Module 7: Critical Editing
5. Encoding Variation in Texts #
After this discussion of the encoding of textual variation itself, it is time to have a look at the bigger picture: how do you integrate these variants into an electronic critical edition? The TEI Guidelines provide 3 different mechanisms for integrating apparatus entries in the encoding of texts (don’t let the names intimidate you):
- location-referenced method
- apparatus entries are linked to the identified text blocks in a base text that contain the respective lemmas [I, E]
- double end-point attachment method
- apparatus entries are linked to explicitly identified start and end positions in a base text [I, E]
- parallel segmentation method
- apparatus entries are encoded inside a transcription of the common (invariant) text of all text witnesses [I]
In this overview, the [I] and [E] labels indicate where an apparatus encoded with that method can be physically located with regards to the transcription of the (base) text it is linked to:
- [E]: external apparatus
- the apparatus is located outside the transcription of a base text, either in some other part of the TEI document containing the transcription, or in a physically distinct document
→ location-referenced, double end-point attachment - [I]: internal apparatus
- each apparatus entry is located inline in the transcription of a (base) text, at the place where the variant occurs
→ location-referenced, double end-point attachment, parallel segmentation
The method chosen and the physical location of the apparatus must be encoded in the TEI Header, in the <variantEncoding> element inside the <encodingDesc> section. This is an empty element with two mandatory attributes (see Module 2: The TEI Header, section 3.2.7):
- @method: indicates the method of linking the critical apparatus to the text: either "location-referenced", "double-end-point", or "parallel-segmentation".
- @location: indicates the location of the critical apparatus with regards to the text: either "external" or "internal".
Summary
The TEI Guidelines offer 3 methods for linking the critical apparatus to the text. The method chosen must be documented in the <encodingDesc> section of the TEI header, in a special <variantEncoding> element. This is an empty element with 2 mandatory attributes. The @method attribute specifies the method of linking the apparatus to the text (either "location-referenced", "double-end-point", or "parallel-segmentation"). The @location attribute specifies the location of the apparatus relative to the text (either "external" or "internal").5.1. The Location-Referenced Method #
The location-referenced method links an apparatus entry to a base text, by anchoring it to the text structure in the base text where the variant occurs. This can be done either internally (inside the running text), or externally (outside the running text).
In an internal location-referenced apparatus, the apparatus entries are encoded within the text structures in which the variants occur. The exact location, however, is unimportant. For example, the second paragraph could be encoded as follows:
Notice how the apparatus entries can occur anywhere as long as it is inside the text structure (in this case, the <p> element) that contains their variants. The same method can be used for an external apparatus, in which the textual variants are encoded either at a different place inside the base text, or in a physically distinct TEI document. In this external apparatus, each apparatus entry must have a specific attribute: @loc. Its value should refer to the canonical reference of the text structure that contains the variants concerned. In an external apparatus, the previous example could look as follows:
Note
Notice, how the @loc attribute does not refer to an @xml:id value of the text structure concerned, but to its “canonical reference.” For more information, see the documentation of the <app> element, and section 2.3.5 The Reference System Declaration of the TEI Guidelines.In these examples, the p5 version of the TEI Guidelines is adopted as the base text to which the apparatus entries are linked. This is the sole text witness for which a full transcription is provided in the electronic critical edition using this reference method. Because of this, the reading of this base text may be omitted from the <app> elements, as in the examples above. Due to the implicit nature of the location references of the apparatus entries, it may be hard to identify the exact places with textual variation. Therefore, the reading of the base text may equally be provided in the apparatus entries inside a <lem> element; combined with string matching, this can help the user of the edition to find out where the actual variation occurs (but notice the difficulty with apparatus entries encoding additions to the base text, as in the second <app> element of following example):
Summary
The location-referenced method uses an implicit anchoring technique to link the apparatus entries with the base text. In an internal apparatus, the apparatus entries can occur anywhere inside the text structure in which their variants occur. In an external apparatus, the link is established through the use of the @loc attribute on the <app> elements, which points to a canonical reference of the relevant text structures in the base text.5.2. The Double End-Point Attachment Method #
The double end-point attachment method links an apparatus entry to a base text, by anchoring it to the exact start and end positions of its lemma in the base text. This can be done either internally (inside the running text), or externally (outside the running text).
In an internal double end-point attachment apparatus, the apparatus entries occur immediately after their lemma in the transcription of the base text. A specific @from attribute must be used to point exactly at the starting point of the preceding lemma in the text. Its value should be a pointer to the formal identification code of an element in the base text that corresponds to the start of the lemma. If this point coincides with the start of an existing text structure, the identification code of its element may be used; otherwise, an empty <anchor> element must be inserted in the base text, whose sole purpose is to provide a formal code in its @xml:id attribute. For example, an internal double end-point attachment apparatus for the example in the previous section could look as follows:
An external double end-point attachment apparatus is very similar to its internal equivalent, apart from the fact that the apparatus entries are located outside of the running text. Due to this physical separation, the need arises to explicitly point out the end point of the lemma in the base text as well (again, either using the @xml:id attribute of an existing text structure, or that of an explicit <anchor> element). In order to refer to this end point of the textual variation, the <app> element must have another attribute: @to, pointing at the identification code of the relevant point in the base text. For example, an external apparatus for the previous example could look as follows:
Of course, here too, the lemma of the base text can be explicitly recorded in the apparatus entries as well:
Summary
The double end-point attachment method provides a means to explicitly anchor an apparatus entry to the exact position where its lemma in the base text differs from one of the other readings. In an internal apparatus, the apparatus entries should be placed immediately after the base text’s lemma. Each <app> element must have a @from attribute pointing to the @xml:id identification code of an element indicating the start of the lemma in the base text. In an external apparatus, the apparatus entries must formally identify the end point of the lemma as well, using a @to attribute that points to the @xml:id identification code of an element indicating the end of the lemma in the base text. If no other elements are available, these @xml:id attributes may be encoded on empty <anchor> elements inside the base text.5.3. The Parallel Segmentation Method #
Contrary to both other methods, the parallel segmentation method only allows for the encoding of an inline apparatus. Similarly to an internal double end-point attachment apparatus entry, a parallel segmented apparatus entry is encoded inline, at the exact place where the variation occurs. However, a parallel segmented apparatus entry encodes all readings as equal variants, thus interweaving the common (invariant) text of all text witnesses with apparatus entries that contain all different alternative readings. In this sense, the notions of a base text and lemma become obsolete: all text that is common, is shared; all varying text is encoded as a separate reading in an apparatus entry. Because of this exact anchoring at the place of occurrence in the “palimpsest” text, no specific attributes are necessary for the <app> element. For example, the preceding example can be expressed as a parallel segmented apparatus as follows:
Summary
The parallel segmentation method encodes all variants as equal readings inside apparatus entries that are located at their precise place of occurrence in all texts. This results in a single text that contains an integral view on both the common text and the textual variants. Because of this, the notions of base text and lemma become irrelevant.Bibliography
- Vanhoutte, Edward, and Ron Van den Branden. 2009. “Describing, Transcribing, Encoding, and Editing Modern Correspondence Material: a Textbase Approach.” Literary and Linguistic Computing 24 (1): 77–98. 10.1093/llc/fqn035.