Cindy Hepfer, ALA Voting representative to NISO, has forwarded two additional items for comment. First is a systematic review ballot of ISO 116642 : 2003, Computer applications in terminology –Terminological markup framework. She notes that our vote options on this ballot are Confirm (as is), Revise/Amend, Withdraw (the standard), or Abstain (from the vote). Comments are required for all votes other than Confirm.
The scope statement in the standard states:
‘This International Standard specifies a framework designed to provide guidance on the basic principles for representing data recorded in terminological data collections. This framework includes a meta-model and methods for describing specific terminological markup languages (TMLs) expressed in XML. The mechanisms for implementing constraints in a TML are defined in this International Standard, but not the specific constraints for individual TMLs, except for the three TMLs defined in Annexes B to D.â€
“This International Standard is designed to support the development and use of computer applications for terminological data and the exchange of such data between different applications. It does not standardize data categories and methods for the specification of data structures which are specified in ISO 12620 and other related International Standards. This International Standard also defines the conditions that allow the data expressed in one TML to be mapped onto another TML and specifies a generic mapping tool (GMT) for this purpose (see Annex A).â€
Deadline for comment on this ballot is December 2, 2008.
The second item is a new work item proposal: Revision of ISO/TS 17369. Cindy notes that this is a proposal from a liaison committee (TC 154, Processes, data elements and documents in commerce, industry and administration) to revise the standard, ISO/TS 17369: 2005 Statistical data and metadata exchange (SDMX).
From the scope of proposed project:
“Revision to extend technical specification to include services-oriented exchange architecture and more complete metadata functionality and to convert the document into an International Standards (IS). This revision builds on the existing TS 17369 and implementations associated with changes proposed for Version 2 in November 2005 via http://www.sdmx.org. A disposition log of public comments has been maintained.
Purpose and justification: Revisions reflect need for features to support more efficient and effective data and metadata exchange.”
Additionally, Cindy notes that since this is a new work project, if ALA votes “Yes,” she may identify one or more US experts to work on the standard’s development. “If you nominate someone please provide not just a name but contact information (most especially phone number and e-mail address).â€
Deadline for recommendations on this item is November 24, 2008.
As with all ISO documents, access to both items is restricted. If you are an ALA member and wish to see either item, please contact Cindy directly at HSLcindy@buffalo.edu and confirm that you are an ALA member. For the second item, in addition to the proposal, a working draft of the document was submitted. Cindy notes that it is included in zip files (about a dozen of them) as the various sections have not yet been combined into a single document.
Diane Hillmann
LITA Standards Coordinator