[jats-list] Re: @xml:lang on <related-article>

Subject: [jats-list] Re: @xml:lang on <related-article>
From: "Gareth Oakes goakes@xxxxxxx" <jats-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2019 07:44:27 -0000
Hi Laura,

I understand the use case, and you've had some good feedback. I do not
disagree with any of the comments so far.

My 2c is that this should be a function of the delivery platform; meaning that
related-article is simply the link to the article. Any metadata about the
referenced article is contained within that article. None of the referenced
article details (metadata or content) should be duplicated in the source
article.

For user convenience purposes (e.g. displaying a German flag on screen) the
system would need to look-up the referenced article and query it's xml:lang
(or whatever field holds the language value). This would then drive the UI
logic on the delivery platform. For performance reasons you would probably
cache the resolved language values so you don't need to do this look-up more
than once.

This is likely an overly purist view of things but perhaps the thought process
helps you a little?

Cheers,
Gareth Oakes
Chief Architect, GPSL

-----Original Message-----
From: Randall, Laura (NIH/NLM/NCBI) [E] laura.randall@xxxxxxx
<jats-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, 11 January 2019 2:40
To: jats-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [jats-list] @xml:lang on <related-article>

Hi, all.
I have a situation where I have the English language version of an article
that was also published in German. I want to include a related-article in the
one I have that points to the German-language version of the article, so I'm
using <related-article>. Along with the citation of the German article, I
would *like* to be able to record its language so I can build a link that
identifies the language as part of the citation (for user convenience).

I'm wondering if I can use the xml:lang attribute on the related-article
element to do this.

Now before ya'll grab your pitchforks and yell 'TAG ABUSER', hear me out.

Definition of related-article:
Description of a journal article related to the content but published
separately. May include a link to the related article.

Definition of xml:lang:
The language of the intellectual content of the element for which this is an
attribute.

So the official definition of related-article says it is a description of
another journal article and xml:lang says it specifies the language of the
intellectual content of the element. "The element" in this case describes the
target article, so my possibly twisted (out of desperation this time) take on
this is that in the same way the vol and page attributes describe the volume
and page of the target, so, too, should the xml:lang describe the target.

I'm like 99.99% positive that the Standing Committee didn't consider this use
when they(we) added xml:lang everywhere, but I think this follows the rules
and definitions.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks (and sorry),
Laura
________________________
Laura Randall
laura.randall@xxxxxxx
NCBI/NLM/NIH

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