CHRONCOLUMN is a mandatory attribute on the element CHRONSTRUCT (available throughout the textbase), which designates a given event as belonging to a subject-specific “column” - that is, to appear in different faceted searches - in Orlando timelines. It has four values: PoliticalClimate, WomenWriters, WritingClimate, and SocialClimate. The same event can be assigned to more than one CHRONCOLUMN, and each may have a different RELEVANCE value. In searches where CHRONCOLUMN is not specified, the event will appear with the icon of the one assigned first. Interpretation of values SocialClimate and NationalInternational is fluid.
The attribute values carry the following connotations:
PoliticalClimate Events
- British-centric events with major implications in Europe, colonies, or world-wide;
- major foreign events which affected Britain either politically or socially (eg., Russian Revolution);
- establishment of major national and international organizations (e.g. League of Nations, Oxfam, International Labour Organization);
- change in status of countries' governing structure, especially colonies, former colonies, and close allies (e.g. independence, coups);
- British monarchs’ accession;
- British general elections; major British and other military engagements (e.g. in Europe, in India, Boer War, major campaigns of WWI and II)
Social Climate: the items in this column will frequently refer not to discrete events but to larger trends or practices affecting women; this means DATERANGES as well as DATES, often approximate.
The following are types of information appropriate to this column:
- advances, developments, or regressions in the areas of technology, science, medicine, law
- education
- conditions surrounding or affecting domestic conditions: housing, clothes, food and food supply, family well-being
- women's political office or involvement in political organisations e.g. the dates of a non-writing but historically significant woman's election to office. (Many events will be listed in the PoliticalClimate column as well--e.g. Lady Astor as first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons.)
Writing Climate
- texts and events associated with male writers
- texts and events associated with non-British women writers
- information about copyright, print technology, book trade, etc.
Women Writers
- texts and events associated with women writers individually or as a class
- material conditions affecting women's writing