Encoded Archival Context
Encyclopedia
Encoded Archival Context (EAC) is an XML
standard for encoding information about the creators of archival materials and the circumstances of record creation and use. It can be used in conjunction with Encoded Archival Description
(EAD) for enhancement of EAD's capabilities in encoding finding aid
s, but can also be used in conjunction with other standards or for standalone authority file encoding.
EAC is defined in a document type definition
(DTD) as well as in an XML Schema and a Relax NG
schema. EAC elements reflect the ISAAR(CPF) standard and the ISAD(G)
, two standards managed by the International Council on Archives
.
EAC has been and is being tested in various institutions, such as the European Union LEAF project; 'Linking and Exploring Authority Files', funded between 2001 and 2004..
The Ad Hoc EAC Working Group's early drafts were published in 2004. and the working group released a draft for public comment in August 2009. prior to publication of the completed standard in 2010.
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
standard for encoding information about the creators of archival materials and the circumstances of record creation and use. It can be used in conjunction with Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description is an XML standard for encoding archival finding aids, maintained by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists.-History:EAD originated in 1993, at the University of California, Berkeley...
(EAD) for enhancement of EAD's capabilities in encoding finding aid
Finding aid
A finding aid is a document containing detailed information about a specific collection of papers or records within an archive. They are used by researchers to determine whether information within a collection is relevant to their research...
s, but can also be used in conjunction with other standards or for standalone authority file encoding.
EAC is defined in a document type definition
Document Type Definition
Document Type Definition is a set of markup declarations that define a document type for SGML-family markup languages...
(DTD) as well as in an XML Schema and a Relax NG
RELAX NG
In computing, RELAX NG is a schema language for XML, based on Murata Makoto's RELAX and James Clark's TREX. A RELAX NG schema specifies a pattern for the structure and content of an XML document...
schema. EAC elements reflect the ISAAR(CPF) standard and the ISAD(G)
ISAD(G)
ISAD defines the elements that should be included in an archival finding aid. It was approved by the International Council on Archives as a standard to register archival documents produced by corporations, persons and families.-History:After initial activities since 1988 supported by UNESCO, a...
, two standards managed by the International Council on Archives
International Council on Archives
The International Council on Archives is an international non-governmental organization which exists to promote international cooperation in archiving. It was set up in 1948, with Charles Samaran, the then director of the Archives de France, as chairman. It is open to membership of national and...
.
EAC has been and is being tested in various institutions, such as the European Union LEAF project; 'Linking and Exploring Authority Files', funded between 2001 and 2004..
The Ad Hoc EAC Working Group's early drafts were published in 2004. and the working group released a draft for public comment in August 2009. prior to publication of the completed standard in 2010.