<processing-meta> Processing Metadata

Optional container element, used to hold the processing metadata elements, which describe processing information descriptive of the XML-tagged document (document instance).

Usage/Remarks

To provide a more complete in-the-XML description of the tag set associated with a document, JATS 1.3 added a Processing Metadata element (<processing-meta>). A <processing-meta> names (through attributes) the tag set, table model, and MathML options a document follows and (through elements) some of the modeling restrictions or extensions the document claims to follow.
Processing Metadata is not considered to be part of the content of an article, or part of the metadata for citing an article; it is metadata about how the XML is constructed — not about how the article is structured. This metadata is information at the “file level” and thus not part of <article-meta>, but inside the article as a peer to <front>, which is the article and journal metadata container in JATS.
<processing-meta> Content
This optional container element is used to hold the processing metadata elements, which describe processing information descriptive of the XML-tagged document (document instance). The <processing-meta> element contains the following elements:
  • <restricted-by> — Identification of one of the guidelines or other restrictions (such as a tighter subset schema) the document claims to be following. The content of <restricted-by> may be a name such as “jats4r” or “pmc”, or a URI, for example, the URL of a particular JATS4R recommendation. The element is repeatable so that multiple restrictions can be claimed.
  • <extended-by> — Identification of a JATS extension or superset that the document claims to be following. The content of <extended-by> may be a name, such as “taxpub”, or a URI. The element is repeatable so that more than one extension can be claimed.
  • <custom-meta-group> — To hold other processing metadata a JATS user might want to express in the XML file.
Tag Set Identification Attributes
Since the @dtd-version attribute has never provided a complete description of which version of the tag set controls a document, several attributes were added to the <processing-meta> element to describe the version choices more fully:
Which of the JATS tag set families is the basis for this document’s tag set? (e.g., “jats” or “bits”)
Which of the JATS standard tag sets is the basis for this document? (e.g., “publishing” or “archiving”)
Which table model is used by the tag set for this document? (e.g., “xhtml” or “oasis”)
Which version of MathML is used by the tag set for this document? (e.g., “3.0” or “2.0”)

@tagset-family

Which of the JATS tags et families is the basis for this document’s tag set? @tagset-family is an optional attribute; there is no default. The attribute has a set value list:
bits
BITS (Book Interchange Tag Suite)
jats
JATS (Journal Article Tag Suite)
sts
STS (Standards Tag Suite)

@base-tagset

Which of the JATS standard tag sets is the basis for this document? @base-tagset is an optional attribute; there is no default. The attribute has a set value list:
archiving
Journal Archiving and Interchange Tag Set (Green)
authoring
Article Authoring Tag Set (Pumpkin)
publishing
Journal Publishing Tag Set (Blue)

@table-model

Which table model is used by the tag set for this document? @table-model is an optional attribute; there is no default.
both
Both XHTML-inspired and OASIS CALS models are used
none
No table models are used
oasis
The OASIS XML Exchange (CALS) table model
xhtml
The XHTML-inspired table model

@mathml-version

Which version of MathML is used by the tag set for this document? @mathml-version is an optional attribute; there is no default.
2.0
MathML 2.0 is used
3.0
MathML 3.0 is used

@math-representation

A list of the (possibly many) ways mathematical expressions may be represented in this document, for example, both MathML and TeX (“mathml tex”) or using MathML, SVG graphics, and narrative text (“mathml images plain-text”).
This attribute has an NMTOKENS value, meaning a space-separated list of values, so that a document can declare that their documents use both TeX and images, for example, or MathML, gif images, and TeX. Likely values include:
mathml   tex   latex   images   plain-text 
Related Elements
A journal article (<article>) may be divided into several components:
  1. <processing-meta> (the metadata that concerns the XML file rather than the contents of the document);
  2. <front> (the metadata or header information, which contains both journal metadata [<journal-meta>] and article metadata [<article-meta>]);
  3. <body> (the textual and graphical content of the article);
  4. <back> (any ancillary information such as a glossary, reference list, or appendix);
  5. <floats-group> (single container element some publishers and archives use to hold all floating elements such as figures and tables that are referenced in the article body or back matter); and
  6. either a series of <response> elements or a series of <sub-article> elements. (A <response> is a commentary on the article itself, such as a summation by an editor, an answer to a letter-article, or words from the author responding to peer-review comments. Sub-articles are articles such as news pieces, abstracts, or committee reports that are completely contained within a main article.)
Attributes

Base Attributes

Models and Context
May be contained in
Description
The following, in order:
Content Model
<!ELEMENT  processing-meta
                        %processing-meta-model;                      >
Expanded Content Model

(restricted-by*, extended-by*, custom-meta-group*)

Tagged Samples
With MathML 2.0 and XHTML tables
<article  
  dtd-version="1.3"
  article-type="editorial"
  specific-use="migrated"
  xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xml:lang="en">
 <processing-meta
   tagset-family="jats"
   base-tagset="publishing"
   mathml-version="2.0"
   table-model="xhtml">...</processing-meta>
 <front>...</front>
 <body>...</body>
 <back>...</back>
</article>
With MathML 3.0 and both XHTML and OASIS CALS tables
<article  
  dtd-version="1.3"
  article-type="editorial"
  specific-use="migrated"
  xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xml:lang="en">
 <processing-meta
   tagset-family="jats"
   base-tagset="publishing"
   mathml-version="3.0" 
   table-model="both">...</processing-meta>
 <front>...</front>
 <body>...</body>
 <back>...</back>
</article>
Multiple custom metadata groups
<article     
  dtd-version="1.3"
  article-type="editorial"
  specific-use="migrated"
  xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xml:lang="en">
 <processing-meta
   tagset-family="jats"
   base-tagset="publishing"
   mathml-version="3.0" 
   table-model="xhtml">
 
  <custom-meta-group content-type="conversion"> 
   <custom-meta xlink:href="www.bigtrees-conversion.com">
    <meta-name>Conversion Vendor</meta-name>
    <meta-value>Big Trees Conversion, Inc.</meta-value>
   </custom-meta>
  
   <custom-meta>
    <meta-name>QA Contractor</meta-name>
    <meta-value>Find-and-Fix Ltd.</meta-value>
   </custom-meta>
  </custom-meta-group>
 
  <custom-meta-group content-type="legal-approval"> 
   <custom-meta>
    <meta-name>approver initials</meta-name>
    <meta-value>DAL</meta-value>
   </custom-meta>
  
   <custom-meta>
    <meta-name>Legal Signoff date</meta-name>
    <meta-value>2020-11-31</meta-value>
   </custom-meta>
  </custom-meta-group>
 </processing-meta>
 <front>...</front>
 <body>...</body>
 <back>...</back>
</article>
Related Resources