Use ISO 19160 for postal addresses?

[jdvorak001]

ISO 19160 (coming in several parts, Part 1: Conceptual model and Part 4: International postal address components and template language are probably the most relevant for us) is the ISO standard for specifying addresses. It is not openly available, the two parts cost ~350 CHF. While it is universal and flexible, it is also very complex.

Do you think it is reasonable to reference this standard?
Wouldn't the paywall and the complexity actually present obstacles to CERIF adoption?

[pcastrom1]

The British version of this ISO standard (part 4) is available as per of the institutional subscriptions available at my Uni, see screenshot below. If this were to be the usual case at other institutions, then I think the reference would be ok. Thanks, Pablo

[jdvorak001]

Thanks @pcastrom1 for this input. I guess we'll also discuss at the meeting tomorrow.

[sebastianherwig]

If there is any widely accepted addressing standard at an open source/free to use level available, I recomment to use this one. The CERIF-model is free to use and euroCRIS is also engaged in fostering open science. Following this philosophy, a commercial standard would not fit.

[hauschke]

According to our discussion, it has to be checked if implementers of the CERIF-Core would need to access the standard for implementation.

[jdvorak001]

We identified the following use-cases for addresses:

1. Record the official address of an institution, its subunit or person, in order to identify them in administrative documents. (~the postal address)
2. Record the location (coordinates) of an institution or its subunit, in order to display e.g. maps with collaborating institutions. (~geolocation)
3. Record the location of an instrument or other piece of equipment, or a place where a particular service is provided. (~location within a building)

For statistics, country codes and country subdivision codes (e.g. the federal states in Germany) would be very useful.

Locations of events should also be described. There can be varying degrees of granularity: from a very broad statement of a city & country down to listing the particular rooms of a specific building.