TimeEntitlement
RIXML 2.5 Element
Establishes temporal boundaries for research accessibility through a mandatory endDateTime attribute in Level One. Defines when content should expire or become inaccessible to consumers.
Usage
Include at most one TimeEntitlement element within an Entitlement when time-based access control is needed. The endDateTime must be later than the ProductDetails.publicationDateTime and uses ISO 8601 format with Zulu time.
Business Context
Supports time-sensitive content management by automating research expiration, managing embargo periods, and ensuring stale information doesn't persist in client systems beyond intended shelf life.
Specification Guide
Overview
TimeEntitlement specifies temporal restrictions that govern when a research product may be accessed or read. It is a child of Entitlement and uses two optional datetime attributes — startDateTime and endDateTime — to define an access window. By combining these attributes a publisher can express an embargo (start only), an expiration (end only), or a bounded window (both), supporting compliance with publication embargoes, earnings blackout periods, and content lifecycle requirements (sources: data-dictionary-2.4 p.57, data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.60).
Usage
Include at most one TimeEntitlement inside an Entitlement when time-based access control is required. Both startDateTime and endDateTime are optional at the schema level, allowing three common patterns:
- Embargo only — set only startDateTime to defer readability until a specified time.
- Expiration only — set only endDateTime so content becomes unavailable after a cutoff.
- Bounded window — set both to constrain access to a fixed interval.
All datetime values use ISO 8601 with Zulu (UTC) time and must be later than publicationDateTime (sources: data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.60, user-guide-2.3.1 p.41). In Level One profiles, endDateTime is the focus and is treated as required when TimeEntitlement is present; startDateTime is not used at Level One (sources: level-one-2.3.1 p.23, level-one-2.5 p.23).
Rules
- MUSTAny startDateTime or endDateTime value MUST be later than publicationDateTime.[RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.4 p.57] [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.60] [RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5 p.23] [RIXML Level One Addendum v2.3.1 p.23]
- MUSTAt most one TimeEntitlement may appear within a single Entitlement.[RIXML Level One Addendum v2.3.1 p.23] [RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5 p.23]
- SHOULDDatetime attribute values SHOULD be expressed in ISO 8601 format using Zulu (UTC) time.[RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.60] [RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5 p.23]
- SHOULDWhen TimeEntitlement is included in a Level One document, endDateTime is required and startDateTime is not used.[RIXML Level One Addendum v2.3.1 p.23] [RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5 p.23]
Relationships
- child-ofEntitlement — TimeEntitlement is an optional child of Entitlement, contributing the temporal dimension to a composite entitlement definition.
- appears-withinEntitlementGroup — Via its parent Entitlement, TimeEntitlement participates in the time-based access controls grouped under EntitlementGroup.
- constrained-byProduct.publicationDateTime — The boundary attributes of TimeEntitlement must occur strictly after publicationDateTime, anchoring temporal entitlements to the product's publication moment.
Where It Fits
Canonical Path
Definition
| Type | |
| Namespace | http://www.rixml.org/2017/9/RIXML |
| Min Occurs | 1 |
| Max Occurs | 1 |
| Content Model | Text content (string) |
Attributes
startDateTimedateTime |
The date and time after which the product should be read. It is optional because using only an endDateTime is also a meaningful use-case for products that are immediately readable, but expire at a certain time. The startDateTime must be later on the time scale than the value of Product.publicationDateTime. optionalSince 2.1 |
endDateTimedateTime |
The date and time after which the product should not be read. It is optional because using only a startDateTime is also a meaningful use-case for products that are only readable after a time embargo, but never expire. The endDateTime must be later on the time scale than the value of Product.publicationDateTime. optionalSince 2.1 |
Children
Contains text content (type: string)
This element's value is its text content. Attributes provide additional context.
Example
<TimeEntitlement>ABC-123</TimeEntitlement>Version History
Unchanged since introduction in RIXML 2.1
TimeEntitlement is present in RIXML 2.3.1 through 2.5 with a stable model: optional startDateTime and endDateTime attributes governed by the rule that both must be later than publicationDateTime (sources: data-dictionary-2.4 p.57, data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.60). Level One profiles across versions consistently narrow usage to endDateTime for content expiration (sources: level-one-2.3.1 p.23, level-one-2.5 p.23). The 2.5 data dictionary makes the ISO 8601 / Zulu time formatting expectation explicit [data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.60].
Business Rules
The startDateTime must be later on the time scale than the value of Product publicationDateTime
The endDateTime must be later on the time scale than the value of Product publicationDateTime
The endDateTime attribute in TimeEntitlement must be set to a time later than the publicationDateTime
Design Decisions
endDateTime attribute is required in TimeEntitlement for Level One
To ensure clear time-based entitlement boundaries in the simplified schema
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.23
startDateTime must be later than Product.publicationDateTime
Ensures logical temporal ordering where products cannot be readable before they are actually published
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.60
endDateTime must be later than Product.publicationDateTime
Ensures logical temporal ordering where products cannot expire before they are published
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.60
Semantic Relationships
Constrains3 relationships
Start date time must be later than the product publication date time
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.60— Elements and Attributes
End date time must be later than the product publication date time
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.60— Elements and Attributes
TimeEntitlement endDateTime must be later in time than ProductDetails publicationDateTime
RIXML Level One Addendum v2.5, p.23— Research.Product.Context.ProductDetails.EntitlementGroup.Entitlement.TimeEntitlement