The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers (ERP) is the first XML mini-edition published by the Model Editions Partnership. Generally speaking, XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a subset of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). Both XML and SGML allow users to add intelligence to the text in a way that is difficult or impossible to accomplish in HTML.

The markup in the edition is based on the Partnership's DTDs which were revised to conform to the XML protocols. Much of the MEP system is based on the DTDs developed by the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI). More than thirty seasoned documentary editors participated in modifying and extending the TEI system in the 1990s. Like most markup systems, MEP's system is modified from time to time as new forms of text are encountered.

The ERP edition is also unique in that the project staff did all of the markup in-house. The technical work on all of MEP's previous editions was handled by the MEP staff at the University of South Carolina. MEP provided training and consultation from time to time, but the ERP editors and their assistants did all of the editorial and technical work on the mini-edition at their offices at George Washington University.