IATI Consultations Archive

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Version 2.01 - Iteration 2 - 4. Multi-lingual text fields

This is part of the formal proposal that makes up the second iteration of the Version 2.01 Upgrade process.
 
It has been agreed that, as an international standard, IATI needs to be consistently language neutral and allow for the multi-lingual presentation of all text fields. This involves two separate procedures:

Scrapping text of purely code elements


  • This proposal is to remove the ability to supply multilingual text between element braces on elements that require the use of codelists. In these cases the code itself should be seen as unambiguous and authoratitive, and the codelists  available on iatistandard.org should be upgraded to supply all necessary translations of both code names and descriptions.
  • This will apply to the following elements:
    • Activity Standard
      • activity-status
      • activity-scope
      • policy-marker
      • collaboration-type
      • default-finance-type
      • default-flow-type
      • default-aid-type
      • default-tied-status
      • recipient-region  [removed 26-08-14]
      • recipient-country [removed 26-08-14]
      • transaction/transaction-type
      • transaction/flow-type
      • transaction/aid-type
      • transaction/finance-type
      • transaction/tied-status
      • transaction/disbursement-channel
      • document-link/category
      • document-link/language
      • related-activity
      • crs-add/loan-terms/repayment-type
      • crs-add/loan-terms/repayment-plan
      • location/exactness
      • location/location-id
      • location/administrative [Omitted in error. Added 02-09-14]
    • Organisation Standard
      • recipient-country [removed 26-08-14]
      • file-format
      • document-category
  • for discussion go to http://support.iatistandard.org/entries/41585166-General-Standardise-multi-lingual-text-fields

Including nested, multi-lingual text elements for all elements containing free text

  • Example 1
    • Current Usage
      • <title xml:lang="en">English Title</title>
      • <title xml:lang="fr">Titre français</title>
    • Proposed Change
      • <title>
      •    <narrative xml:lang="en">English Title</narrative>
      •    <narrative xml:lang="fr">Titre français</narrative>
      • </title>
  • Example 2
    • Current Usage
      • <sector vocabulary="RO" xml:lang="en code="456">Water and sanitation</sector>
      • <sector vocabulary="RO" xml:lang="fr" code="456">Eau et assainissement</sector>
    • Proposed Change
      • <sector vocabulary="99" code="456">
      •     <narrative xml:lang="en">Water and sanitation</narrative>
      •     <narrative xml:lang="en">Eau et assainissement</narrative>
      • </sector>
  • Elements to be modified are:
    • Activity Standard 
      • reporting-org
      • participating-org
      • title
      • description
      • activity-date
      • contact-info/organisation
      • contact-info/person-name
      • contact-info/job-title
      • contact-info/mailing-address
      • recipient-country [added 26-08-14]
      • recipient-region [added 26-08-14]
      • location/name
      • location/description
      • location/activity-description
      • sector (for use only with reporting organisation's own codes)
      • policy-marker (for use only with reporting organisation's own codes)
      • country-budget-items/budget-item/description
      • transaction/description
      • transaction/receiver-org
      • transaction/provider-org
      • transaction/recipient-country [added 26-08-14]
      • transaction/recipient-region [added 26-08-14]
      • document-link/title
      • conditions/condition
      • result/title
      • result/description
      • result/indicator/title
      • result/indicator/description
      • result/indicator/baseline/comment
      • result/indicator/period/target/comment
      • result/indicator/period/actual/comment
    • Organisation Standard
      • reporting-org
      • iati-organisation
      • recipient-country [added 26-08-14]
      • document-link/title
  • for discussion go to http://support.iatistandard.org/entries/41585166-General-Standardise-multi-lingual-text-fields

 

For technical details about implementing this proposal go to : https://github.com/IATI/IATI-Schemas/issues/68

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5 Comments

  • 0
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    Martin Akerman

    Recipient Country should have explanatory text

  • 0
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    IATI Tech Team

    Could you point us to the official United Nations' rules that require the name of the country to accompany the country code?

  • 0
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    Martin Akerman

    @TechTeam -- Please reference UN Term here: http://unterm.un.org/DGAACS/unterm.nsf/vNTEntries/$First

     

    And some more info here: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49alpha.htm

  • 0
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    IATI Tech Team

    The Technical Team has sought advice on country names and accepts that there may be political and/or legal reasons for publishers to explicitly name countries and/or regions. 

    It is therefore proposed that the following elements will have narrative sub-elements added to them:

    • iati-activity/recipient-country
    • iati-activity/recipient-region
    • iati-activity/transaction/recipient-country
    • iati-activity/transaction/recipient-region
    • iati-organisation/recipient-country

    Usage

    • This additional data is for information only.
    • Narratives can be used in addition to valid codes from the respective code lists, NOT instead of codes.
    • Users of data are entitled to process codes without processing the narrative
  • 0
    Avatar
    Ben Webb

    BTW, there is no iati-organisation/recipient-country, rather there are:

    • iati-organisation/recipient-country-budget/recipient-country
    • iati-organisation/document-link/recipient-country
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