FR-1.2.1

Describe archival materials at multiple levels of description

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Specification

• Archivists must be able to describe materials at multiple levels, reflecting the levels of arrangement.

• Descriptions at lower levels should inherit information from higher levels (e.g. creator).

• Descriptions at higher levels should be consistent with information at lower levels (e.g. dates and extent).

• The application must support multi-level description with inheritance and consistency across levels.

Context (parent requirements)

• FR-1 Establish a system of control

• FR-1.2 Establish systems of intellectual control

Source quotations

• ISAD(G) I.8

• ISAD(G) Section 1

• ISAD(G) Section 2

• OSARIS 1.1.1

• OSARIS 2.1.1

Associated metadata requirements

• MTD-1.1.3 Indicate the level of descripiton

Associated quality requirements

• Provide drop-down menus (value lists) to select level of description.

• Provide pick-lists to select parent level of description / assign position in hierarchy of arrangement.

• Show inherited information at lower levels of description.

• Calculate values at higher levels of description from lower (e.g. date ranges).

Associated technical requirements

ICA-AtoM implementation

• ICA-AtoM ships with a default schema for levels of description (fonds, sub-fonds, series, sub-series, file, item). Administartors can edit to reflect institutional policy / terminology.

• ICA-AtoM imposes no limits on the number of levels that can be used. A unit's position in the hierarchy is determined by the value selected in the Parent level field.

• A description is recognized as the highest level when the Parent level field is blank.

• Discrete items (items not linked to a higher parent level) are permitted: simply leave the Parent level field blank.

Known issues

• ICA-AtoM (v1.0 beta) cannot currently calculate values at higher levels from lower (e.g. date range); these must be manually entered at each level.

• The application does not enforce consistency across levels.

Use cases

• USC-1.2.1 Implement an arrangement policy

User Manual sections

• UM-3.1.4 Add / edit content > Archival descriptions > Data entry: Identity area