The forms of description and representation of the dating of medieval archival documentation. The CORHEN case

Abstract

The research presented aims to locate, systematize, and expose the main issues affecting the description of datings in archival documentation from the medieval and modern eras. To this end, the forms of description and representation of datings recorded in a selected sample of portals, databases, catalogs, and digital corpora are studied, with particular consideration given to the cases within the CORHEN documentary corpus. Problems arising from their standardized description are evaluated, analyzing the conflicts that these formulations cause in the retrieval of records in these database, as well as their consequences.

Subsequently, a proposal for a standardized description is presented, which aims to resolve the observed difficulties. This proposal is expressed based on widely generalized knowledge, adjusted to international standards, and intends, with its simplicity and flexibility, to improve the processes of record retrieval through datings and, consequently, the use of documents in derivative technological applications. Additionally, this conclusion optimizes the possibility of using metatagging schemes and the interoperability of descriptions and records.