ISAD

Add/edit descriptions: ISAD(G) elements

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Identity area

Edit archival description: identity area

The identity area contains fields for conveying "essential information ... to identify the unit of description" (ISAD(G) I.11).

1. Reference code

• For unique identification, the reference code may contain any or all of the following elements:
  • "the country code in accordance with the latest version of ISO 3166 Codes for the representation of names of countries;
  • the repository code in accordance with the national repository code standard or other unique location identifier;
  • a specific local reference code, control number, or other unique identifier.

• All three elements must be present for the purpose of information exchange at the international level." (ISAD(G) 3.1.1)

• A country code and repository code will automatically be included in the reference code whenever the highest-level archival description is linked to an archival institution (see UM-3.1.5 Context area). The archival institution description must have the following fields filled out in order for this to happen: the identifier field in the identity area (see UM-3.3.4 Identity area) and the country field in the contact area (see UM-3.3.5 Contact area).

• Information entered into the identifier field at lower levels of description will appear as part of the reference code when the archival description is saved and displayed.

• Each child archival description will inherit reference code data entered at the parent levels of description.

• Note that the reference code will not be displayed in either the edit screen or view screen for any description that does not have its own identifier.

2. Title

• "Provide either a formal title or a concise supplied title in accordance with the rules of multilevel description and national conventions.
• If appropriate, abridge a long formal title, but only if this can be done without loss of essential information.
• For supplied titles, at the higher level, include the name of the creator of the records. At lower levels one may include, for example, the name of the author of the document and a term indicating the form of the material comprising the unit of description and, where appropriate, a phrase reflecting function, activity, subject, location, or theme.
• Distinguish between formal and supplied titles according to national or language conventions." (ISAD(G) 3.1.2)

3. Title note

• This is a multi-value field for registering and displaying the notes relating to the title of the unit of description.
• Enter the note; when you click the save button in the button block the note will be registered and will now appear in the list above the data entry fields.
• There is no limit to the number of title notes you can add, but as of the current version of ICA-AtoM (v1.0 beta) you can only register them one at a time: i.e. enter the data, click the save button and repeat for each additional note.
• To delete a title note, click the delete icon.
• Title notes also appear with other notes in the notes area.

4. Level of description

• "Record the level of this unit of description." (ISAD(G) 3.1.4)
• ICA-AtoM ships with a default value list of levels of description; this can customized by editors and administrators.

5. Parent level:

• Select the unit immediately above the current one in the hierarchy of arrangement (the parent record).
• Leave blank if the current unit represents the highest level of arrangement (e.g. a fonds).

6. Extent and medium

• "Record the extent of the unit of description by giving the number of physical or logical units in arabic numerals and the unit of measurement. Give the specific medium (media) of the unit of description.
• Alternatively, give the linear shelf space or cubic storage space of the unit of description. If the statement of extent for a unit of description is given in linear terms and additional information is desirable, add the additional information in parentheses." (ISAD(G) 3.1.5)

7. Note that the ISAD(G) Dates element (ISAD(G) 3.1.3) is implemented by ICA-AtoM in the context area, where dates are linked to a creator in a creation event.

Context area

Archival description: context area

Archival description: context area (cont'd)

Click on the edit icon to edit the administrative history in the related authority record

The context area contains fields for conveying "information about the origin and custody of the unit of description" (ISAD(G) I.11).

Note that date ranges are handled in ICA-AtoM as creation events and recorded in this information area rather than the identity area as per ISAD(G).

• At the highest level of description, the archival unit is associated with its creator over a certain date range.
• At lower levels of description, enter the date range, but leave the creator name blank to inherit the creator from the higher level.
• If you want to associate a lower level of description with a creator different from the higher level, enter / select a different creator name.

1. Creation context

• This is a multi-value field for registering and displaying creation and other events (dates of publication, accumulation, etc.).
• Enter the event data (see steps 2-4 below); when you click the save button in the button block the events will be registered and will now appear in the list below the data entry fields.
• To delete an event, click the delete icon next to it in the list.
• For rules and examples relating to dates and creators, see ISAD(G) 3.1.3 and 3.2.1.

2. New event:

• Click the add new link under Name. A dialogue box will open up for data entry and the rest of the screen will go grey.
• For a creation event, select Creation from the drop-down menu under event type.
• Select the creator's name from the creator drop-down menu under name (generated from the names of all existing authority records).
• If the creator's name does not appear in the menu, use the add new name field to to the right to enter the name. Note that this automatically creates a new authority record.
• If you select a name from the drop-down list, ICA-AtoM will ignore any text you may have entered in the add new name field.
• Note that you can leave both of these fields blank; in this case, the unit will inherit creator information from its parent record.
• At the highest level of description, you should always include the creator; the administrative / biographical history is drawn from the creator's authority record.
• Lower levels inherit creator information from higher levels: use only if the creator is different at the lower and higher levels.
• If applicable, select a location from the place drop-down menu to the right of the event type field (generated from the places taxonomy)
• Add the start and end year and date display if applicable (see steps 3 and 4, below)
• If applicable, add a note in the note field.
• Click submit. You will be returned to the original screen. To add other events, repeat the process as often as needed. Note that you must save the record before leaving the edit screen or you will lose all of the data you have just entered.

3. Year / End year

• Enter the opening and closing years of the date range.

• ICA-AtoM uses these values for sorting and searching purposes.

• Use only four-digit numbers.

• If the start and end years are the same, enter only in the year and leave the end year blank.

• Complete at lower levels of description even if you are leaving the creator name field blank (e.g. when describing a series, you do not need to repeat the creator name from the fonds description, but you do need to enter the date range of the series).

• Do not use any qualifiers here (e.g. "ca.") or typographical symbols (e.g. "[194?]") to express uncertainty (see step 4).

4. Date display

• Enter the date range as you want it to appear in view mode.
• Add any additional text to qualify date range (e.g. "ca. 1940-1980" or "[1940]-1980, predominant 1973-1980").
• Whereas creation year and end year are used internally for database searching and sorting purposes, this field is for display purposes.

5. Administrative / biographical history

• "Record concisely any significant information on the origin, progress, development and work of the organization (or organizations) or on the life and work of the individual (or individuals) responsible for the creation of the archival unit. If additional information is available in a published source, cite the source. The Information Areas of ISAAR(CPF) suggest specific informational elements that may be included in this element. For persons or families record information such as full names and titles, dates of birth and death, place of birth, successive places of domicile, activities, occupation or offices, original and any other names, significant accomplishments, and place of death." (ISAD(G) 3.2.2)

• If you have registered more than one creator in the creator context area, the administrative histories / biographical sketches of each will appear here sequentially, separated by a line.

• This data actually reside in the creator's authority record. It cannot be directly edited here; to edit, click the edit icon; ICA-AtoM routes you to the related authority record in edit mode. Make changes to the history field and save; ICA-AtoM returns you to the edit screen and re-loads the page, collapsing all information areas.

6. Repository

• NOTE: Select a repository only at the highest level of description; leave this field blank at the lower levels if they are all held by the same repository (see ISAD(G) 2.4 Non-Repetition of Information). It is important to remember this because if a repository is selected for the lower levels then these lower levels will all be displayed in the Holdings area of an archival institution's context menu box.

• From the drop-down menu, select the archival institution that holds the archival material being described.

• The list in the drop-down menu is generated from all existing archival institution records.

• If the repository does not appear in this list, you need to create it separately; see UM-3.3 Add / edit archival institutions.

7. Immediate source of acquisition

• "Record the source from which the unit of description was acquired and the date and/or method of acquisition if any or all of this information is not confidential. If the source is unknown, record that information. Optionally, add accession numbers or codes." (ISAD(G) 3.2.4)

8. Archival history

• "Record the successive transfers of ownership, responsibility and/or custody of the unit of description and indicate those actions, such as history of the arrangement, production of contemporary finding aids, re-use of the records for other purposes or software migrations, that have contributed to its present structure and arrangement. Give the dates of these actions, insofar as they can be ascertained. If the archival history is unknown, record that information. Optionally, when the unit of description is acquired directly from the creator, do not record an archival history but rather, record this information as the immediate source of acquisition." (See 3.2.4). (ISAD(G) 3.2.3)