Re: [Refdb-users] Importing RisX into RefDB

[Bruce D'A. <bd...@fa...>]

On Saturday, April 26, 2003, at 10:17  AM, Markus Hoenicka wrote:

> I currently hesitate to switch to MODS as it is implemented as a 
> Schema, not a DTD. Not many tools support this yet, and I can only 
> hope and pray that my favourite tool (Emacs and PSGML) will do so 
> eventually. But I agree that we should sit down and analyze how common 
> MODS data could be mapped to RIS or risx.

Are the only relevant tools here editors?  Or are you also thinking of 
XML parsers?  Are there no good free parsers that handle schemas?

One idea I have is that if you do decide on an additional entry DTD for 
the current model, it could provide a sort of bridge between risX and 
MODS.  So risX is the low-level straight ris mapping, "risX plus" (or 
whatever you want to call it; BibX??) is more explicitly aimed at data 
entry, and MODS is the future -- more rational and ambitious -- data 
model.

MODS, for anyone interested, is part of a larger comprehensive XML 
strategy at the Library of Congress.  Their key format to move MARC 
records to XML is MARCXML, and they have a Java conversion tool that 
does just this without loss.  From MARCXML, they have XSLT files that 
convert back-and-forth between MARCXML on the one hand, and Dublin Core 
and MODS (and a couple of others) on the other.

http://www.loc.gov/standards/marcxml//marcxml-architecture.html
http://www.loc.gov/standards/marcxml//

MODS has the same basic data structure as MARC (which strikes me as 
better than the ris model), but:

a) carries only a subset of the data
b) is explicitly designed for the digital and internet world
c) is now having additional structures added for bibliographic 
citations (long story, but the current version of MODS isn't well 
suited to representing something like a journal article)

It also seems that the LoC is positioning MODS as a key data format for 
the future.  For example, they are also involved in an effort to define 
a next generation version of z39.50, and are planning to set up a 
server that distributes MODS records.

	http://www.loc.gov/z3950/agency/zing/srw/background.html

 From this site, the LoC explains:

"Longer-range plan is to build an SRW/Z39.50 gateway, to allow access 
to our Z39.50 server from an SRW client. MARC records would be 
converted to MODS."

> Family duties may prevent this right now, but I hope I'll be able to 
> carve out some time next week.

Sounds good.  By that time, the LoC will hopefully release their new 
user guide to MODS, which might be helpful.

Bruce