Research
RIXML 2.5 Element
The top-level container element for RIXML research documents, containing exactly one Product element for Level One compliance. This element serves as the root wrapper for all research publication metadata and content.
Usage
Required as the root element in all RIXML Level One documents. Must contain exactly one Product child element. Used to initiate any RIXML research document structure.
Business Context
Essential for establishing the foundational structure of research distribution workflows, providing the standardized entry point for all research metadata processing and validation systems.
Specification Guide
Overview
Research is the root container element of RIXML that serves as the top-level wrapper for bundling one or more research products together in a single document. This element provides essential metadata including unique identification, creation timestamps, and language specification that apply to all contained research content. It enables research distribution systems to package, track, and process collections of related research items as coherent units while maintaining proper audit trails and version control across the research distribution lifecycle.
Usage
Research is required as the root element in every RIXML document and must contain at least one Product element. For Level One compliance, it must contain exactly one Product. The element requires three mandatory attributes: researchID for unique identification (typically UUID format), createDateTime for timestamping bundle creation (ISO 8601 format), and language to specify the default language for all metadata (using ISO 639-2/T codes like 'eng' for English). RIXML files should use the .xml file extension rather than .rixml. The element serves as a logical grouping mechanism for research distribution workflows where multiple related products need to be transmitted as a unit, such as morning compilations or thematic research packages.
Rules
- SHOULDRIXML files must use the .xml file extension, not .rixml[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.6]
- MUSTAll RIXML element names must be spelled exactly as documented with correct case sensitivity[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.6]
- MUSTXML elements must be placed in the exact order specified in the RIXML schema[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.8]
- MUSTAll required elements must be included in RIXML documents[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.8]
- MUSTSpecial XML characters must be properly escaped or enclosed in CDATA sections to avoid parsing errors[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.8]
- MUSTAll transactions including new publications, revisions, recalls, and deletes must be performed via RIXML files[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.10]
- MUSTPDF files must not be sent with RIXML delete requests[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.10]
- SHOULDOptional elements should be omitted completely rather than included with empty values[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.10] [RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1 p.24]
- MUSTXML encoding declaration must correctly identify the character encoding used in the file[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.11]
- SHOULDDefault values should not be used unless they can be intelligently applied based on context[Best Practices for Publishing RIXML p.13]
- MUSTFor Level One compliance, Research must contain exactly one Product element[RIXML Level One Addendum v2.2 p.10] [RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5 p.6]
- MUSTAll tag values in Level One must be in English language[RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5 p.24]
- MUSTTo be RIXML Research Level One compliant, the RIXML file must include all Level One tags that apply to that publication[RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1 p.17]
- MUSTContent producers must validate their content against the RIXML standard[RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1 p.19]
- MUSTNo recipient may demand customization from contributors that would render the RIXML file unfit for other recipients or non-compliant with the schema[RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1 p.22]
- SHOULDAll tags that are relevant to the content should be included regardless of whether they are required or optional[RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1 p.26]
- MUSTPublishers must indicate whether AI-powered tagging has been included in any particular RIXML tag file through tag source and tag confidence mechanisms for 8-12 key tags[RIXML All-Member Meeting Spring 2024 p.13]↗
- MUSTResearch reports that include content created using AI tools must be identifiable to research consumers through basic identification capabilities[RIXML All-Member Meeting Spring 2024 p.12]↗
- MUSTCompliance teams and supervisory analysts must have mechanisms to identify which parts of a research report were created using AI tools[RIXML All-Member Meeting Spring 2024 p.10]↗
- MUSTRequired disclaimers and fine print must remain connected to information that travels through AI tools[RIXML All-Member Meeting Spring 2024 p.14]↗
- MUSTAI-generated summaries must maintain connection between statements and the individual analyst who made the original assertions[RIXML All-Member Meeting Spring 2024 p.14]↗
- MUSTResearch publishers must identify third-party data contained within research items when distributing content to AI/NLP tools to ensure compliance with contractual obligations[RIXML Third-party Data Identification Working Group Introduction p.1]↗
- MUSTResearch publishers must identify content that can or cannot be displayed when delivering research via interactive platforms[RIXML Third-party Data Identification Working Group Introduction p.1]↗
Relationships
- containsProduct — Research must contain one or more Product elements, with Level One compliance requiring exactly one Product
- requiresStatusInfo — Research requires StatusInfo to indicate document status for transaction management
- requiresEntitlement — Research requires proper Entitlement tagging to define access rights and consumption permissions under regulatory requirements like MiFID II
Where It Fits
Canonical Path
Children
Definition
| Type | ResearchType |
| Namespace | http://www.rixml.org/2017/9/RIXML |
| Min Occurs | 1 |
| Max Occurs | 1 |
Attributes
researchIDstring |
This is to facilitate the unique identification of a particular bundling of products. This is added with some forward thought to hypothetical research distribution systems that may wish to label and refer to result sets. To ensure uniqueness it is recommended that a Universal Unique IDentifier (UUID) be used as the productID. UUIDs can be generated on any computer, regardless of platform or operating system. A UUID is a 128-bit (16-byte) integer that is virtually guaranteed to be unique in the world across space and time. The Open Software Foundation (OSF) created UUIDs, as part of their Distributed Computing Environment (DCE). requiredSince 2.1 |
createDateTimedateTime |
This marks the date/time at which this research bundle was formed. It is expressed using ISO 8601 as refined by the World Wide Web Consortium's note http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-datetime. In addition, RIXML requires the use of Zulu time or Z-time (GMT +/- n hours:minute:seconds). All times are absolute and easier to compute, rather than using a relative (i.e. 08:30 +5) time. requiredSince 2.1 |
Indicates the language of the RIXML document -- i.e. the language of the publisher-supplied tag values contained in the RIXML-based XML file for this research item. Described using the ISO 639-2/T Code. requiredSince 2.1 |
Children
ProductProductType1..unbounded |
requiredSince 2.1 |
Example
<Research researchID="f47ac10b-58cc-4372-a567-0e02b2c3d479"
createDateTime="2024-01-15T09:30:00Z"
language="eng">
<Product> ... </Product>
</Research>Version History
Unchanged since introduction in RIXML 2.1
Research has been the root element throughout RIXML's evolution from version 2.0 onwards. Version 2.4 introduced enhanced metadata capabilities and file extension standardization (.xml rather than .rixml). Version 2.5, officially released December 15, 2017, added improved globalization support with the language attribute determining language context for all tag values. Version 3.0 introduces significant enhancements including AI content identification (isAIGenerated, automatedTagging attributes), sponsored content flagging (isSponsored), redaction indicators (isRedacted), internal-only markings (isInternalOnly), component cataloging, enhanced ESG tagging capabilities, and structural streamlining with flattened tag hierarchies. The package layer containing elements like Price, Source, Context, Content, Legal, and Root has been eliminated in v3.0 to simplify the structure.
Business Rules
Date and time values must be expressed using ISO 8601 format with Zulu time (GMT +/- offset) rather than relative time
Language codes must be described using the ISO 639-2/T standard
To be RIXML Research Level One compliant, the RIXML file must include all Level One tags that apply to that publication
Content producers must validate their content against the RIXML standard
No recipient may demand customization from contributors that would render the RIXML file unfit for other recipients or non-compliant with the schema
When an optional tag is not needed, the tag must be omitted completely rather than included with an empty value
Years in date/time values must be expressed using exactly four digits
Months in date/time values must be expressed using exactly two digits with leading zeros when necessary
Days in date/time values must be expressed using exactly two digits with leading zeros when necessary
Time conversion to UTC should only be done if the time is actually converted, not just the time zone indicator changed
Hour values in time components must use 00-23 format, not 24:00:00
The 'T' separator between date and time components must not be omitted
Additional punctuation or spaces must not be added to date/time values beyond ISO 8601 format
For Level One compliance, the Research element must contain exactly one Product element
All tag values in Level One must be in English language
The identifiers researchID, productID, and resourceID must share the same UUID value in Level One
All identifiers in Level One must be UUIDs
A Universal Unique Identifier (UUID) is recommended for researchID to ensure uniqueness across space and time
All tags that are relevant to the content should be included regardless of whether they are required or optional
Date/time values should include a time zone indicator
Time components should not be omitted from date/time values or defaulted to midnight (00:00:00)
Time values should not be set to one second before midnight (23:59:59)
RIXML instance document tag values can be in any language when properly indicated in the Research element language attribute
Design Decisions
researchID, productID, and resourceID must share the same value in Level One
Taking advantage of limited cardinality relationships to reduce the number of identifiers that must be generated by publishers and stored by vendors
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.25
Tag values are restricted to English language in Level One
To reduce complexity compared to the full schema which allows any language from ISO 639-2/T list
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.24
Semantic Relationships
Contrasts With2 relationships
The language attribute on Research indicates the language of the metadata tagging, while Resource language indicates the language of the actual content payload which may differ
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.18— Language
Resource language attribute represents the language of the media content while Research language attribute represents the language of the metadata describing the research
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.39— language (Optional, String)
Qualifies1 relationship
Research ID identifies a particular bundling of products while Product ID identifies individual research ideas, enabling result set labeling in distribution systems
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.21— Research
Overrides4 relationships
The language attribute on OrganizationName supersedes the language setting from the top-level Research element when specified
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.26— Elements and Attributes:
The organization name language attribute overrides the default language specified at the Research element level
RIXML Release Notes v2.5, p.15— Toward improved globalization
When not specified, person details language defaults to the Research element language, or English if Research language is unspecified
RIXML Release Notes v2.5, p.17— Toward improved globalization
When not specified, person group details language defaults to the Research element language, or English if Research language is unspecified
RIXML Release Notes v2.5, p.21— Toward improved globalization
Constrained By3 relationships
When not specified, PersonGroupDetails language defaults to the value from the Research element's language attribute
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.27— Elements and Attributes:
PersonDetails language defaults to the Research element's language attribute when not explicitly specified
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.30— language (Optional, String)
ContentDetails language falls back to the Research element's language attribute when not explicitly specified
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.36— language (Optional, String)
Constrains6 relationships
Minor version releases maintain backward compatibility and are numbered as point releases, while major version releases break backward compatibility and use full-number increases
RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1, p.10— How can I provide feedback?
Date/time attributes must conform to ISO 8601 standard with specific formatting requirements including 4-digit years, 2-digit months and days, and time zone indicators
RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1, p.30— Date/time
In Level One compliance, the Research element must contain exactly one Product element, not multiple products
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.6— Research
For Level One compliance, the productID must be a UUID and should match the researchID value
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.6— Research
Level One restricts all tag values to English language only (eng per ISO639-2LanguageType)
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.24— English Tags
The language attribute on the Research element determines the language context for all tag values in the RIXML instance document
RIXML Release Notes v2.5, p.24— Toward improved globalization
Triggers Action1 relationship
Proper publication time tagging ensures research appears correctly in vendor chronological displays and portfolio manager alert systems
RIXML Implementation Guide v2.5.1, p.30— Date/time
Requires1 relationship
Level One requires researchID and productID to share the same UUID value
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.25— Identifiers