diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/abstract-item-update/abstract-item-update.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/abstract-item-update/abstract-item-update.component.ts
index 3cc2a5ed84..76e6eb9446 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/abstract-item-update/abstract-item-update.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/abstract-item-update/abstract-item-update.component.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ export abstract class AbstractItemUpdateComponent implements OnInit {
    */
   protected item: Item;
   /**
-   * The current values and updates for all this item's metadata fields
+   * The current values and updates for all this item's fields
+   * Should be initialized in the initializeUpdates method of the child component
    */
   protected updates$: Observable<FieldUpdates>;
   /**
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ export abstract class AbstractItemUpdateComponent implements OnInit {
   protected url: string;
   /**
    * Prefix for this component's notification translate keys
+   * Should be initialized in the initializeNotificationsPrefix method of the child component
    */
   protected notificationsPrefix;
   /**
@@ -78,8 +80,14 @@ export abstract class AbstractItemUpdateComponent implements OnInit {
     });
 
     this.initializeNotificationsPrefix();
+    this.initializeUpdates();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Initialize the values and updates of the current item's fields
+   */
+  abstract initializeUpdates(): void;
+
   /**
    * Initialize the prefix for notification messages
    */
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/edit-item-page.module.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/edit-item-page.module.ts
index 079f065d5f..db7557b43c 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/edit-item-page.module.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/edit-item-page.module.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { ItemMetadataComponent } from './item-metadata/item-metadata.component';
 import { EditInPlaceFieldComponent } from './item-metadata/edit-in-place-field/edit-in-place-field.component';
 import { ItemBitstreamsComponent } from './item-bitstreams/item-bitstreams.component';
 import { ItemRelationshipsComponent } from './item-relationships/item-relationships.component';
-import { EditInPlaceRelationshipComponent } from './item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component';
+import { EditRelationshipComponent } from './item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component';
 
 /**
  * Module that contains all components related to the Edit Item page administrator functionality
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import { EditInPlaceRelationshipComponent } from './item-relationships/edit-in-p
     ItemRelationshipsComponent,
     ItemBitstreamsComponent,
     EditInPlaceFieldComponent,
-    EditInPlaceRelationshipComponent
+    EditRelationshipComponent
   ]
 })
 export class EditItemPageModule {
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
index 7c9202c3b9..6e8be0efb6 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-metadata/item-metadata.component.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,12 @@ export class ItemMetadataComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
   ngOnInit(): void {
     super.ngOnInit();
     this.metadataFields$ = this.findMetadataFields();
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Initialize the values and updates of the current item's metadata fields
+   */
+  public initializeUpdates(): void {
     this.updates$ = this.objectUpdatesService.getFieldUpdates(this.url, this.item.metadataAsList);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.html b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.html
similarity index 100%
rename from src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.html
rename to src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.html
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.scss b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.scss
similarity index 100%
rename from src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.scss
rename to src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.scss
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.spec.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.spec.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.spec.ts
rename to src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.spec.ts
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts
similarity index 74%
rename from src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.ts
rename to src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts
index bb29f7a889..b7ca15f211 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-in-place-relationship/edit-in-place-relationship.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/edit-relationship/edit-relationship.component.ts
@@ -5,16 +5,14 @@ import { Item } from '../../../../core/shared/item.model';
 import { VIEW_MODE_ELEMENT } from '../../../simple/related-items/related-items-component';
 import { ObjectUpdatesService } from '../../../../core/data/object-updates/object-updates.service';
 import { FieldChangeType } from '../../../../core/data/object-updates/object-updates.actions';
-import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
-import { map } from 'rxjs/operators';
 
 @Component({
   // tslint:disable-next-line:component-selector
-  selector: '[ds-edit-in-place-relationship]',
-  styleUrls: ['./edit-in-place-relationship.component.scss'],
-  templateUrl: './edit-in-place-relationship.component.html',
+  selector: '[ds-edit-relationship]',
+  styleUrls: ['./edit-relationship.component.scss'],
+  templateUrl: './edit-relationship.component.html',
 })
-export class EditInPlaceRelationshipComponent implements OnChanges {
+export class EditRelationshipComponent implements OnChanges {
   /**
    * The current field, value and state of the relationship
    */
@@ -45,18 +43,30 @@ export class EditInPlaceRelationshipComponent implements OnChanges {
     this.item = cloneDeep(this.fieldUpdate.field) as Item;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sends a new remove update for this field to the object updates service
+   */
   remove(): void {
     this.objectUpdatesService.saveRemoveFieldUpdate(this.url, this.item);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Cancels the current update for this field in the object updates service
+   */
   undo(): void {
     this.objectUpdatesService.removeSingleFieldUpdate(this.url, this.item.uuid);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Check if a user should be allowed to remove this field
+   */
   canRemove(): boolean {
     return this.fieldUpdate.changeType !== FieldChangeType.REMOVE;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Check if a user should be allowed to cancel the update to this field
+   */
   canUndo(): boolean {
     return this.fieldUpdate.changeType >= 0;
   }
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.html b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.html
index cfa3b8f415..6d7f82a3da 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.html
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
   <div *ngFor="let label of relationLabels$ | async" class="mb-2">
     <h5>{{label}}</h5>
     <div *ngFor="let updateValue of ((getUpdatesByLabel(label) | async)| dsObjectValues); trackBy: trackUpdate"
-         ds-edit-in-place-relationship
+         ds-edit-relationship
          [fieldUpdate]="updateValue || {}"
          [url]="url"
          [ngClass]="{
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts
index 66701e22b4..3c0a0b72d1 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/edit-item-page/item-relationships/item-relationships.component.ts
@@ -38,13 +38,11 @@ export class ItemRelationshipsComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
    */
   resolvedRelsAndTypes$: Observable<[Relationship[], RelationshipType[]]>;
 
+  /**
+   * Set up and initialize all fields
+   */
   ngOnInit(): void {
     super.ngOnInit();
-
-    this.updates$ = this.getRelationships().pipe(
-      relationsToItems(this.item.id, this.itemService),
-      switchMap((items: Item[]) => this.objectUpdatesService.getFieldUpdates(this.url, items))
-    );
     this.initRelationshipObservables();
   }
 
@@ -72,6 +70,16 @@ export class ItemRelationshipsComponent extends AbstractItemUpdateComponent {
     );
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Initialize the values and updates of the current item's relationship fields
+   */
+  public initializeUpdates(): void {
+    this.updates$ = this.getRelationships().pipe(
+      relationsToItems(this.item.id, this.itemService),
+      switchMap((items: Item[]) => this.objectUpdatesService.getFieldUpdates(this.url, items))
+    );
+  }
+
   /**
    * Initialize the prefix for notification messages
    */