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Internal Links in Finding Aids

Tagging Rules
Naming Conventions for Attributes
Examples

For each link you create, you will need to indicate two points in your document: the place you want to link from (the "reference" or <ref> element which uses the TARGET attribute) and the place you want to link to (which could be almost any element that allows the ID attribute). The ID must be a unique identifier; one way to ensure this is to create an ID from various unique aspects of the element. For example, you can include the filename (eadid) and other information that is unique to the element you wish to identify or you can come up with your own naming convention (see example C below). Remember - the data in the TARGET and ID attributes must be the same.

EAD Tagging Rules

<ref> may contain: #PCDATA, abbr, address, archref, bibref, blockquote, chronlist, corpname, date, emph, expan, extptr, extref, famname, function, genreform, geogname, lb, list, name, note, num, occupation, origination, persname, ptr, repository, subject, table, title, unitdate, unittitle

<ref> can occur within: abstract, archref, bibliography, bibref, container, creation, dimensions, emph, entry, event, extent, extref, extrefloc, indexentry, item, label, langusage, origination, otherfindaid, p, physdesc, physfacet, physloc, ptrgrp, relatedmaterial, repository, separatedmaterial, unitdate, unitid, unittitle

(For more information about the various tags, see the EAD Tag Library published by the Society of American Archivists and the Library of
Congress)

Naming conventions for attributes (TARGET and ID)

A number of OASIS contributors use the format: eadid + a letter, such as "s" for series or "f" for folder) + a number (e.g. the series or folder number). Three examples are:

  1. sch00012s1 (for the Schlesinger Library file sch00012, the "s" for a series, and the number "1" to indicate Series I) [See example]
  2. hou00030f293 (for the Houghton file hou00030, the "f" signifying a folder, and the number "293" to indicate folder 293) [See example]
  3. tarIndex (in example below, the Harvard Archives uses tar for target and part of the title of the section they are pointing to) [See example]

    Using "tar" as part of the attribute data in both the REF TARGET and the ID, allows searching the data in both places - this will make it easier to correct any data entry errors.

You can use this naming convention or develop your own, but whatever you select should be logical and consistent throughout all your finding aids. The data in the TARGET and ID attributes must be the same.

Once you have assigned an ID to the desired elements, you need to markup your <ref> element by indicating the ID to which you want to link; to do this you must use the TARGET attribute. You put the <ref>text here</ref> tags around the text that you want highlighted, indicating the active link. Just about any EAD element can include an ID attribute as long as you follow the correct naming conventions and linking syntax.

Examples

1. Schlesinger example - linking to a series:

Display:

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Information about MRR's professional activities can be found in her personal papers, especially the scrapbooks and correspondence in Series I.

Links to:

Series I. BIOGRAPHICAL AND PERSONAL

Markup:

<head>Scope and content</head>
<P>Information about Ragland's professional activities can be found in her personal papers, especially the scrapbooks and correspondence in <ref target="sch00029s1">Series I </r>.</p>
<c id="sch00029s1"><did><head> Series I. Biographical and personal </head></did>

2. Houghton Library example - linking to a folder:

Display:

VI. Index of names.

Abbeville County Medical Society (S. C. ), correspondent. (293)

Links to:

(293) ---. Correspondence, telegrams (as executive secretary of American Birth Control League) with various individuals, 1926 Mar.22-26. 1 folder.
Includes letter from Fannie [ ] of ABCL office to Anne Kennedy and 1 letter from Hannah Rabin of ABCL office to Kennedy.

Markup:

<head>VI. Index of names.</head>
<indexentry><corpname>Abbeville County Medical Society (S.C.)</corpname> correspondent. <ref target="hou00030f293"> (293) </ref> </indexentry>

<c><did><unitid id="hou00030f293">(293) </unitid><unittitle>. Correspondence, telegrams (as executive secretary of American Birth Control League) with various individuals, <unitdate>1926</unitdate> Mar. 22-26. </unittitle></did></c>

3. Harvard Univeristy Archives example linking to an index:

Display:

For access by name and topic to this correspondence, use the Index.

 Links to:

Index to the Correspondence
Unidentified Correspondents

 Mark up:

<add><otherfindaid><p> For access by name and topic to this correspondence, use the <ref target="tarIndex"> Index </ref>.</p></otherfindaid></add>
<add> <index id="tarIndex">

<head>Index to the Correspondence</head>
<list> <head>Unidentified Correspondents</head> ....
</list> </index> </add>