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Relation

Label

DC.Relation

Definition

A reference to a related resource.

Purpose

This element should be used if there are significant resources that are related to the current resource, which may be useful for the consumer to also access or retrieve.

Obligation

Recommended

Qualifiers

See below

Qualifier obligation

Recommended

Encoding Scheme

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Examples

[Indicating the present resource is also available in pdf format] =

<meta name="DC.Relation.hasFormat" content="http://www.oasis.gov.ie/rights/entitlements.pdf">

[indicating Irish language version of http://www.gov.ie/educ/publications/213233a.htm] =

<meta name="DC.Relation.hasVersion" content="http://www.gov.ie/educ/publications/216a33a.htm">

[without qualifier] =

<meta name="DC.Relation" content="this electronic edition supersedes the hard copy-only second edition, same title, ISBN 0863402017">

The Relation element references a related resource, indicating the type of relationship.

The Relation element ought to be provided where necessary for discovery, or if necessary to utilise the resource once identified.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the Relation element be qualified. Alternatively, include a free text entry stipulating the relationship.

 

The Relation element is not to be used for indicating that one resource has been derived from another. The Source element is used where the content is derived from, but does not replace, the content of another document.

For web-based resources the content of the element will usually be a URI. If the related resource is a non-electronic resource some other form of identification for the related resource can be used, such as title, ISBN etc.

Qualifiers

The qualifiers below are recommended for the Relation element:

Name

isVersionOf

Label

DC.Relation.isVersionOf

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is a version, edition, or adaptation of the referenced resource. Changes in version imply substantive changes in content rather than differences in format.

 

Name

hasVersion

Label

DC.Relation.hasVersion

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource has a version, edition, or adaptation, namely, the referenced resource.

 

Name

isReplacedBy

Label

DC.Relation.isReplacedBy

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is supplanted, displaced, or superceded by the referenced resource.

 

Name

replaces

Label

DC.Relation.replaces

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource supplants, displaces, or supersedes the referenced resource.

 

Name

isRequiredBy

Label

DC.Relation.isRequiredBy

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is required by the referenced resource, either physically or logically.

 

Name

requires

Label

DC.Relation.requires

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource requires the referenced resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence of content.

 

Name

isPartOf

Label

DC.Relation.isPartOf

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is a physical or logical part of the referenced resource.

 

Name

hasPart

Label

DC.Relation.hasPart

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource includes the referenced resource either physically or logically.

 

Name

isReferencedBy

Label

DC.Relation.isReferencedBy

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the referenced resource.

 

Name

references

Label

DC.Relation.references

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource references, cites, or otherwise points to the referenced resource.

 

Name

isFormatOf

Label

DC.Relation.isFormatOf

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is the same intellectual content of the referenced resource, but presented in another format..

 

Name

hasFormat

Label

DC.Relation.hasFormat

Obligation Recommended

Definition

The described resource is available in another format.

 

Summary Sheet
Column A
Column B
DC.Relation.isVersionOf DC.Relation.hasVersion
DC.Relation.isReplacedBy DC.Relation.replaces
DC.Relation.isRequiredBy DC.Relation.requires
DC.Relation.isPartOf DC.Relation.hasPart
DC.Relation.isReferencedBy DC.Relation.references
DC.Relation.isFormatOf DC.Relation.hasFormat

Note from the summary sheet above that relationships consist of value pairs (e.g. isFormatOf, hasFormat). If a two-way relationship or association is to be stipulated, one record will indicate one side of the value pair (isFormatOf), while the second record will indicate the other side of the value pair (hasFormat). However, the IPSMS does not require all records to have metadata associated with them, but rather that all records are discoverable via the deployment of metadata. Consequently, it may be in order to use one side only of a value pair, as a resource may reference another with no such reference back from the referenced resource. In the event that a one way relationship only is to be indicated, preference should be given to using the qualifiers indicated in Column B above.

An example might be an HTML document indicating the availability of a PDF or MS Word version, with no reference back to the HTML document from a second metadata record (since a second does not exist) attached to the PDF or MS Word document. Example:

[Included in the metadata record embedded in a HTML version of a document]:

<meta name="DC.Relation.hasFormat" content="http://www.oasis.gov.ie/rights/entitlements.doc">

Such a deployment would be in compliance with the IPSMS as both formats would be discoverable as a result of the metadata record associated with the HTML document.

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