This presentation was delivered by Tommie Usdin of Mulberry Technologies during the NISO event, XML for Standards Publishers, held on April 24, 2017 in Washington Dc.

1. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities
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XML for Standards:
Options and Opportunities
B. Tommie Usdin
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.17 West Jefferson Street, Suite 207
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: 301/315-9631
Fax: 301/315-8285
info@mulberrytech.com
http://www.mulberrytech.com
April 2017
©2017 Mulberry Technologies, Inc.
Table of Contents
XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities

2. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities
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▶ slide 1
XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities
Outline
Why XML
Why XML for Standards
Risks and Costs
Key Decisions
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3. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Why XML and Why XML for Standards
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Why XML and Why XML for Standards
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4. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: XML is Everywhere
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XML is Everywhere
In some circles, XML Web Services are all the rage
Bank transactions are in XML
e-Commerce and e-Business happen in XML
Digital cameras create XML headers on images
Printers use XML for job control
State troopers record traffic warrants in XML
But that’s not what we are talking about here
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5. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: General Case for XML
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General Case for XML
Single source, multiple publication media and formats
Better/smarter electronic versions
PDF is electronic but you can't do much with it
Improved:
discoverability
search (phrases in context, resolve synonyms, search sections, headings,
equations)
querying
Tool and vendor independence
Accessibility
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6. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Why XML for Standards
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Why XML for Standards
Interchange with business partners (co-publishers, aggregators, large users)
Production speed/efficiency
Database for archiving, search, reuse
Internal QA for increased consistency and quality
Integration with conference proceedings and journals
New products, e.g., multi-standard glossaries
Multiple output products (print, web, ebook, etc.)
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7. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Risks and Costs
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Risks and Costs
Risks of Waiting Too Long
Costs of Moving to XML
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8. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Why Not Wait A While?
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Why Not Wait A While?
Microsoft Word to PDF works well
XML is new, scary, sounds expensive
Don't like "bleeding edge"
Budgets are always tight
We've always done just fine without XML
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9. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Waiting Means Missed Opportunities
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Waiting Means Missed Opportunities
Databases/libraries of standards will be populated by standards in STS
Big customers/users will want XML, many will want NISO STS
Improved Quality
Reduced processing time
Ability to produce accessible versions
Increased Web presence
If your standards aren't easy to find and use ...
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10. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Costs of Moving to XML
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Costs of Moving to XML
Possible: backfile conversion to XML
If any XML in-house
training
software
database
Increased complexity of entire process
Tools
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11. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Tools
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Tools
Tools to convert from Word to XML (Word isn't going away)
Validation tools
XML editors (for creation, editing, QA)
Formatting/display tools (to make print and electronic)
Possible: tools to convert from XML to Word (for committee use)
Transformation tools (to make your XML sing)
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12. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Key Decisions
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Key Decisions
Model (what XML tag set)
When, Where, Who creates XML
Display/Output
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13. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: What XML model for your Standards
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What XML model for your Standards
Many options, all can work
NISO STS (or ISO STS)
JATS or BITS
DITA
DocBook
HTML (XHTML, HTML5, ePub)
Customized version of one of the above
Bespoke tag set (custom built for you)
? ▶

14. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: NISO STS (or ISO STS)
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NISO STS (or ISO STS)
Developed for standards by standards organizations
Models standards-specific structures
standards metadata
adoptions
normative and non-normative content
rich model for citations of standards
In use by ISO and several others
Some tools currently available
Based on JATS
New to many users and vendors
Easy integration into standards databases
Easy interchange with many business partners
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15. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Widely Used XML Tag Sets
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Widely Used XML Tag Sets
JATS or BITS
Journal Article and Book Tag Sets
the "source" of NISO/ISO STS
used for journal articles and technical books
DITA
Technical Documentation Tag Set and Processing Toolset
great for reuse of parts of documents
flexible/powerful extension mechanism
DocBook
developed for Software Documentation, now widely used
free tools available to create/publish DocBook
? ▶

16. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: HTML (XHTML, HTML5, ePub)
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HTML (XHTML, HTML5, ePub)
Easy to publish on the Web or eBooks
Much simpler/cheaper tagging than STS, JATS, DITA, or DocBook
Difficult to repurpose or enrich
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17. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Customized or Bespoke tag set
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Customized or Bespoke tag set
Customization
may be best of both worlds:
accommodate local needs
take advantage of shared work
requires XML expertise to create and to customize tools
Bespoke tag set
you get what you need/want
higher costs, longer development time
ongoing cost to interchange with others
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18. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: How to Choose A Model
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How to Choose A Model
What will you do with the XML?
Who receives your XML? What do they need/want?
What XML model(s) are already in use in your organization?
How much flexibility do you need for future growth?
NOT: what is a product salesperson pushing?
NOT: what is the only right answer?
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19. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: When, Where, Who
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When, Where, Who
XML can go many places in document life cycle (Bruce Rosenblum will discuss
this afternoon)
Decisions about:
Creation of XML
Communication with Working Group
Some working groups use XML - but not many
Expect Word from most groups
Expect pushback as XML helps you enforce your own rules
Make Word from XML for working group to update
Storage and Management of XML files
Content management system
database (XML native or not)
file system to manage documents
Display/output
? ▶

20. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Display/Output
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Display/Output
Nobody wants to READ XML
What Outputs? Suddenly many options!
Word can be printed to PDF without additional tools; XML cannot
Need processes & software to create each publication and format
New products limited only by money and immagination
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21. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: How much XML in-house
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How much XML in-house
The XML can belong to your vendors and partners
they do all XML-based work
you pay a new bill
minimum disruption to your organization
You can get your hands into the XML
use XML for QA
create XML yourself
work with XML the way your work with Word
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22. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: How Hands-on Do you Want to Get with XML?
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How Hands-on Do you Want to Get with XML?
Roll up your sleeves if you want to use XML to:
Improve quality and consistency
Do ad hoc queries of XML
Fix problems found in XML
See advantages as well as costs from XML
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23. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Grow or Hire XML expertise
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Grow or Hire XML expertise
You can hire XML people
Your people can learn XML
XML is easier to learn than the rules, processes, and expectations of a
standards organization
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24. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: Added Value
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Added Value
XML enables significant enhancement
Live equations, forms, links
Richer metadata
rights and permissions
semantic tagging
enhanced indexing
abstracts and other discoverability tools
Accessibility aids
Added value means added work
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25. XML for Standards: Options and Opportunities: NISO STS Provides an Opportunity
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slide 24
NISO STS Provides an Opportunity
Interchange standards easily
Learn from the community
Be a leader in supplying enhanced standards
NISO STS will be available soon!
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