LibGuides: Metadata Services: Best Practices: Descriptive Metadata

Descriptive Metadata

The Discriptive Metadata Best Practices Guide has been created based on

DCMI Terms,
MODS User Guidelines Version 3,
Digital Library Federation / Aquifer Implementation Guidelines for Sharable MODS Records,
Resource Description and Access.

Please use this document as a guideline only. Depending on the characteristics of each project, users, and systems, we encourage project coordinators to develop and use their own data, content, and encoding standards and create metadata in a consistent way.

All examples have been drawn from MODS User Guidelines Version 3, Detailed Description of MODS Elements.

Title

Title: <titleInfo> Required (#2XX, #130, #730, #740 fields in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelement

MODS - Attribites

<dc:title>

<dcterms:titleAlternative>

<title>

<titleInfo>

type – abbreviated

translated

alternative

uniform

authority

displayLabel

When adding <title> information, please consider the following recommendations:

Transcribe the title information as it is represented in the item.
If the title starts with an article (a, an, the, etc.), it should be put into <nonSort> in MODS. However in Dublin Core, transcribe the title as is.
Capitalization should be determined and chosen for the collection, and used consistently throughout the collection.
If there are multiple titles, use the most commonly known title in <dc:title>, as this is the title that will be used for search result displays and prominent headings. Add other title information in <dcterms:alternative>. This element can be repeated.
When there is no title information for the item, come up with one that represents the resource the best, and add the <note> field for an explanation or source of the title information. When you supply a title that isn’t from the item, you don’t need to use the square bracket [ ] as in AACR2.
Practices on title information can be different depending on characteristics of each digitization project. Please establish best practices on title information for the project and use it consistently through out the project.

Example:

*In Display

Title

The winter mind: William Bonk and American letters

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:title>The winter mind: William Bonk and American letters</dc:title>

MODS

<titleInfo>

<nonSort>The</nonSort>

<title>winter mind</title>

<subTitle>William Bonk and American letters</subTitle>

</titleInfo>

Other examples:

MODS

<titleInfo type="translated" lang="eng">

<title>Land surveying and agriculture equipment</title>

</titleInfo>

MODS

<title>Missale Carnotense</title>

</titleInfo>

Name

Name: <name> Required (#1xx, #7xx fields in MARC) – When the information is available

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:creator>

<dc:contributor>

Use <dc:creator>, if you have source data that clearly identifies the name as creator. If there is more than one creator, repeat the element as needed.

<namePart>

<role>

<name>

type – personal

corporate

conference

authority

<namePart>

type – date

family

given

termsOfAddress

<role>

type – code

text

The <name> element is for the name(s) of individuals, organizations, or events that bear some important relationship to the content. Use the name as it was presented in the resource. To ensure the best search results, using a controlled vocabulary is recommended. A controlled vocabulary can be created locally depending on the characteristics of each collection.

Using an authorized list of names, such as the Library Congress Name Authority File, or the Getty Union List of Artist Namesis required. If the names you use are not included in these authority files, create your own authority file for the project.
If you cannot find an already established form, you can use the item in hand to establish a form. The form you establish should be unique (i.e. not conflict with a form already established for a person/organization/corporation by the same name). Add as much information as needed to establish uniqueness. For personal names, this might include full middle names, Jr./Sr., dates, etc. For organizations/corporations, this might include place information. Spell out abbreviations or include a key word with your documentation. Currently, most systems have functions allowing for import or creation of a local controlled vocabulary.
Name has types (creator, provider, or contributor) and one of these three types can be chosen to describe the data.
Personal names generally should be last name, first name, middle name or initial.
Organizations or corporations should be in natural name order.

Example:

*In display

Name

Alterman, Eric

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:creator>Alterman, Eric</dc:creator>

MODS

<name type="personal">

<namePart type=”family”>Alterman</namePart>

<namePart type=”given”> Eric</namePart>

<displayForm>Eric Alterman</displayForm>

<role>

<roleTerm type="text">creator</roleTerm>

<roleTerm type="code">cre</roleTerm>

</role>

</name>

Other examples:

MODS

<name type="personal" authority="naf">

<namePart>Woolf, Virginia</namePart>

<namePart type="date">1882-1941</namePart>

</name>

MODS

<name type="corporate">

<namePart>United States</namePart>

<namePart>Court of Appeals (2nd Circuit)</namePart>

</name>

MODS

<name type="conference">

<namePart>Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)</namePart>

</name>

Type

Type: <typeOfResource> Required (MARC Leader 06/07)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:type>

No Subelemets

collection

manuscript

(when Attributes are associated with a specific value used in <typeOfResource>, use the value as a first <typeOfResource>).

<type> contains a term that specifies the characteristics and general type of content of the resource. A controlled list of textual values is used, such as Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Type Vocabulary. Please add terms that provide more granular information than the broad terms in DCMI type controlled vocabulary. You could also create a list of controlled vocabulary for your own collection. The following values may be used with <typeOfResource>:

text
cartographic
notated music
sound recording
sound recording-musical
still image
moving image
three dimensional object
multimedia
software

Example:

*In display

Type

Cartographic

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:type>cartographic</dc:type>

MODS

<titleInfo>

<nonSort>The </nonSort>

<title>new naval and military map of the United States</title>

</titleInfo>

<typeOfResource>cartographic</typeOfResource>

<genre>map</genre>

Other example:

MODS

<titleInfo>

<title>Glove</title>

</titleInfo>

<physicalDescription>

<form authority="gmd">[sound recording]</form> </physicalDescription>

<typeOfResource>sound recording-musical</typeOfResource>

Publisher

Publisher: <originInfo> Required

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:publisher>

<place>

<publisher>

<originInfo>

type

authority

<publisher> is a place holder for the original publisher information.

Example:

*In display

Publisher

Library of Congress, Cataloging Distribution Service, in collaboration with Follett Software Company

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:publisher> Washington,DC, Library of Congress, Cataloging Distribution Service, in collaboration with Follett Software Company</dc:publisher>

MODS

<originInfo>

<place>

<placeTermtype="code"authority="marccountry">dcu</placeTerm>

<placeTerm type="text">Washington,DC</placeTerm>

</place>

<publisher>Library of Congress, Cataloging Distribution Service, in collaboration with Follett Software Company</publisher>

<dateIssued>2003</dateIssued>

<edition>7th ed.</edition>

<issuance>monographic</issuance>

</originInfo>

Other example:

MODS

<originInfo>

<place>

<placeTermtype="code"authority="marccountry">cau</placeTerm>

<placeTerm type="text">Menlo Park, CA</placeTerm>

</place>

<publisher>Center for Computer Assisted Research in the Humanities</publisher>

<dateIssued>-1988</dateIssued>

<dateIssued encoding="marc" point="start">1985</dateIssued>

<dateIssued encoding="marc" point="end">1988</dateIssued>

<issuance>continuing</issuance>

<frequency>annual</frequency>

</originInfo>

Language

Language: <language> Required (when the collection includes textual materials)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:language>

<languageTerm>

type – text

code

authority – ISO 639-2, etc

<language> contains the language(s) of the content of the resource. It may be expressed in textual or coded form. Use as many <language> elements as necessary to describe the languages represented in the resource. (ex. English, or eng)

The following are commonly used controlled vocabulary sites for language code:

Example:

*In display

Language

English

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:language>English</dc:language>

MODS

<language>

<languageTerm type="code" authority="rfc3066">en</languageTerm>

</language>

Other example:

MODS

<language>

<languageTerm type="text">Italian</languageTerm>

</language>

Format

Format: <physicalDescription> Required

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:format>

<dcterms:extent>

<dcterms:medium>

<form>

<note>

<form>

type

authority

<note>

type

displayLabel

<format> describes the digital resource rather than the original version (if applicable). The value is generally taken from a controlled list, most commonly from the Internet Media types.

The following are the commonly used controlled vocabulary for format:

Example:

*In display

format	text/html
extent	26 cm.

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:format>text/html</dc:format>

<dcterms:extent>26 cm. </dcterms>

MODS

<physicalDescription>

<form authority="marcform">electronic</form>

<digitalOrigin>born digital</digitalOrigin>

<reformattingQuality>access</reformattingQuality>

<internetMediaType>text/html</internetMediaType>

</physicalDescription>

Other example:

MODS

<physicalDescription>

<form authority="marcform">print</form>

<extent>26 cm</extent>

<reformattingQuality>replacement</reformattingQuality>

</physicalDescription>

Abstract

Abstract: <abstract>

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dcterms:abstract>

No subelements

Type

displayLabel

<abstract> is a summary of the content of the resource, roughly equivalent to MARC 21 field 520. Information in <abstract> can be a link.

Example:

*In display

Abstract

Describes the results of an ongoing evaluation of State activity relating to improvement of criminal records. Activities reviewed include upgrading of accuracy and completeness of records, automation, implementation of positive identification procedures and procedures for responding to firearm background check inquiries. The report describes the nature of activities initiated, time until completion, and impact on availability of records. Characteristics of individual states are represented in some areas. The document was prepared by Queues Enforth Development under BJS award 95-RU-RX-K002. 2/00 NCJ 179768

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:description> Describes the results of an ongoing evaluation of State activity relating to improvement of criminal records. Activities reviewed include upgrading of accuracy and completeness of records, automation, implementation of positive identification procedures and procedures for responding to firearm background check inquiries. The report describes the nature of activities initiated, time until completion, and impact on availability of records. Characteristics of individual states are represented in some areas. The document was prepared by Queues Enforth Development under BJS award 95-RU-RX-K002. 2/00 NCJ 179768</dc:description>

MODS

<abstract xlink:href= "http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cchrie98.htm"/>

<abstract>Describes the results of an ongoing evaluation of State activity relating to improvement of criminal records. Activities reviewed include upgrading of accuracy and completeness of records, automation, implementation of positive identification procedures and procedures for responding to firearm background check inquiries. The report describes the nature of activities initiated, time until completion, and impact on availability of records. Characteristics of individual states are represented in some areas. The document was prepared by Queues Enforth Development under BJS award 95-RU-RX-K002. 2/00 NCJ 179768</abstract>

Table of Contents: <tableOfContents> (#505 field in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dcterms:tableOfContents>

No subelements

type

displayLabel

<tableOfContents> contains contents notes for a resource, equivalent to MARC 21 field 505. Information in <tableOfContents> can be in a link. Please be careful when using punctuation in <tableOfContents>.

Example:

*In display

Table of Contents

http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/99176484.html

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dcterms:tableOfContents>http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/99176484.html

</dcterms:tableOfContents>

MODS

<tableOfContents xlink:href= "http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/99176484.html"/> </tableOfContents>

Other example:

MODS

<tableOfContents type="partial contents">Baptisms, 1816-1872 --Church members, 1816-1831 --History of the Second Presbyterian Church of West Durham</tableOfContents>

Audience

Audience: <targetAudience>

Dublin Core	MODS - Subelements	MODS - Attributes
<dcterms:audience>	No Subelements	authority

<audience> describes the intellectual level of the audience for which the resource is intended. Either a controlled list of values or free text may be used. MARC Source Code for Target Audience can be used as a controlled vocabulary.

Example:

*In display

Audience

Adolescent

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dcterms:audience>adolescent</dcterms:audience>

MODS

<targetAudience authority="marctarget">adolescent</targetAudience>

Other example:

MODS

<targetAudience authority="marctarget">adult</targetAudience>

Description

Description: <note> (#5xx fields in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:description>

No Subelements

type

displayLabel

<description> contains general textual information relating to a resource. <description> is roughly equivalent to MARC 21 fields 5XX. See MODS <note> Types for reference.

Example:

*In display

description

performers

Anne Baxter (Louise), Maria Perschy (Angela), Gustavo Rojo (Bill), Reginald Gilliam (Mr. Johnson), [Catherine Elliot?] (Aunt Sallie), Ben Tatar (waiter)

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:description>Performers: Anne Baxter (Louise), Maria Perschy (Angela), Gustavo Rojo (Bill), Reginald Gilliam (Mr. Johnson), [Catherine Elliot?] (Aunt Sallie), Ben Tatar (waiter)</dc:description>

MODS

<note type="performers">Anne Baxter (Louise), Maria Perschy (Angela), Gustavo Rojo (Bill), Reginald Gilliam (Mr. Johnson), [Catherine Elliot?] (Aunt Sallie), Ben Tatar (waiter)</note>

Other examples:

MODS

<note type="statement of responsibility">written by Burt Kimmelman</note>

MODS

<note>Based on a play which originally appeared in France as "Un peu plus tard, un peu plus tôt"</note>

Subject

Subject: <subject> Required (#6xx fields in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS – Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:subject>

<dc:coverage>

<dcterms:temporal>

<dcterms:spatial>

<topic>

<name>

authority

<temporal>

encoding

<subject> is an element that contains topical information, geographic coverage, and temporal coverage. The controlled vocabulary should be chosen depending on the main user groups as well as the resources of the digitization project.

The following are commonly used controlled vocabulary sites:

For Topical Subject Heading

For Geographical terms
- Getty Thesaurus of geographic names

Example:

*In display

Subject	Real property
Spatial coverage	Mississippi, Tippah County

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:subject> Real property </dc:subject>

<dcterms:spatial>Mississippi, Tippah County</dcterms:spatial>

MODS

<subject authority="lcsh">

<topic>Real property--Mississippi--Tippah County--Maps</topic>

</subject>

Other examples:

MODS

<subject authority="lcsh">

<topic>Real property</topic>

<geographic>Mississippi</geographic>

<geographic>Tippah County</geographic>

<genre>Maps</genre>

</subject>

MODS

<subject authority="lcsh">

<name>

<namePart>Garcia Lorca, Federico</namePart>

<namePart type="date">1898-1936</namePart>

</name>

</subject>

MODS

<subject authority="lcsh">

<topic>Real property</topic>

<geographic>Mississippi</geographic>

<geographic>Tippah County</geographic>

<genre>Maps</genre>

</subject>

MODS

<subject authority="lctgm">

<topic>Educational buildings</topic>

<geographic>Washington (D.C.)</geographic>

<temporal>1890-1910</temporal>

</subject>

Related Item

Related Item: <relatedItem> When an item belongs to a series, serial, or has different formats. (#4xx, #7xx, #8xx fields in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:relation>

<dcterms:hasPart>

<dcterms:hasFormat>

<dcterms:isVersionOf>

<dcterms:isFormatOf>

All MODS elements can appear as subelements of <relatedItem>

type – preceding

succeeding

original

host

constituent

series

otherVersion

otherFormat

isReferencedBy

xlink:href

displayLabel

<relatedItem> gives information that identifies a related resource. When the resource is a part of a series, or a different version/format of the resources, <relatedItem> is required.

Example:

*In Display

Related Item	title	Portrait of Charlie Parker and Tommy Potter, Three Deuces, New York, N.Y., ca. Oct. 1947
	name	Gottlieb, William P. (1917-)
	identifier	LC-GLB23-0542

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:relation> Portrait of Charlie Parker and Tommy Potter, Three Deuces, New York, N.Y., ca. Oct. 1947; Gottlieb, William P. (1917-); LC-GLB23-0542</dc:relation>

MODS

<relatedItem type="constituent">

<titleInfo>

<title>Portrait of Charlie Parker and Tommy Potter, Three Deuces, New York, N.Y., ca. Oct. 1947</title>

</titleInfo>

<name>

<namePart>Gottlieb, William P.</namePart>

<namePart type="date">1917-</namePart>

</name>

<identifier type="local">LC-GLB23-0542</identifier>

</relatedItem>

Other example:

MODS

<relatedItem type="host">

<titleInfo>

<title>Post-Fordism</title>

<subTitle>A Reader</subTitle>

</titleInfo>

<name type="personal">

<namePart type="given">Ash</namePart>

<namePart type="family">Amin</namePart>

<role>

<roleTerm type="text">editor</roleTerm>

</role>

</name>

<originInfo>

<dateIssued>1994</dateIssued>

<publisher>Blackwell Publishers</publisher>

<place>

<placeTerm type="text">Oxford</placeTerm>

</place>

</originInfo>

<part>

<extent unit="page">

<start>23</start>

<end>45</end>

</extent>

</part>

</relatedItem>

Identifier

Identifier: <identifier> Required (#010, #020, #022, #024, #856 fields in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:identifier>

No Subelements

Type – doi

isbn

issn

iccn

uri

displayLabel

<identifier> contains a unique standard number or code that distinctively identifies a resource. It is equivalent to MARC fields 010, 020, 022, 024, 856. It is repeatable, so you can put as many identifiers as possible if they are useful for identifying a resource. However, the ideal format of value is actionable URI. (Using a collection URL is not recommended for the <identifier> element. A collection URL represents the whole collection, not the resource you want to describe, and should instead be included in <isPartOf>. The URL should belong to the <location> element instead of <identifier>.)

Example:

*In display

Identifier

N.M. 275 Nova Music

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:identifier> N.M. 275 Nova Music </dc:identifier>

MODS

<identifier type="music publisher">N.M. 275 Nova Music</identifier>

Other example:

MODS

<identifier type="isbn" invalid="yes">0877780116</identifier>

Source

Source: <location> Required

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dc:source>

<url>

<physicalLocation>

displayLabel

authority

<url>

displayLabel

dateLastAccessed

note

usage: “primary display”

<source> Identifies the institution or repository holding the resource, or a remote location in the form of a URL where it is available. <physicalLocation> should be used with a controlled vocabulary when items are housed in different libraries. For collection level description, you may decide whether or not to use a controlled vocabulary. You can also use the MARC Code List for Organizations.

Example:

*In display

Source

DLC MicRR Microfilm 82/528 MicRR

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dc:source>DLC MicRR Microfilm 82/528 MicRR </dc:source>

MODS

<location>

<physicalLocation authority="marcorg">DLC MicRR Microfilm 82/528 MicRR</physicalLocation>

</location>

Other examples:

MODS

<location>

<physicalLocation>Library of Congress Manuscript Division</physicalLocation>

</location>

MODS

<location>

<url displayLabel="French version">http://www.cgiar.org/ifpri/reports/0297rpt/0297-ft.htm</url>

</location>

Rights

Rights: <accessCondition> (#506, #540 fields in MARC)

Dublin Core

MODS - Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dcterms:accessRights>

<dc:rights>

No Subelements

type

displayLabel

<rights> Contains information about restrictions imposed on access to a resource. If there is no specific access restriction, use <dc:rights>.

Examples:

*In display

Access Rights

Classified under national security provisions; Department of Defense; Title 50, chapter 401, U.S.C

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dcterms:accessRights> Classified under national security provisions; Department of Defense; Title 50, chapter 401, U.S.C</dcterms:accessRights>

MODS

<accessCondition>Classified under national security provisions; Department of Defense; Title 50, chapter 401, U.S.C</accessCondition>

Other Examples:

MODS

<accessCondition type="restrictionOnAccess">Restricted: cannot be viewed until 2010; Members of donor's family</accessCondition>

MODS

<accessCondition type="useAndReproduction">Literary rights of Carrie Chapman Catt have been dedicated to the public</accessCondition>

Is Part Of

IsPartOf: <recordInfo> Required

Dublin Core

MODS – Subelements

MODS - Attributes

<dcterms:isPartOf>

- <languageTerm>

<recordContentSource>

authority

<recordCreationDate>

<recordChangeDate>

encoding

point

keyDate

qualifier

<recordIdentifier>

source

<languageTerm>

authority

<isPartOf> is used to define the collection that holds the item. Collection information can be added as URL followed by the title of the collection.

Example:

*In display

isPartOf

German Emblem Project <http://images.library.uiuc.edu:8081/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/emblems>

*In XML

Dublin Core

<dcterms:isPartOf>German Emblem Project http://images.library.uiuc.edu:8081/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=/emblems</dcterms:isPartOf>