DLF/Aquifer Summary of MODS Requirements and Recommendations Table
This table was developed as part of the Digital Library Federation / Aquifer Implementation Guidelines for Shareable MODS Records. It summarizes the recommendations from those guidelines for the different MODS elements. The table follows the language of RFC2119 in expressing requirements and recommendations for MODS encoding practices. These are as follows:
- "REQUIRED" designates an item that is an absolute requirement of the guidelines.
- "REQUIRED IF APPLICABLE" designates an item that is an absolute requirement of the guidelines if it is applicable to the resource being described.
- "RECOMMENDED" designates an item that an implementer may ignore, but only after fully weighing the implications of doing so.
- "RECOMMENDED IF APPLICABLE" designates an item that is applicable to the resource being described and an implementer may ignore, but only after fully weighing the implications of doing so.
- "OPTIONAL" designates an item that may use at the implementer's discretion.
- "NOT RECOMMENDED" designates an item that an implementer may use, but only after fully weighing the implications of doing so. This item is discouraged.
| Element | Requirement Level | Subelements/Attributes required if element used | Subelements/Attributes recommended or recommended if applicable | Repeatable | Content Controlled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <titleInfo> | Required | – <title> | – type attribute – authority attribute – <subTitle> – <partName> – <partNumber> – <nonSort> |
Yes | Recommended authority attribute limits content |
| <name> | Recommended if applicable | – <namePart> | – type attribute – authority attribute – <role><roleTerm> |
Yes | Recommended authority attribute limits content |
| <typeOfResource> | Required | None | – collection attribute – manuscript attribute |
Yes | Yes |
| <genre> | Recommended | – authority attribute | N/A | Yes | Recommended authority attribute limits content |
| <originInfo> | Required | – <placeTerm> and
type attribute when <place> used – authority attribute when <placeTerm type="code"> used – At least one date subelement – At least one date subelement must have attribute keyDate="yes" |
– <publisher> – encoding attribute for date – point attribute for date – qualifier attribute for date – <edition> |
Yes | Recommended authority and encoding attribute limits content |
| <language> | Required, if language is primary to resource | – <languageTerm> – each type attribute – authority attribute when type="code" |
N/A | Yes | Required authority attribute limits content |
| <physicalDescription> | Required | – <digitalOrigin> – <internetMediaType> |
– <form> and authority attribute – <extent> – <note> |
No | Yes (see guidelines) |
| <abstract> | Recommended | N/A | N/A | Yes | No |
| <tableOfContents> | Recommended if applicable | None | – xlink attribute | Yes | No |
| <targetAudience> | Recommended if applicable | None | – authority attribute | Yes | Recommended authority attribute limits content |
| <note> | Recommended if applicable | None | None | Yes | No |
| <subject> | Required if applicable | At least one subelement is required as <subject> is a wrapper element. | – authority attribute – <topic> – <geographic> – <temporal> with encoding, point attributes – <titleInfo> – <name> – <hierarchicalGeographic> – <geographicCode> with authority attribute |
Yes | Recommended authority attribute limits content |
| <classification> | Optional | – authority attribute | – edition attribute | Yes | Required authority attribute limits content |
| <relatedItem> | Recommended if applicable | – type attribute | – xlink attribute | Yes | In some cases (see guidelines) |
| <identifier> | Recommended | – type attribute | – invalid attribute | Yes | Required type attribute limits content |
| <location> | Required | – <url> – one and only one instance of <location> <url> contains usage="primary display" |
– authority attribute with <physicalLocation> subelement – access attribute with <url> subelement |
Yes | Recommended authority attribute limits content |
| <accessCondition> | Required | – At least one attribute type="use and reproduction" | None | Yes | No |
| <part> | Recommended if applicable (see guidelines) | None | – <detail> with type attribute – <extent> with unit attribute – <start>, <end>, <total>, <list> subelements – <date> with encoding and point attributes – <text> |
Yes | No |
| <extension> | Optional | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| <recordInfo> | Required | – <languageOfCataloging> – <languageTerm> – authority attribute |
– <recordContentSource> with authority attribute – <recordOrigin> |
No | Required authority attribute limits content in some subelements |
Last Updated: October 18, 2010