#510 add a correspondence module and elements for capturing correspondence specific meta data

[Peter Stadler]

After a second two day proposal sprint we (the Correspondence SIG taskforce) feel like it's time for this feature request.

The basic request is to add a correspondence module to the TEI guidelines for the encoding of correspondence, be it letters, postcards, email or the like. These texts need some specific additional meta data (e.g. sender, addressee) which can not sufficiently be encoded within the current standard.

The Correspondence SIG taskforce "correspDesc" has prepared a detailed proposal with examples, ODD, schemas etc. which can be found at https://github.com/TEI-Correspondence-SIG/correspDesc.

[Lou Burnard]

Proposing a new module and proposing a new element are two quite different things. I would suggest that it is better to consider the case for a new element first, and only subsequently decide whether it is of sufficient complexity to warrant adding a new module.

[Martin Holmes]

It's actually a constellation of elements, including:

correspDesc
sender
addressee
placeSender
placeAddressee
dateSender
dateAddressee
correspClass
context
transmission

I think there is an argument to be made that this could constitute a coherent module. It's more coherent than many of the modules we already have.

[Martin Holmes]

Council discussed this on 2014-06-30, and decided that they would all re-read the proposal in preparation for a more detailed discussion on the Council list. We agree that there is a need for a metadata element for correspondence, but some of the currently-proposed elements may be reinventing existing elements.

[Peter Stadler]

Council discussed the issue during its Duke f2f on 2014-11-18 based on the updated proposal.
The general consensus seems to be:

• correspDesc will be repeatable because it will be a member of profileDescPart.
• correspDesc will contain a sequence of elements (<correspAction>) representing correspondence actions such as sending, receiving, signing, etc.
  Each of those elements will contain <persName role="”something”">, places and dates and possibly an element representing transmission(?)
• correspDesc will be a member of att.declarable so that each can be pointed at by a specific letter, in the case where you have a single document containing multiple letters.
• The documentation will give clear guidelines on how to use the range of different options to represent correspondence in different configurations (single letter in a single TEI file, anthology in a single TEI document with <group>, etc.).
• Council agrees in principle to the proposal (with changes suggested) and action on PWS to revise the draft and draw attention to council for final review.
• The idea of a separate Module was refused
• Documentation shall get into the Header chapter at 2.4.6
• Elements and classes are to be defined in the header module

[Peter Stadler]

implemented the current proposal at [r13129].
Lou already reacted on TEI-Council-list so amendments will follow.

[Peter Stadler]

It's already included in the current version of the Guidelines. Closing the ticket now …