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+# Publication Email Request Service (PERS)
+
+The following are sequence diagrams describing the workflow for sending publication email requests with this service. At high-level the steps involved are:
+
+1. Import citations for authors
+2. Create publication email requests
+3. Review and (optionally) update emails
+4. Send emails to Liaisons
+
+## Import citations for authors
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+ autonumber
+ participant user as User
+ participant pers as Publication Email Request Service
(PERS)
+ participant elements as Symplectic Elements
+ participant pers_db as PERS Database
+ user ->> pers: Select option to import citations
+ pers ->> user: Request user input for author's Element's ID
+ user -->> pers: Respond with selected author's Element's ID
+ pers ->> elements: Send GET request to Elements API
to retrieve author data
"users/{author_id}
+ elements -->> pers: Author data XML string
("Email", "First Name", "Last Name", "MIT ID", "DLC", "Start Date", "End Date")
+ pers ->> pers: Parse XML string to AuthorRecord
+ pers ->> pers_db: Upsert record to 'Author' table
+ pers ->> elements: Send GET request to Elements API
to retrieve author's publications
users/{author_id}/publications?&detail=full
+ elements -->> pers: Author publications XML string
+ pers ->> pers: Parse XML string to list of key-value pairs
for *qualifying* publications
(publication IDs and titles)
+
+ Note over pers, elements: As PERS parses through the author publications XML string,
it runs a series of preliminary checks to determine if the publication meets the criteria
for an email request. If checks pass, the publication is added to a list.
+
+ loop For every publication
+ pers ->> elements: Send GET request to Elements API
to retrieve publication data
publications/{publication_id}
+ elements -->> pers: Publication citation data XML string
+ pers ->> pers: Parse XML string to PublicationRecord
+ pers -->> pers: Run checks on publication
1.PublicationRecord is citable
2. PublicationRecord has required identifiers
(MIT ID, Publication ID)
+ pers ->> pers_db: Check if any records in the 'Email' table linked to Publication have been sent
(i.e., `PublicationRecord.id in Email.publications and Email.date_sent is not None`)
+ pers ->> pers_db: Check if a record exists in 'Publication' where `Publication.id == PublicationRecord.id`.
+ pers ->> pers_db: Upsert record to 'Publication' table
+ end
+```
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