The eDITem Model: Towards Future-Proof Digital Editions

Forty years ago, Hans Zeller published his Baukasten model, which deconstructs scholarly editions into different modular components (Bausteine; 1984, 321). The same principle – to divide a complex entity into smaller separate components – has been applied to digital editions (e.g., Pierazzo 2015, 117; Andrews 2013).<br/>Within the eDITem project, we build upon this modularity principle and propose several edition components which, together, form an edition model expressed in TEI ODD. The eDITem model allows us, in collaboration with software developers, to build both an editorial workflow and publishing infrastructure that facilitates software reuse, diminishes development and maintenance costs, and decreases the need for IT support.<br/>This paper describes the architecture and implementation of the eDITem model, focusing on the formal criteria we adopt to design our edition components. It also discusses how the eDITem model allows us to address several well-known issues regarding the interoperability and long-term accessibility of digital editions