Metadata (the `<meta>` block)

The <meta> element is the only required section in every AKN document. It contains everything about the document: identity, history, relationships, and analysis.

Overview

<meta>
  <identification>     <!-- REQUIRED: FRBR identifiers -->
  <publication>        <!-- optional: publication details -->
  <classification>     <!-- optional: keywords, subject tags -->
  <lifecycle>          <!-- optional: events history -->
  <workflow>           <!-- optional: processing steps -->
  <analysis>           <!-- optional: modification tracking -->
  <temporalData>       <!-- optional: time-based applicability -->
  <references>         <!-- optional: people, organizations, concepts -->
  <notes>              <!-- optional: footnotes, endnotes -->
  <proprietary>        <!-- optional: vendor-specific metadata -->
  <presentation>       <!-- optional: rendering hints -->
</meta>

`<identification>` — FRBR identity

The only required metadata element. Contains the FRBR triplet:

<identification source="#source">
  <FRBRWork>
    <FRBRthis value="/akn/cl/act/2024-01-01/1"/>
    <FRBRuri value="/akn/cl/act/2024-01-01/1"/>
    <FRBRdate date="2024-01-01" name="enactment"/>
    <FRBRauthor href="/akn/ontology/person/cl.congress"/>
    <FRBRcountry value="cl"/>
  </FRBRWork>
  <FRBRExpression>
    <FRBRthis value="/akn/cl/act/2024-01-01/1/esp@"/>
    <FRBRuri value="/akn/cl/act/2024-01-01/1/esp@"/>
    <FRBRdate date="2024-01-01" name="enactment"/>
    <FRBRlanguage language="spa"/>
  </FRBRExpression>
  <FRBRManifestation>
    <FRBRthis value="/akn/cl/act/2024-01-01/1/esp@/main.xml"/>
    <FRBRformat value="application/akn+xml"/>
  </FRBRManifestation>
</identification>

See The FRBR model for details on each level.

`<lifecycle>` — Event history

Records every significant event in the document's life:

<lifecycle source="#source">
  <eventRef eId="e1" date="2023-03-18" type="generation" source="#author"/>
  <eventRef eId="e2" date="2024-05-10" type="amendment" source="/akn/bill/pae-2024-01"/>
  <eventRef eId="e3" date="2024-09-01" type="generation" source="#congress"/>
</lifecycle>

eventRef attributes

Attribute	Description
`eId`	Unique identifier for this event
`date`	When it happened (ISO 8601)
`type`	Event type: `generation`, `amendment`, `repeal`
`source`	Who/what caused it (href to a reference or document)

`<references>` — External entities

Defines all external entities mentioned in the document. These are the "TLC" (Top Level Class) elements from the Akoma Ntoso ontology:

<references source="#source">
  <TLCPerson eId="author" href="/akn/ontology/person/es.yayo-pepe" showAs="Yayo Pepe"/>
  <TLCOrganization eId="congress" href="/akn/ontology/organization/es.congress" showAs="Congress"/>
  <TLCEvent eId="enactment" href="/akn/ontology/event/enactment" showAs="Enactment"/>
  <TLCRole eId="speaker" href="/akn/ontology/role/es.speaker" showAs="Speaker"/>
  <TLCConcept eId="agriculture" href="/akn/ontology/concept/agriculture" showAs="Agriculture"/>
  <TLCLocation eId="madrid" href="/akn/ontology/location/es.madrid" showAs="Madrid"/>
  <TLCTerm eId="majority" href="/akn/ontology/term/majority-vote" showAs="majority vote"/>
</references>

TLC element types

Element	Represents
`TLCPerson`	A natural person (legislator, judge, author)
`TLCOrganization`	An organization (parliament, committee, ministry)
`TLCConcept`	An abstract concept
`TLCObject`	A physical or abstract object
`TLCEvent`	An event (enactment, amendment, hearing)
`TLCLocation`	A geographic location
`TLCProcess`	A legislative or judicial process
`TLCRole`	A role (speaker, president, rapporteur)
`TLCTerm`	A term from a controlled vocabulary
`TLCReference`	A generic reference to another document

All TLC elements share the same attributes:

Attribute	Required	Description
`eId`	Yes	Internal identifier used by `refersTo` and `href` attributes in the document
`href`	Yes	IRI to the external ontology/resource
`showAs`	Yes	Human-readable display name

Document references

The <references> section can also contain document-level references:

Element	Description
`<original>`	Reference to the first Expression of this document
`<passiveRef>`	Reference to a document that modifies this one
`<activeRef>`	Reference to a document modified by this one
`<jurisprudence>`	Reference to case law interpreting this document
`<hasAttachment>`	Reference to an attachment
`<attachmentOf>`	Reference to the parent document (from the attachment's perspective)

`<classification>` — Subject keywords

<classification source="#source">
  <keyword eId="kw_1" value="agriculture" showAs="Agriculture"
           dictionary="https://example.org/thesaurus"/>
  <keyword eId="kw_2" value="food-safety" showAs="Food safety"
           dictionary="https://example.org/thesaurus"/>
</classification>

`<workflow>` — Processing steps

Tracks the legislative/judicial workflow:

<workflow source="#source">
  <step eId="step_1" date="2024-01-01" outcome="#introduced"
        as="#sponsor" by="#senator-x"/>
  <step eId="step_2" date="2024-02-15" outcome="#committeeApproval"
        as="#committee" by="#judiciary-committee"/>
</workflow>

`<analysis>` — Modification tracking

Records textual and meaning modifications, both active (changes this document makes to others) and passive (changes made to this document by others):

<analysis source="#source">
  <activeModifications>
    <textualMod eId="textualMod_1" type="insertion">
      <source eId="textualMod_1__source_1" href="#mod_1"/>
      <destination eId="textualMod_1__dest_1"
                   href="/akn/act/2000-07-28/23#sec_11__subsec_2A"/>
    </textualMod>
  </activeModifications>
  <passiveModifications>
    <textualMod eId="textualMod_2" type="substitution">
      <source eId="textualMod_2__source_1"
              href="/akn/act/2024-01-01/1#art_3"/>
      <destination eId="textualMod_2__dest_1" href="#art_5"/>
      <old eId="textualMod_2__old_1" href="#art_5"/>
      <new eId="textualMod_2__new_1" href="#art_5"/>
    </textualMod>
  </passiveModifications>
</analysis>

Modification types

textualMod types: insertion, substitution, repeal, renumbering.

meaningMod types: variation (semantic change without text change).

The <parliamentary> subsection of <analysis> contains voting records:

<parliamentary>
  <voting eId="v_1" outcome="#approved" href="#vote-section">
    <count eId="v_1__c_1" value="86" refersTo="#inFavor"/>
    <count eId="v_1__c_2" value="0" refersTo="#against"/>
    <count eId="v_1__c_3" value="2" refersTo="#abstention"/>
  </voting>
</parliamentary>

`<temporalData>` — Time-based applicability

Defines temporal groups and intervals for provisions that take effect at different times:

<temporalData source="#source">
  <temporalGroup eId="tmpg_1">
    <timeInterval eId="tmpg_1__ti_1"
                  start="#e1" end="#e2"
                  refersTo="#inForce"/>
  </temporalGroup>
</temporalData>

The start and end attributes reference eventRef elements in <lifecycle>.

`<publication>` — Publication details

<publication date="2024-01-15"
             name="Official Gazette"
             showAs="Official Gazette, Vol. 45, No. 12"
             number="12"/>

`<notes>` and `<proprietary>`

<notes> — contains <note> elements for footnotes and endnotes
<proprietary> — a container for any vendor/implementation-specific metadata (elements from other namespaces)

Previous: Common structure | Next: Legislative hierarchy

Metadata (the <meta> block)

Overview

<identification> — FRBR identity

<lifecycle> — Event history

eventRef attributes

<references> — External entities

TLC element types

Document references

<classification> — Subject keywords

<workflow> — Processing steps

<analysis> — Modification tracking