COinS

ContextObjects in Spans (COinS) is a method for embedding bibliographic metadata in web pages.

ContextObjects in Spans (COinS) is a simple, open standard for embedding bibliographic metadata in web pages. It allows software tools, such as reference managers and citation tools, to extract citation information from web pages and use it for various purposes, such as generating bibliographies or linking to library resources.

Overview

COinS is a method of embedding OpenURL metadata in a web page using a HTML element. The metadata is encoded in a format known as the ContextObject, which is a standard for representing bibliographic information. The ContextObject is then placed within the title attribute of the element, making it invisible to the user but accessible to software tools.

The COinS format was developed to provide a lightweight and easy-to-implement way for web pages to include bibliographic metadata. This is particularly useful for academic and scholarly websites, where users may want to export citation information to their reference management software.

Technical Details

A COinS is typically embedded in a web page using a element with a class attribute of "Z3988". The title attribute of this contains the ContextObject, which is a URL-encoded string representing the bibliographic metadata.

For example, a COinS for a journal article might look like this:

In this example, the COinS contains metadata about an article titled "Example Article" published in "Example Journal" in 2023, volume 10, issue 2, pages 123-130, with ISSN 1234-5678.

Applications

COinS is widely used in academic and library settings. Many institutional repositories, digital libraries, and academic journals use COinS to provide citation information for their content. This allows users to easily export citations to their preferred reference management tools, such as Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley.

Advantages

• Simplicity: COinS is easy to implement and does not require complex software or server-side processing.
• Interoperability: COinS is compatible with a wide range of reference management tools and library systems.
• Flexibility: COinS can be used to represent a variety of resource types, including books, journal articles, and conference papers.

Limitations

• Limited Metadata: COinS is designed for basic bibliographic metadata and may not support all the fields required for more complex citations.
• Visibility: Since COinS metadata is embedded in the HTML and not visible to users, it may be overlooked by those unfamiliar with the format.

Also see

• OpenURL
• Zotero
• Reference management software
• Bibliographic database