Johdannota

Johdannota is a hypothetical term used in digital humanities to denote a method of annotating textual sources within scholarly editions. In this model, a johdannota annotation anchors a note to a precise locus in the text and to the source from which the note derives, such as a manuscript, print edition, or digital surrogate. The aim is to enhance provenance and reproducibility by making the origin and rationale of each editorial decision explicit.

Etymology and status: The form johdannota is a constructed label; there is no widely recognized etymology in actual scholarship, and the term is used primarily in theoretical discussions or pedagogical examples.

Metadata and workflow: A johdannota entry comprises an identifier, a text location, a source reference, a responsible editor, a justification, and a version history. It supports bidirectional links so readers can navigate from the note to the cited source and from that source to the exact place in the text where it bears on the edition.

Applications: The concept is discussed in the context of critical editions, digital editions, and manuscript studies, particularly as a way to model complex editorial decisions and their evidentiary basis. In practical terms, johdannota would be compatible with TEI-based schemas and other provenance-oriented annotation frameworks.

Related topics include textual criticism, textual provenance, digital editions, and TEI.