provides guidance on organizing the following report components:

• Required elements, which are compulsory or mandatory when exchanging data
• Conditional elements, which are used under specified conditions when exchanging data
• Optional elements, which may be used when exchanging data [definition from EDSC Glossary]

Front Matter

Front matter consists of all materials preceding the main content and provides:

• a general idea of the purpose and scope of reports;
• background about, or a context for, reports; and
• lists for finding specific chapters, headings, figures, and tables.

Front matter also provides information needed for cataloging in bibliographic databases and digital libraries. The Standard further discusses (1) cover, (2) title section, (3) notice of distribution and access restrictions, (4) format information, (5) report documentation page, (6) abstract, (7) contents, (8) list(s) of figures and tables, (9) foreword, (10) preface, and (11) acknowledgments in details.

Body Matter

The body is the part of the report in which the creator describes methods, assumptions, and procedures, then presents and discusses the results and draws conclusions and recommends actions based on those results. The organization of a report depends on its subject matter and audience as well as its purpose. (See Appendix D for sample organizational models.) Thus, the organization of the content may vary widely and the organization of the report may be divided into sections or chapters. Information on the content follows.

The Standard further discusses (1) summary, (2) introduction, (3) methods, assumptions, and procedures, (4) results and discussion, (5) conclusions, (6) recommendations, and (7) references in details.

Back Matter

The back matter supplements and clarifies the body of the report (for example, appendices), makes the body easier to use (for example, glossary, lists of symbols, abbreviations and acronyms, and index), and shows where additional information can be found (for example, bibliography). Some organizations consider the reference section to be part of the back matter; if the pages following the front matter are numbered sequentially, it is immaterial to the reader if the reference or bibliography section is part of the body or the back matter.

The Standard further discusses (1) appendices, (2) bibliography, (3) list(s) of symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms, (4) glossary, (5) index, and (6) distribution list in details.

Presentation and Display

This section discusses standard methods for ensuring consistency in presentation: designing visual and tabular matter; formatting; presenting units, numbers, formulas, and equations; incorporating footnotes, endnotes, references, and bibliographic entries; preparing lists of symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms; formatting glossaries and indexes; and correcting errata after publication. Within each subsection, a distinction is made between rules applicable to all reports regardless of mode of publication (e.g., paper or Web) and rules applicable to reports published in paper form.

Subordination

General

Indicate subordination of ideas by using headings and subheadings to divide the report into manageable sections, call attention to main topics, and signal changes in topics. Most reports require no more than five levels of headings.

Consistency of presentation is important in showing subordinate relationships. Many reports use a decimal numbering system to show relationships and to simplify extensive cross-referencing. An alternate format for subordination uses a progression of fonts. Indicate headings and subheadings by bold font with initial capital letters for principal words. Indicate primary headings by using a larger font than that used for non-primary headings. Align primary and secondary headings flush with the left column of text and run in other headings with indented text.

Print-Specific Guidelines

Begin each major section on a new page.

Non-Print-Specific

In the digital environment, delineate sections in a way that is easy to understand and access, with full links included as required.

Designation

For ease of use and reference, delimit and uniquely identify segments of a report. For traditional paper reports, the segments are usually pages. For reports published in digital form, they may be pages, but are more likely to be paragraphs or screens.

Once the segments of a report have been determined, use consecutive Arabic numbers to designate them. When reproducing appendix information from another source, retain the designation of the original source in addition to designation for inclusion in the appendix. If a report is divided into sections or chapters because of its length or scope, number the text, exclusive of front matter and back matter, sequentially from one part to the next.

Units and Numbers

Present standard units of measurement clearly, concisely, and consistently in reports. The preferred standard for units is the International System of Units (SI). If another system is used, the corresponding SI units may appear in parentheses. If two systems of measurement are used, indicate the systems in the "Methods, Assumptions, and Procedures" section and in a statement at the beginning of the list of symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms.

Abbreviate units used with specific numbers (for example, 3.7 m) except where a potential exists for misinterpretation; otherwise, spell out units. For SI units derived from proper names, show the symbols in initial capital letters (for example, Hz and N); use lowercase letters for units that are spelled out (for example, hertz and newtons). Write SI symbols in singular form; IEEE/ASTM SI-10-2002, American National Standard for Use of the International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System, provides detailed information on using SI symbols and units.

Always use Arabic numbers to express units of measurement and time in mathematical expressions, decimals, percentages, and proportions. For other expressions, the following apply:

• If a sentence contains only one number and it is greater than nine, indicate it as a numeral; if a number is nine or less, spell it out.
• Always spell out a number at the beginning of a sentence.
• Use numerals for a group of two or more numbers if one of them is 10 or greater (for example, a capacitor having 3 leads, 2 pairs of controls, and 12 settings).
• The same guidelines apply to ordinal numbers, but treat ordinals and cardinals separately if they appear together (for example, the 5th and 14th groups, containing six and seven items, respectively).
• Use Arabic numbers for all numbering systems (page and section, table, figure, and reference numbers), except for roman-numeral pagination of front matter (for example, page iii).

Formulas and Equations

Present formulas and equations in sentence form and punctuate them for clarity and consistency; however, do not begin a sentence with a formula or equation.

Clarify complicated mathematical formulas and derivations by defining symbols below the formula or derivation or as is customary in the discipline, relating equations to one another and describing the physical reality represented by the mathematics. Chemical symbols need not be defined unless the author/creator chooses to do so for clarification. Use marginal notes to identify modifications of symbols (for example, prime marks) and to distinguish between the letter "O" and "0" (zero); the letter "I" and the number "1"; the letter "x" and the multiplication sign (x). Clearly indicate superscripts and subscripts.

Include brief formulas and equations as part of the text if the formula or equation fits on one line. If a formula or equation is displayed set off from the text, center or indent it, depending on its length. For consistent presentation and cross-referencing in a report with extensive notation, display and number all equations. Italicize formulas and equations, whether included as part of the text or displayed.

Enclose equation numbers in parentheses at the right-hand margin with a minimum of 1/4 inch between the last term in the equation and the equation number. Place the equation number on the same line of a single-line equation and on the last line of a multi-line equation.

If a long formula or equation does not fit on a single line, break it before an operational sign (plus, minus, times, integral, etc.) or after an expression enclosed with parentheses, brackets, etc.

Use an extra line space between the lines when a formula or equation is carried over because of its length. A number of computer software packages supporting the presentation of equations automatically provide correct line spacing.

Define chemical symbols if definition enhances their comprehension. Use close spacing for chemical symbols, numbers, or line bonds in a formula. Chemical equations may be run in or displayed set off from text. Use roman (English) type rather than italics to form chemical symbols. If displayed, they should be numbered in sequence, and the equation numbers placed to the right of the reaction. Number chemical equations consecutively and independently of mathematical equations.

If a chemical equation is too long to fit on one line, break it after the arrow. Align the first element of the runover line with the last element of the preceding line. Leave extra line spacing between the lowest part of the first line and the highest part of the next line.

Footnotes or Endnotes

Include footnotes or endnotes in a report only to clarify information in the text; keep them as brief as possible. To avoid preparing footnotes or endnotes, incorporate material into the text by enclosing it in parentheses or placing it in a separate paragraph.

Use superscript Arabic numbers to key notes to the portion of the text they clarify. Number notes consecutively through the text; place footnotes at the bottom of the page on which each occurs and place endnotes at the end of the section of text they clarify. If a footnote runs longer than its page margin, complete the footnote at the bottom of the subsequent page, preceding any footnote(s) for that page. If a footnote clarifies tabular information, use a superscript sequence of lowercase letters or symbols to avoid confusion with text footnotes.

Errata

If errors severe enough to cause misunderstanding are discovered too late for correction prior to the distribution of a report, send an errata sheet or update that identifies the report and the error(s) to initial and subsequent recipients.

Non-print-specific

When errors are corrected in a digital environment, notice of the version being accessed should be included in the metadata.

Glossary

• Administrative metadata. Administrative metadata support maintaining and archiving reports and ensure their long-term availability. Administrative metadata are needed for migration of data from one format to another and contain rights information used for access control. Such metadata include type and version of software used in preparing the report and rights-management requirements. See also: Rights metadata
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Public Law 101- 336, 101st Congress, enacted July 26, 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. See also: Section 508
• Best practice. Guide and documentation to describe and standardize the use of processes that best support a community's needs.
• Data element. A discrete component of data or metadata.
• Descriptive metadata. Metadata that are used for the indexing, discovery, and identification of a resource.
• Digital document. "Digital document definition: where the view of a document version relevant for the requirements of one (of possibly multiple alternative) applications is represented using a digital representation format, such as a digital file." (ISO 10303, Industrial Automation Systems and Integration)
• Digital Object Identifier (DOI®). A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a persistent identifier given to a Web file or other Internet document so that if its Internet address changes, users will be redirected to its new address. The DOI is an implementation of the CNRI Handle System®, in which the term "DOI" is used instead of "Handle" to describe the identifiers. DOI syntax is defined in ANSI/NISO Z39.84. See also: Uniform Resource Name (URN)
• Document-Type Definition (DTD). In SGML or XML, a formal description of the components of a specific document or class of documents. DTDs provide a formal grammar used for machine processing (parsing) of documents expressed in SGML or XML. A DTD description includes: the containers or elements that make up the document (for example, paragraphs, headings, list items, figures, tables, etc.); the logical structure of the document (for example, chapters containing sections, etc.); additional information associated with elements -- known as attributes (for example, identifiers, date stamps, etc.).
• Dublin Core. The Dublin Core Metadata Element Set is a set of 15 descriptive semantic definitions that represents a core set of elements likely to be useful across a broad range of disciplines. Dublin Core metadata supplement existing methods for searching and indexing Web-based metadata, regardless of whether the corresponding resource is an electronic document or a "real" physical object. Described in ANSI/NISO Z39.85.
• extensible Markup Language. See XML
• extensible Stylesheet Language. See XSL
• Ingest. The external interface that accepts information into an archive. This process may include staging information to prepare for full acceptance, confirmation of receipt, and validation. OAIS contains the services and functions that accept Submission Information Packages from Producers, prepares Archival Information Packages for storage, and ensures that Archival Information Packages and their supporting Descriptive Information become established. Accession (traditional archives) = Ingest
• International Standard Book Number (ISBN). The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally. Every ISBN consists of a set number of digits (ten prior to a revision in 2004), and whenever it is printed it is preceded by the letters ISBN. The number is divided into four parts of variable length, each part separated by a hyphen. Described in ISO 2108.
• International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). The International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) uniquely identifies a serial title regardless of language or country in which it is published. An ISSN is eight digits long and always displayed this way: ISSN 1234-5679. The first seven digits serve as the title number and the eighth is a check digit, which provides an efficient means for discovering transcription errors. Described in ISO 3297 and ANSI/NISO Z39.9.
• MARC 21. MARC is the acronym for MAchine-Readable Cataloging. It defines a data format that emerged from a Library of Congress led initiative begun thirty years ago. MARC became USMARC in the 1980s and MARC 21 in the late 1990s. It provides the mechanism by which computers exchange, use, and interpret bibliographic information and its data elements make up the foundation of most library catalogs used today.
• Metadata. Literally, "data about data," metadata include data associated with either an information system or an information object for purposes of description, administration, legal requirements, technical functionality, use and usage, and preservation. See also: Administrative metadata, Descriptive metadata, Preservation metadata, Rights metadata, Structural metadata, Technical metadata, Use metadata
• Multimedia. Materials, documents, or products, such as World Wide Web pages, or components of digital libraries, archival information systems, and virtual museums that use any combination of text, numeric data, still and moving images, animation, sound, and graphics.
• Open Archival Information System (OAIS). The Open Archival Information System (OAIS ) reference model is a conceptual framework for an archival system dedicated to preserving and maintaining access to digital information over the long term. The reference model increases awareness and understanding of concepts relevant for archiving digital objects, especially among nonarchival institutions; elucidate terminology and concepts for describing and comparing data models and archival architectures; expand consensus on the elements and processes endemic to digital information preservation and access; and create a framework to guide the identification and development of standards. Described in: http://public.ccsds.org/publications/archive/650x0b1.pdf
• Preservation metadata. Metadata related to the preservation management of information resources, for example, metadata used to document, or created as a result of, preservation processes performed on information resources.
• Rights metadata. A form of administrative metadata dealing with rights management statements, including ownership statements, licenses, permissions, etc.
• Section 508. Section 508 refers to a statutory section in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (found at 29 U.S.C. 794d). Congress significantly strengthened section 508 in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Its primary purpose is to provide access to and use of Federal executive agencies’ electronic and information technology (EIT) by individuals with disabilities. The statutory language of Section 508 can be found at http://www.section508.gov/ . The Access Board http://www.access-board.gov wrote the Section 508 standards and is the U.S. federal agency responsible for developing and enforcing accessibility requirements. See also: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Structural metadata. Information used to display and navigate digital resources; also includes information on the internal organization of the digital resource. Structural metadata might include information such as the structural divisions of a resource (that is, chapters in a book) or sub-object relationships (such as individual diary entries in a diary section).
• Style Sheets. Style sheets describe how documents are presented on screens, in print, or perhaps how they are pronounced. By attaching style sheets to structured documents on the Web (for example XML), authors/creators and readers can influence the presentation of documents without sacrificing device-independence or adding new XML tags. See also: XSL
• Technical metadata. Metadata created for, or generated by, a computer system, relating to how the system or its content behaves or needs to be processed.
• Uniform Resource Name (URN). Also referred to as "Universal Resource Name/Number." A unique, location-independent identifier of a file available on the Internet. The file remains accessible by its URN regardless of changes that might occur in its host and directory path. For information about Internet addressing, Described in: http://www.w3.org/Addressing/Addressing.html . See also: Digital Object Identifier (DOI®)
• Use metadata. Metadata, generally automatically created by the computer, that relate to the level and type of use of an information system.
• USMARC. See: MARC 21
• XML. XML is extensible Markup Language, a project of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): the development of the specification is being supervised by their XML Working Group. It is designed to improve the functionality of the Web by providing more flexible and adaptable information identification. It is called extensible because it is not a fixed format like HTML (a single, predefined markup language). Instead, XML is actually a metalanguage—a language for describing other languages—which allows customized markup languages for limitless different types of objects. XML can do this because it's written in SGML (ISO 8879), the international standard metalanguage for text markup systems.
• XSL. XSL (extensible Stylesheet Language) is a language for expressing stylesheets for XML objects. It consists of two parts: a language for transforming XML objects, and an XML vocabulary for specifying formatting semantics. The originality and power of XSL is more general than just describing how XML items should be presented; it allows, as well as describes, how these objects can be transformed into other objects. The part of XSL dealing with document transformation is called XSLT. The part of XSL dealing with formatting objects is called XSL-FO. XSL and XSLT are currently working drafts of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).