Date:         Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:27:40 -0500
Reply-To:     Metadata Object Description Schema List <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Metadata Object Description Schema List <[log in to unmask]>
From:         "Ray Denenberg, Library of Congress" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: OpenDocument, MODS and Remaining Issues
Comments: To: Metadata Object Description Schema List <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce D'Arcus" <[log in to unmask]>
> Rebecca S. Guenther wrote:
>
> > How about including both forms in your MODS record with a link between
> > the 2 instances of <name> using the ID attribute.
>
> I'm not sure. How are you proposing that would work precisely?  What, in
> other words, is the coding that indicates they are the same person?


This could get complicated. The semantics of having x name elements is x
entities. It is not x variations on the name of single entity, or worse,  y
entities (y<x) with (x-y) variations (with flags, and links to the various z
entities). Let's consider an alternative approach.

If we want to support this capability, to provide alternative forms of a
name, we should explicitly bundle all variations of a name for the same
entity together, distinguished from names of other entities. There are
probably a number of ways to do this; one that comes to mind (that would
have little impact) is to add an element <alternativeForm> type  nameType
(recursive), within the definition, in the "choice" i.e. along with
namePart, displayForm, etc.

--Ray