Re: [Refdb-users] frbr

[Marc H. <mar...@fr...>]

On Fri, 16 Jan 2004, Markus Hoenicka wrote:

>  > >
>  > > The distinction between expression and manifestation is useful for
>  > > works that are performed but usually can be ignored for works that
>  > > have a single expression, like most journal articles. Journal articles
>  > > represent three types of creations: the work, or creative output of
>  > > the author(s); the manifestations, or instantiations of the work in
>  > > print and/or electronic form; and the items, or specific copies of a
>  > > manifestation. An article, for example, could have been published in a
>  > > print and an electronic version. These would be separate
>  > > manifestations, each of which might have multiple items (perhaps
>  > > several hundred copies for the print run, and mirrored online and
>  > > archival copies of the electronic version).

Are these distinctions really relevant for a tool whose purpose is too
manage references? (refdb, BibTeX, Reference Manager, etc.)

I understand that librarians want a tool to track everything down to
physical instances, but is it useful to bibliographers?

Today, I guess most of us handle multiple "manifestations" like
this:
    <title type="full">IEEE Communications Magazine</title>

      <date> <year>1989</year> <month>6</month> </date>
      <volume>27</volume>  <issue>6</issue>

      <url>http://dl.comsoc.org/cocoon/comsoc/servlets/GetPublication?id=111923</url>

Isn't that enough?

Does refdb want to address the needs of librarians too?

Cheers,

Marc.