SynopsisFormatted
RIXML 2.5 Element
A concise formatted statement describing the research product subject, limited to approximately 300 characters with HTML markup support. Designed for abbreviated display scenarios with enhanced formatting capabilities.
A very brief statement of the subject addressed in the product. This is typically only a few lines and would be appropriate for highly abbreviated displays. Suggested maximum length is 300 characters. Limited markup permitted - HTML code for paragraph, ordered lists and unordered lists with list items, bold, underline, and italics.
Usage
Optional element for providing brief, formatted product descriptions in space-constrained interfaces. Should be used when Synopsis alone is insufficient for proper content presentation requiring visual formatting.
Business Context
Essential for research aggregation platforms and mobile interfaces where space is limited but formatting enhances readability. Supports quick product identification and selection in research discovery workflows.
Specification Guide
Overview
SynopsisFormatted is the HTML-enabled mirror of Synopsis, carrying the same concise statement about a research product but permitting a restricted set of HTML markup tags for enhanced display. It exists so that publishers can deliver formatted brief summaries without embedding raw markup inside the plain-text Synopsis element, which could compromise XML well-formedness or produce literal markup in vendors that do not support rich text [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.12]. Like its plain counterpart, it is designed for highly abbreviated displays — mouse-over previews, mobile interfaces, dashboard widgets, search results — where space is constrained but visual formatting improves readability.
Usage
SynopsisFormatted appears as an optional child of Content (cardinality 0..1) and is typically provided in parallel with Synopsis so that consuming systems can choose the format they support (sources: data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.37, release-notes-2.4 p.20). The recommended maximum length is approximately 300 characters, the same soft limit that applies to Synopsis, with markup counted toward that budget [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.38]. Within Content, it sits alongside the other formatted-mirror elements — TitleFormatted, SubTitleFormatted and AbstractFormatted — which collectively give publishers a clean separation between plain-text and formatted variants of the same semantic content.
Rules
- SHOULDSynopsisFormatted content should not exceed approximately 300 characters, including any markup, to remain suitable for the highly abbreviated displays the element is designed for.[RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.37] [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.38] [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.4 p.12]
- SHOULDThe textual content of SynopsisFormatted should be identical to that of Synopsis, differing only in the addition of HTML markup, so that the two variants remain semantically equivalent.[RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.12]
- MUSTMarkup inside SynopsisFormatted must be restricted to the basic HTML set permitted for all formatted-mirror elements:
<p>,<ul>,<ol>,<li>,<b>,<u>and<i>.[RIXML Release Notes v2.4 p.20] - MAYNested lists are permitted within SynopsisFormatted when HTML markup is used, provided proper HTML nesting syntax is followed.[RIXML Release Notes v2.4 p.21]
- MAYPublishers may provide both Synopsis and SynopsisFormatted so that consumers requiring plain text and those supporting formatted text can each render the content appropriately.[RIXML Release Notes v2.4 p.20] [Company Report (Advanced) Sample v2.4]↗
Relationships
- mirrorsSynopsis — SynopsisFormatted is the formatted mirror of Synopsis: it carries the same brief product statement but permits limited HTML markup, whereas Synopsis is plain text only.
- child-ofContent — SynopsisFormatted is an optional child of Content (cardinality 0..1).
- sibling-ofTitleFormatted — Belongs to the same family of formatted-mirror elements introduced for embedded HTML content, alongside TitleFormatted, SubTitleFormatted and AbstractFormatted.
- sibling-ofAbstractFormatted — Pairs with AbstractFormatted to provide a tiered set of formatted descriptions: a brief synopsis and a longer abstract.
Where It Fits
Definition
| Type | string |
| Namespace | http://www.rixml.org/2017/9/RIXML |
| Min Occurs | 1 |
| Max Occurs | 1 |
Attributes
No attributes defined for this element
Children
No child elements defined
Example
<SynopsisFormatted />Version History
Unchanged since introduction in RIXML 2.4
SynopsisFormatted was introduced in RIXML 2.4 as part of the new family of formatted-mirror text elements (alongside TitleFormatted, SubTitleFormatted and AbstractFormatted). The design decision was driven by publishers embedding HTML directly in plain-text fields, which could break XML well-formedness and rendered unpredictably in vendors that did not support markup [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.12]. In RIXML 2.5/2.5.1 the element is unchanged in structure and continues to be documented in the Content Package with the same 300-character guidance and the same restricted HTML tag set inherited from 2.4 (source: data-dictionary-2.5.1, p.37–38).
Business Rules
When using formatted mirror elements like TitleFormatted, the content should be identical to the main tags aside from the formatting
Synopsis content must be limited to a few lines and be appropriate for highly abbreviated displays
SynopsisFormatted element should have a maximum length of 300 characters
The SynopsisFormatted element content should not exceed 300 characters
Design Decisions
Mirror elements with 'Formatted' suffix were added to support HTML markup in text fields
Publishers were embedding HTML markup in freeform text fields like synopsis and title, which could impact XML well-formedness and display unpredictably across platforms. The formatted mirror elements provide a designated place for HTML content while maintaining clean text in the original elements
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.12
Semantic Relationships
Replaces1 relationship
SynopsisFormatted serves as an alternative to Synopsis when HTML formatting is needed, containing identical content with markup
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.12— Embedding HTML content
Contrasts With2 relationships
SynopsisFormatted enables limited HTML markup for brief product statements while Synopsis permits no markup
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.37— SynopsisFormatted (Optional, String)
SynopsisFormatted permits HTML markup while Synopsis does not, representing formatted and unformatted versions of the same content
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.38— SynopsisFormatted (Optional, String)