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Re: Towards a new version of the World Database of Crystallographers

  • To: Multiple recipients of list <epc-l@iucr.org>
  • Subject: Re: Towards a new version of the World Database of Crystallographers
  • From: Brian McMahon <bm@iucr.org>
  • Date: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 15:58:01 GMT
> Requirements add:
> 
> -  (6 + A) Unique highly-stable personal key 
>       This is needed in hypertext documents to link into a person's
> entry in WDC. This is implicit in your (11) but I mention it just to be sure.

Yes. It's also to some extent implicit in the notion of loading WDC into a
relational database; but you are right to emphasise the point.

I've just been chatting with Pete and there are a few more points to add. As
requirement (6 + B) (clever numbering scheme, eh?):

   - (6 + B) Provision of access and fine tuning of information stored to
facilitate the identification of referees by Coeditors.

It's been pointed out that we need to work carefully on the proper handling
of addresses. For a database linked to the journals, authors may be
associated with multiple addresses (typically there might be affiliations to
more than one department or institution; and the affiliation address on the
paper may no longer be current, since it represents the location where the work
was done, and not necessarily the author's current abode). The journals
database separates the affiliation addresses into tables that 'belong' to
the paper, while there is a 'correspondence' address that belongs to the
author. Pete suggests that if we present a web form to modify an address, it
should carry some legend such as "N.B. Please take care when modifying this
address, as it will be used by the journals office to send all future proofs
and correspondence."

Pete is also very hostile to a mechanism for updating entries that involves
the investment of staff time at Chester. Certainly it's desirable to empower
individuals to update their own entries without involving our staff, but
this has got to be in a way that doesn't pose a security risk to the
database as a whole. (It is possible under YARD to assign different
read/write privileges to different tables.)

Regards
Brian

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