DonovanSharp - Thu Jul 06 2006 - Version 1.7
Parent topic: SddContents

SDD Part 0: Introduction and Primer to the SDD Standard

4.4 Elements of structured summary data in SDD.

A coded description requires three essential items: the names of the taxa being described, the terminology (characters and states) used to describe the taxa, and the coded descriptions themselves

An SDD instance document for coded summary data has the basic structure shown in Example 4.4.1.

Example 4.4.1 - SDD structure of coded descriptions

<Datasets>
  <Dataset>
	
    <TaxonNames>
      ... provides a list of the entities (usually taxa) described
    </TaxonNames>
	
    <TaxonHierarchies>
      ... optional element to describe relationships between entities
    </TaxonHierarchies>
	
    <DescriptiveTerminology>
      ... provides the terminology and ontology used to describe the 
	  entities (see DescriptiveConcepts, SddCharacters, CharacterTrees)
    </DescriptiveTerminology>
	
    <CodedDescriptions>
       <SummaryData>
            ... the actual descriptions
       </SummaryData>
    </CodedDescriptions>
	
    <MediaResources>
      ... optional element providing media (images, video, audio etc.) associated with 
          any of the above
    </MediaResources>
	
  </Dataset>
</Datasets>

Optional elements allow the taxa to be arranged into a hierarchy, and the recording of media files (images etc) for taxa or characters.

Example 4.4.1 - A simple summary description of a taxon (Korthalsella)

    <CodedDescriptions>
      <CodedDescription id="cd1">
        <Representation>
          <Label>Korthalsella</Label>
        </Representation>
        <Scope>
          <TaxonName ref="t2"/>
        </Scope>
        <SummaryData>
          <Categorical ref="c3">
            <State ref="s7"/>
          </Categorical>
          <Categorical ref="c1">
            <State ref="s2"/>
          </Categorical>
          <Quantitative ref="c4">
            <Measure type="Min" value="5.0"/>
            <Measure type="UMethUpper" value="10.0"/>
            <Measure type="UMethlower" value="20.0"/>
            <Measure type="Max" value="25.0"/>
          </Quantitative>
        </SummaryData>
      </CodedDescription>
    </CodedDescriptions>

-- Main.DonovanSharp - 02 Jun 2006