[jats-list] index terms: sort key attribute

["Imsieke, Gerrit, le-tex gerrit.imsieke@xxxxxxxxx" <jats-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sometimes it's necessary to specify an explicit sorting key for an index 
term. Consider this DocBook example:

<indexterm>
  <primary sortas="Zielintention">(Ziel-)Intention</primary>
</indexterm>

This will be sorted as 'z' and not as '('.

What would be the BITS equivalent of @sortas? Without the sort key, the 
index term is

<index-term>
  <term>(Ziel-)Intention</term>
</index-term>

Apparently there's no sortas or equivalent attribute permitted on the 
term element.

What I'm planning to do is to use the specific-use attribute and put the 
sort key in there, like this:

<index-term>
  <term specific-use="Zielintention">(Ziel-)Intention</term>
</index-term>

Although it probably isn't outright misuse of specific-use, I think it 
would be useful to have a distinct attribute for this.

It is an open question whether this attribute should be on index-term or 
on term. Probably on index-term since term is also used in other context 
where a sort-as attribute may or may not make sense.

In contrast to DocBook where the sortas attributes have to be on 
primary, secondary, or tertiary rather than on indexterm itself, BITS' 
index-term element might be a suitable place for such an attribute, due 
to the recursive content model.

In TEI, however, after which BITS' index terms seem to be modeled, each 
/term/ may carry a sortKey attribute.

What do you think? Do we need such a sort key? Or am I missing that it 
is already there? If we need it, should it be on index-term or on term? 
What do you think of the specific-use interim solution?

Gerrit

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Gerrit Imsieke
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