An area of text and graphic material placed at the end of the body of introductory material, a book part, or section to hold the graphical signature or description of the person(s) responsible for or attesting to the content
This element was deliberately left out of the original NLM DTDs because it was thought (and analysis seemed to back this up) that a <sig-block> element would merely duplicate information in the metadata and could be generated. Further samples, especially in books, indicate that signature blocks are not as closely tied to contributor metadata as was supposed, and further, that a structure to hold the material would be very useful for already published works.
<!ELEMENT sig-block (#PCDATA %sig-block-elements;)* >
Any combination of:
<abstract> Abstract; <ack> Acknowledgments; <app> Appendix; <boxed-text> Boxed Text; <notes> Notes; <sec> Section; <trans-abstract> Translated Abstract
With a graphic representation of a signature:
<book>
<book-meta>...</book-meta>
<book-front>
<sec sec-type="miscinfo">
<title>About this book</title>
<p>Bioinformatics consists of a computational approach
to biomedical information management and analysis. It is
being used increasingly as a component of research within
both academic and industrial settings and is becoming
integrated into both undergraduate and postgraduate
curricula. The new generation of biology graduates is
emerging with experience in using bioinformatics resources
and, in some cases, programming skills.</p>
...
<sig-block>
<sig>
Tonia Gaillard<break/>
Analyst
<graphic alt-version="no" xlink:href="sig381.f1"
xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"></graphic>
</sig>
</sig-block>
</sec>
</book-front>
...
</book>
With a single signature described:
<book>
<book-meta>...</book-meta>
<book-front>
<sec sec-type="miscinfo">
<title>Foreword</title>
...
<sig-block>
<sig>
<bold>Wyndell Peaze</bold><break/>
<italic>University of Washington</italic>
</sig>
</sig-block>
</sec>
</book-front>
...
</book>
With multiple signatures described:
<book>
<book-meta>...</book-meta>
<book-front>
<sec sec-type="miscinfo">
<title>Preface</title>
...
<sig-block>
<sig>
<bold>Tom Uzden, MLS, MA, RN, AHIP</bold><break/>
<italic>New York University, Elmer Holmes Bobst Library</italic>
</sig>
<sig>
<bold>Debra Lepair, MLS</bold><break/>
<italic>CINAHL Information Systems</italic>
</sig>
</sig-block>
</sec>
</book-front>
...
</book>
common.ent