Sourceswithin

Sourceswithin is a concept in digital content management and data provenance referring to the inclusion of source materials inside a resource rather than linking to external sources. It emphasizes self-contained resources that carry their cited materials, code, data, or documents with them.

Used to improve reproducibility and portability, it allows a resource to carry its cited sources, code, data or documents with it. This can aid researchers, publishers, and software developers who need reliable access to original materials without relying on external links.

In practice, sourceswithin can appear in publishing systems, data packaging schemas, and software documentation. It supports offline access and ensures that readers can retrieve original materials even without network access. Implementations commonly include a named field or structure such as sourcesWithin that lists embedded items, each with metadata like title, author, date, and location within the resource.

Implementation considerations include how embedded items are identified, versioned, and updated, as well as how to handle licensing and permissions for embedded sources. A well-designed sourcesWithin structure supports clear provenance trails and allows tools to extract or render embedded sources for reuse or verification.

Advantages include self-containment, better reproducibility, and simplified version control; drawbacks include increased size and potential duplication. It also introduces considerations for long-term accessibility and storage, as embedded sources may require ongoing maintenance.

Origin and usage: the term emerged in discussions about reproducible research and content packaging, and is used informally in some document standards; it is not tied to a single official standard. Related concepts include data provenance, citation, and reproducible research.