Structure

It is recommended when starting encoding manuscript records to read these guidelines alongside with example records, for example, of the BAV or BDL collections.

Each manuscript record should contain in <msDesc>↗ a description of the manuscript's intellectual and physical content, its history and the source of the record. The intellectual content of the manuscript is encoded in <msContents>↗, divided into as many (nested) <msItem>↗s as needed. The physical description of the manuscript is encoded in <physDesc>↗. <history>↗ contains all available information on the manuscript's provenance and further history. The source of the record is encoded in <additional>↗.

The order for these elements should be for simple manuscripts:

1. <msIdentifier>↗, see identifiers structure
2. <msContents>↗
3. <physDesc>↗
4. <history>↗
5. <additional>↗

Each codicological unit of a composite manuscript is a <msPart>↗. Since the codicological units of a composite manuscript might have different physical aspects and origins, all the above mentioned elements can and should be used as needed within each separate <msPart>↗. However, the shared aspects of the manuscript - for example, parts of its history, or the description of the binding - can also be encoded for the entire manuscript. Therefore, the <msDesc>↗ of a composite manuscript might have the following structure:

• <msIdentifier>↗

• <physDesc>↗ Containing the physical description about the entire manuscript

• <history>↗ Containing information on the origin and provenance about the entire manuscript

• <additional>↗ Containing the source of this record

• <msPart xml:id="p1">↗ Description of the first codicological unit, possibly including again <physDesc>↗, <history>↗ and <additional>↗ as pertaining only to this codicological unit

• <msPart xml:id="p2">↗ Description of the second codicological unit, possibly including again <physDesc>↗, <history>↗ and <additional>↗ as pertaining only to this codicological unit

• <text>↗ Containing any transcribed text of any <msPart>↗

Each <msPart>↗ contains the description of its intellectual content in <msContents>↗ as well as all the above elements, limited now to the description of this particular <msPart>↗. If no further information is available, for example, on the history of a particular <msPart>↗ or if no other source than the one already specified in the first <additional>↗ element concerning the entire manuscript has been used, it is not necessary to repeat these elements.