Multiple Resolution Demo

multiple resolution

(updated July 15, 2004)

Multiple resolution (MR) is the next generation of hyper-linking which moves beyond the simple one to one relationship available with the HTML anchor (<A>) tag. DOIs provide the essential infrastructure for implementing multiple resolution by supporting the more complex data model needed to represent a collection of link targets associated with a single content object. As part of implementing multiple resolution the pages containing the links must be built in a slightly different way. Normal single resolution links are constructed as follows:

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5555/sample-doi">The Link Text</a>

On each page that will have multiple resolution links, the user will have to place one line that loads a common Javascript module somewhere on the page (typically in the <HEAD> section at the top):

<script src="http://www.crossref.org/MRServlet/milonic_src.js"></SCRIPT>

Then for each MR link on the page, instead of using the <A> tag, the link is constructed as follows:

<script src="http://www.crossref.org/MRServlet/MR/10.5555/sample-doi?The%20Link%20Text"></script>

This last line invokes a special multiple resolution loader program that retrieves the information appropriate for the DOI and builds the necessary HTML on the page to present a menu selection. Note that the link text must be encoded (replace spaces with %20) and passed into the resolution loader.

The following example shows how the menu action appears as the user moves to select a link (NOTE: this is a real DOI link using CrossRef's multiple resolution technology on doi:10.5555/mrtestdoi)

With multiple resolution the menu structure and the item targets are controlled by the metadata stored in the DOI system, where it is inserted via the CrossRef system. Using CrossRef's deposit schema publishers can modify the selections available for their content where ever the links are displayed.

Deposit of multiple resolution resources when a DOI is created

Draft changes have been made to a CrossRef schema to support the creation of menu based multiple resolution. These changes can be viewed in version 3.0.2 of the crosssref.xsd file (not released for production use) . Essentially, these changes use the <collection> and <property> elements to describe each of the potential targets available for a single DOI. The following sample is from a sample XML file that would produce the above multiple resolution menu.

Sample 1: this sample shows the top level construct of the multiple resolution collection. Following each <collection> or <item> tag are one or more <property> tags that provide detailed information about the target. Collection elements are used to group targets into a specific menu section, while <item> elements are the individual targets themselves.
<doi_data>
    <doi>10.5555/mrtestdoi</doi>
    <timestamp>0001</timestamp>
    <resource>http://www.crossref.org/some_file.html</resource>
    <collection>
      <property type="xref:mr:menu"/> 

      <item>
        <property type="xref:mr:default-form-primary">CrossRef</property> 
        <property type="xref:mr:use-prime-url"/>
        <property type="xref:mr:message">CrossRef - The reference linking backbone</property>
        <resource>http://www.crossref.org/some_file.html</resource>
      </item>

Deposit of multiple resolution resources for an existing DOI

Alternatively, for DOIs that already exist depositors may create multiple resolution resource only files using the mr_resource schema. The single resolution URL resource may not be modified using this approach. Multiple resolution resources may be added to existing resources on the DOI or may serve as a complete replacement (see the xref:mr:add-resource directive below). An example of such a file is provided as mr_deposit_only.xml.

Multiple resource deposit control properties

The 'type' attribute on the <property> element is used to define what each target option is and to supply specific text for the menu. This property is also used to supply a status bar message that appears in the lower left of the end user's browser as they move over the items in the menu.

Property Type Value Function Comment

xref:mr:default-form-primary Defines the URL resource to serve as the primary target for the item
content: the menu label value
The user may choose to reuse the URL supplied for single resolution or may provide a URL to be used only in a multiple resolution context

xref:mr:default-form-cohost Defines the URL resource to serve as the primary target for the item from a peer provider
content: the menu label value
The target may be supplied as a <resource> (e.g. a URL) or as a DOI

xref:mr:alt-form-primary Defines the URLs for alternative forms of the article. Primarily these are intended to be different file formats, however, the files may contain other alternative such as a different language.
content: the menu label value
This option is only available to the primary publisher. Co-hosts and secondary providers may not supply URLs of other formats

xref:mr:default-form-secondary Define the URL of the article as supplied by secondary sources
content: the menu label value
Targets provided by secondary sources will appear in a sub menu off the top level menu item labeled "Other sources"

xref:mr:related-links-primary Define the URL of other links that may be of interest to the user provided by the primary publisher
content: the menu label value
Targets will appear in a sub menu off the top level menu item labeled "Related links"

xref:mr:related-works-primary Define the URL of other links that are specifically related to this article.
content: the menu label value
Targets will appear in a sub menu off the top level menu item labeled "Related Works" if no related links are present, alternatively the sub menu will appear off the Related links menu.

xref:mr:related-works-secondary Define the URL of other links that may be of interest to the user from secondary providers (other than the primary publisher)
content: the menu label value
Targets will appear off a sub menu labeled "Other links" which will appear either at the top level of the menu or on the Related links menu if one is present

xref:mr:service-primary Define the URL of services that may be of interest to the user provided by the primary publisher
content: the menu label value
none

xref:mr:service-secondary Define the URL of services that may be of interest to the user from secondary providers
content: the menu label value
none

xref:mr:message A simple directive that specifies the status bar message to appear in the user's browse when the mouse is placed over the item
content: the status message
none

xref:mr:add-resource Instructs that the resource should be added to any existing resources already attached to the DOI
<property> tag with this type should be placed after the <collection> element and before any <item> tags.

The effect of this property only applies to the <item> elements directly listed under the <collection> having this property. All nested <collection> elements must have their own property of this type.

content: none
The default behavior of the deposit process is to view the resources in the collections as a complete replacement for what may already be registered on the DOI.
This property type changes the deposit process to operated in an additive mode.

Note: this concept does not apply to the default-form-primary resource as there may only be one of these.

xref:mr:use-prime-url A simple directive that specifies the use of the prime-URL for re-use in the multiple resolution menu context
content: none
none

Participation In The Multiple Resolution Pilot

To participate in this pilot you should construct an XML file similar to the one of the above samples and email it to ckoscher@crossref.org. Upon receipt the file will processed by a prototype system that inserts the multiple resolution targets into the Handle system.

NOTE: this will not impact the normal resolution of the subject DOIs. The prime-URL supplied in the XML files are not processed by the prototype system, only metadata within the top most <collection> tag will be processed.

NOTE: DOIs will only be modified with the concurrence of the current owner. Third parties will not be allowed to attach multiple resolution resources to a DOI.