Organizing Publication Package Contents

The major publication packages (StudyUnit, Group, ResourcePackage, and LocalHoldingPackage) organize their contents in a set order or sequence. Although all objects may not be available in each publication structure, the order of all the included non-maintainable objects remains the same. The maintainable objects in Group and StudyUnit follow the same order.

In ResourcePackage all maintainable modules fall before the DDI Schemes within the content sequence.

Note that within the list of maintainable Modules and maintainable DDI Schemes, the ordering is consistent with Group and StudyUnit.

The table below lists the content and order of the three primary publication packages. LocalHoldingPackage is a specialized structure that bundles together a publication package from an external agency (StudyUnit, Group, or ResourcePackage) with similarly structure locally added materials.

Further information on LocalHoldingPackage structure and usage is found in 3.10 DDI and OAIS – Archives and provenance. All maintainable objects published within StudyUnit and Group and all non-DDI scheme maintainable objects in ResourcePackage may be included in-line or by reference. DDI Schemes that are included in a ResourcePackage as separate items (i.e., not included within another Module) must be in-line.

ResourcePackage is intended as a means of publishing metadata intended for reuse outside of a single study therefore it is the primary publishing structure for DDI Schemes with content that is used by multiple studies.

How an organization decides to structure its publication packages depends on how they intend to organize, manage, and reuse their metadata. Some organizations publish all their potentially reusable metadata as ResourcePackages with in-line content. StudyUnits and Groups are composed as a set of object specific metadata (Citation through Embargo content) followed by a stack of references.

Others prefer to manage all metadata that is not specifically reused in-line within the context of the StudyUnit or Group. There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches depending upon User Story in question.

Both approaches will be discussed within the context of each User Story [3 User Stories – Applying DDI – TBD]. If an organization uses one extreme or the other for all or a class of metadata, this should be noted within the organization’s DDIProfile. For example, noting that the in-line option is not used for specific objects where there is a choice.

Sequence of ResourcePackage, Group, and StudyUnit

ResourcePackage	Group	StudyUnit
Citation	Citation	Citation
Abstract	Abstract	Abstract
AuthorizationSource	AuthorizationSource	AuthorizationSource
UniverseReference	UniverseReference	UniverseReference
SeriesStatement	SeriesStatement	SeriesStatement
QualityStatementReference	QualityStatementReference	QualityStatementScheme (inline or reference)
	ExPostEvaluation	ExPostEvaluation
FundingInformation	FundingInformation	FundingInformation
ProjectBudget	ProjectBudget	StudyBudget
Purpose	Purpose	Purpose
Coverage	Coverage	Coverage
	AnalysisUnit	AnalysisUnit
	KindOfData	KindOfData
	OtherMaterial	OtherMaterial
	RequiredResourcePackages	RequiredResourcePackages
Embargo	Embargo	Embargo

Maintainable Modules, Choice of Inline or by Reference

ResourcePackage	Group	StudyUnit
ConceptualComponent	GeographicLocationCode DelineationScheme	GeographicLocationCode DelineationScheme
DataCollection	GeographicStructureCode DelineationScheme	GeographicStructureCode DelineationScheme
LogicalProduct	TextDelineationScheme	TextDelineationScheme
PhysicalDataProduct	DateTimeDelineationScheme	DateTimeDelineationScheme
PhysicalInstance	NumericDelineationScheme	NumericDelineationScheme
Archive	CodeDelineationScheme	CodeDelineationScheme
DDIProfile	CategoryDelineationScheme	CategoryDelineationScheme
Comparison	GeographicDelineationScheme	GeographicDelineationScheme
	NominalDelineationScheme	NominalDelineationScheme
	ScaleDelineationScheme	ScaleDelineationScheme
	LocationDelineationScheme	LocationDelineationScheme
	RankingDelineationScheme	RankingDelineationScheme
	DistributionDelineationScheme	DistributionDelineationScheme
	MissingValuesDelineationScheme	MissingValuesDelineationScheme
	ConceptualComponent	ConceptualComponent
	DataCollection	DataCollection
	LogicalProduct	LogicalProduct
	PhysicalDataProduct	PhysicalDataProduct
	PhysicalInstance	PhysicalInstance
	Archive	Archive
	DDIProfile	DDIProfile
	Comparison
	StudyUnit
	SubGroup

Maintainable DDI Schemes, Inline Only

ResourcePackage	Group	StudyUnit
OrganizationScheme
ConceptScheme
UniverseScheme
DataElementScheme
GeographicStructureScheme
GeographicLocationScheme
InterviewerInstructionScheme
ControlConstructScheme
QuestionScheme
CategoryScheme
CodeListScheme
NCubeScheme
VariableScheme
PhysicalStructureScheme
RecordLayoutScheme
QualityStatementScheme
InstrumentScheme
ProcessingEventSchemE
ProcessingInstructionScheme
GeographicLocationCode DelineationScheme
GeographicStructureCode DelineationScheme
TextDelineationScheme
DateTimeDelineationScheme
NumericDelineationScheme
CodeDelineationScheme
CategoryDelineationScheme
GeographicDelineationScheme
NominalDelineationScheme
ScaleDelineationScheme
LocationDelineationScheme
RankingDelineationScheme
DistributionDelineationScheme
MissingValues DelineationScheme