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the teiHeader
Header Sections
The TEI Header is the first section of the TEI file structure and is a required component of any valid TEI file.
The information provided within TEI Headers can be simple or complex depending on the document and its intended purposes. However, it includes a few required and suggested sections.
The <teiHeader> contains the following 5 sections, where only <fileDesc>is required:
Jumpt to:
(1) <fileDesc>
Description |
<fileDesc> is a required section of the TEI Header. It records bibliographic information of the encoded document using the subSections listed below.
Notes |
For <fileDesc> to be valid, it must include at a minumum <titleStmt>, <publicationStmt>and <sourceDesc> subsections
subSections |
(1.1) <titleStmt> is a mandatory section of fileDesc. It groups elements for recording information about the title of a work and those responsible, at various levels, for the creation or editorial work of its content. This section includes:
(1.1.1) <title> declares the title of the TEI file. Note this may be different from the source title of the encoded work in <text> section. For example, if we were encoding Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, we might name our TEI file something like, "Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest": a TEI edition."
To record the original source title (and other source text data), we can use <bibl> under <sourceDesc>. We would include the original source creator under <author> in next section below. We would record information on the TEI edition's creator/encoder (if different than source author) under <respStmt>.
(1.1.2) <author> declares the original source author (a person or organization) responsible for producing the work. We can repeat <author> for works where there is more than one primary creator. We can also nest <persName> in <author> to associate persons listed in personograpy data; similarly, use <orgName> for organizations listed in orgography data where an organization is responsible as creator.
(1.1.3) <sponser> declares any person(s)/group(s) responsible for providing intellectual sponsorship for the creation of the work
(1.1.4) <funder> declares any person(s)/group(s) responsible for providing money in the creation of the work
(1.1.5) <editor> declares any person(s) responsible for an editorial role in the case of document being part of an edition
(1.1.6) <principal> declares any person(s) responsible for principal research in the case where the document is the product of formal research
(1.1.7) <respStmt> groups elements for recording information on contributors involved in the creation of the TEI edition (e.g., those on an encoding team involved in the encoding of the TEI edition); or anyone not already named in above sections
(1.2) <editionStmt> is optional, but recommended by TEI-C guidelines. It is used to group information on a single edition of text, where there may exist other editions of the work elsewhere, with their own editionStmt's.
(1.2.1) <edition> should note whether it is a first edition, new edition, revised edition, etc., and note the date of released to mark distinction from other known editions. The @n attribute on edition can assist in declaring version number across multiple existing editions of the work: <edition n="1"> marks a first edition.
(1.2.2) <respStmt> records primary contributor(s) of edition; repeat this section where necessary to record other contributors to the edition.
(1.2.3) <name> declares person responsible for the changes made to this edition.
(1.2.4) <resp> describe role of edits
(1.3) <extent> is optional. It is used for documenting the size of the textual medium; in the case of the TEI document, the file size.
As a minimum structure, we can declare the file size between <extent> tags. We can supply byte size, or use terms to describe physical (disk, tape, etc.) or logical (pages, paragraphs, sentences, etc.) units. <p> tags are not used between parent tags:
<extent>12 paragraphs</extent>
Approximate declarations are acceptable if precise file size is not known: using such terms as "less than," "between," "over."
<extent>Less than 1 Mb</extent>
(1.3.1) <measure> with @unit and @quantity attributes declares machine friendly measurements (For more information on file size naming, see this reference):
<extent>
<measure unit="MiB" quantity="1.5"> About 1.5 megabytes </measure>
</extent>
(1.4) <publicationStmt> is required. It groups information concerning the publication or distribution of the digital TEI object. Alternatively, we use <sourceDesc> -- last section of <titleStmt> -- to record publication data of the TEI file's source text, where TEI edition is not original source, or "born digital."
This section must contain at least one of the following tags: <publisher>, <distributor>, or <authority>. (the code snippet includes all three.)
(1.4.1) <publisher> the person or ogranization responsible for the creation of TEI edition, and who maintains rights over its production and/or distribution. if "unknown," then "Publisher Unknown."
(1.4.2) <address> (repeat <addrLin> as needed) or <pubPlace>
(1.4.3) <date> may be used for both marking the publication date of the TEI document or following <availability> to mark availability statement date if different than publication date
(1.4.4) <distribution> identifies organization responsible for the distribution of the TEI edition
(1.4.5) <availability> statement clarifies a general copyright and fair use policy governing reuse of the TEI edition. May include just a simple paragraph statement and/or a <license> making use of @target attribute to link directly to license.
(1.5) <seriesStmt> (Optional) records the relation between separate documents understood as each part of a series (e.g., collected works: essays, lectures, articles, document volumes, etc.) by declaring its parent work/identity. This section accepts either a block of text wrapped in <p> or a the following section tags (not both)
(1.5.1) <title> declares the title of the series of which this document is considered to be a part.
(1.5.2) <respStmt> (containing expected <name> and <resp> tags) declares the name of person or entity responsible for series, e.g., editor or organization, and identified role.
(1.5.3) <biblScope> declares the bibliographic scope of the TEI document as included within the series, for example as a list of page numbers, or a named subdivision of a larger work. Using @unit, @from, @to, for example, we can state,
<biblScope unit="page" from="25" to="29">pp 25-29</biblScope>
(1.5.4) <idno> is an identifier tag in the TEI used to mark an ISSN, ISBN, or on idno.
<idno type="ISBN">978-1-234567-89-1</idno>
(1.6) <notesStmt> (Optional) compiles together notes about the encoded document that are not recorded elsewhere within the header.
As notes are somewhat open-ended, we suggest reviewing the Guidelines to assess what kinds of information you might put here based on your document and/or project purposes. The Guidelines offer a nicely detailed overview of the possible handlings of note section, with links to more explanation where possible, and help demonstrate how note data may be more appropriately placed outside note elsewhere in TEI header.
At a minimum, apply a container made up of a parent <notesStmt> containing <note>. You may repeat note as needed.
(1.7) <sourceDesc> (Required) records the source from which an electronic text was derived or generated (if true).
Typically this comes in the form of a bibliographic description using one of the following containers:
<bibl>, <biblStruct>, <listBibl>(review the differences between in the Guidelines). In the case where the TEI file is born digital, we can state "born digital" using <p>
(2) <encodingDesc>
Description |
<encodingDesc> is a recommended section of the TEI Header. It records information on the encoding practices used and relationship between encoded work and, where true, its source text; this section can range from a brief statement on encoding approach under <projectDesc> to a more detailed overview of editorial decisions and handling of source text under <editorialDesc>.
Notes |
For <encodingDesc> to be valid, it must include at a minumum 1 or more <p> tags, or for more detailed and structured encoding descriptions, one or more of the element sections discussed below:
subSections |
(2.1) <projectDesc> a prose description on purpose of TEI edition, project objectives, teams, etc., wrapped in <p>.
(2.2) <samplingDecl> a prose description about the selection process behind choosing text(s) or textual fragments that comprise the encoded document in the case where encoded document is of a source text. Often this will include information on sample size, methods, purpose, and more general discussion of textual source.
(2.3) <editorialDecl> a prose description of the editorial practices employed in the encoding of a document in which one may either use <p> or one or more of the following elements:
(2.3.1) <correction> prose description of corrections, if any, made to the source text in creation of TEI edition
(2.3.2) <normalization> prose description on any normalization decisions made on source text in creation of TEI edition
(2.3.3) <quotation> prose description on handling of quotation markers of source text in creation of TEI edition
(2.3.4) <hyphenation> prose description on handling hyphenation encoding of source text in creation of TEI edition
(2.3.5) <segmentation> prose description on segmentation of source text in creation of TEI edition
(2.3.6) <stdVals> prose description of approach to standardizing date and number values in TEI edition
(2.3.7) <interpretation> prose description of any interpretive information added in the creation of TEI edition
(2.3.8) <punctuation> prose description of handling of punctuation of source text in creation of TEI edition
(2.4) <tagsDecl> documents use of tags in TEI edition using,
(2.4.1) <rendition> renditional display of element in TEI edition, where @selector points to elements in <text> with applied rendition; @scheme is "css"
<rendition xm:id="medium" scheme="css" selector="front div">
font-size:90%;margin:0.5em;</rendition>
a really great example can be found in guidelines here
(2.4.2) <namespace> declares namespace to which tag (<tagUsage>) belongs
(2.4.3) <tagUsage> details usage of tag; repeat element for multiple tag descriptions
(2.5) <styledefDecl> declares the name of supplied value of @scheme attribute on rendition:
<styledefDecl scheme="css" schemeVersion="2.1"/>
<tagsDecl>
<rendition xm:id="medium" scheme="css" selector="front div">
font-size:90%;margin:0.5em;
</rendition>
</tagsDecl>
(2.9) <schemaSpec> declares a schema specification for including ODD file in header of TEI document
(see here)
(3) <profileDesc>
Description |
<profileDesc> is a recommended section of the TEI Header. It provides a profile description of the encoded file, or as the guidelines state: "provides a detailed description of non-bibliographic aspects of a text, specifically the languages and sublanguages used, the situation in which it was produced, the participants and their setting."
Notes |
Available sections under <profileDesc> are listed below:
subSections |
This section is in progress. Here is a link to profileDesc in the TEI Guidelines. Post your questions to the TAPAS Header forum.
(3.1) <handNotes>
(3.2) <creation>
(3.3) <langUsage>
(3.4) <abstract>
(3.5) <textDesc>
(3.6) <settingDesc>
(3.7) <particDesc>
(4) <xenoData>
Description |
<xenoData> is a possible section of the TEI Header.
Notes |
For <xenoData> sections are listed below:
subSections |
This section is in progress. Here is a link to profileDesc in the TEI Guidelines. Post your questions to the TAPAS Header forum.
(4.1)
(5) <revisionDesc>
Description |
<revisionDesc> is a highly recommended section of the TEI Header.
Notes |
<revisionDesc> sections are listed below:
subSections |
This section is in progress. Here is a link to profileDesc in the TEI Guidelines. Post your questions to the TAPAS Header forum.
(5.1)