DC Format Working Group

Proposed Format Qualifiers

Date: 1999-12-21

Status: Working Group proposal

Note: The appearance of a qualifier in this list should not be taken as an endorsement of its use by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative at this time.

QUALIFIER PROPOSAL : Format : Medium : 1999-11-17

• working group defining the qualifier
  DC-Format
• which DC element is being qualified?
  Format
• proposed name of the qualifier
  Medium
• definition of the qualifier
  The media-type of the resource.
• does the qualifier refine the semantics of the element (y/n)
  yes
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by the DCMI? (y/n)
  no
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by another organization? (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the vocabulary (if available).
  no
• is the qualifier a formal encoding format (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the format (if available).
  no
• justification/explanation (optional but recommended)
  This element qualifier for Format allows the metadata creator to indicate the media-type of the resource. Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary (for example, the list of Internet Media Types [MIME] defining computer media formats). Examples include:
  DC.Format.Medium = text/html
  DC.Format.Medium = paper
• identify potential overlap/conflicts with other qualifiers if applicable (optional)
  Recommended best practice for digital resources is to use this element qualifier for Format in conjunction with the proposed 'IMT' value qualifier for Format.

QUALIFIER PROPOSAL : Format : Extent : 1999-11-17

• working group defining the qualifier
  DC-Format
• which DC element is being qualified?
  Format
• proposed name of the qualifier
  Extent
• definition of the qualifier
  The size or duration of the resource.
• does the qualifier refine the semantics of the element (y/n)
  yes
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by the DCMI? (y/n)
  no
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by another organization? (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the vocabulary (if available).
  no
• is the qualifier a formal encoding format (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the format (if available).
  no
• justification/explanation (optional but recommended)
  This element qualifier for Format allows the metadata creator to indicate the physical dimensions, filesize or duration of the resource. Examples include:
  DC.Format.Extent = 3419 bytes
  DC.Format.Extent = 34 minutes
  DC.Format.Extent = 2 x 3.5 inch floppy disks
  The WG make no specific recommendations about how units should be associated with the value.
• identify potential overlap/conflicts with other qualifiers if applicable (optional)
  n/a

QUALIFIER PROPOSAL : Format : IMT : 1999-11-17

• working group defining the qualifier
  DC-Format
• which DC element is being qualified?
  Format
• proposed name of the qualifier
  IMT
• definition of the qualifier
  The Internet MIME Type of the resource.
• does the qualifier refine the semantics of the element (y/n)
  no
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by the DCMI? (y/n)
  no
• is the qualifier a controlled vocabulary (enumerated list of values) maintained by another organization? (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the vocabulary (if available).
  yes
  http://www.isi.edu/in-notes/iana/assignments/media-types/media-types
• is the qualifier a formal encoding format (y/n). If yes, please supply a URL pointing to further information about the format (if available).
  no
• justification/explanation (optional but recommended)
  This value qualifier for Format allows the metadata creator to indicate the Internet MIME Type of the resource. This is the 'standard' mechanism for indicating the media-type of a digital resource on the Internet. Examples include:
  DC.Format (Scheme=IMT) = text/html
• identify potential overlap/conflicts with other qualifiers if applicable (optional)
  MIME types and sub-types mix up modality (text) and encoding (html) in a way that is undesirable and confusing with respect to the DC Type element. However, given the widespread use of MIME types for Internet resources, the WG sees little alternative than to recommend their use in the Format element.
  Recommended best practice for digital resources is to use the IMT value qualifier in conjunction with the Medium element qualifier for Format.

Content by: Andy Powell, UKOLN

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