Dublin Core

Main Page > User manual > Add/edit content > Add/edit archival descriptions > Dublin Core elements

Editing resource metadata in Dublin core template; note asterisks next to mandatory fields

Identifier

In Dublin Core, an identifier is "an unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context. Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system."

Title

"A name given to the resource. Typically, a Title will be a name by which the resource is formally known."

Creator, publisher, contributor and/or dates

See add new event.

Type

"The nature or genre of the resource. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the DCMI Type Vocabulary [DCMITYPE]. To describe the file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource, use the Format element."

ICA-AtoM provides a data entry field using a rop-down menu to select Type derived from the Dublin Core types taxonomy.

This taxonomy can be edited by administrators and editors on the list taxonomy terms page.

If the term you want to use does not appear on the menu, you (or your system administrator or editor) must first add it to the taxonomy.

For more on editing terms and adding to taxonomies, see add/edit terms.

For more information on the Dublin Core type taxonomy, see http://dublincore.org/documents/dcmi-type-vocabulary/

Add new child levels

See add a new archival description.

Format

"The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource. Examples of dimensions include size and duration. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as the list of Internet Media Types [MIME]."

Description

"An account of the resource. Description may include but is not limited to: an abstract, a table of contents, a graphical representation, or a free-text account of the resource."

Relation

"A related resource. Recommended best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system."

To link a resource to a parent level you must create the resource as a [Glossary#Child level|child-level]] description of another resource. See add a new archival description. "Relation" in the Dublin Core edit page is a free-text field for describing other types of relationships.

Language

"A language of the resource. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary such as RFC 4646."

ICA-AtoM implements this as a drop-down menu. The user may select as many languages as desired.

Click on the field and select the language from the rop-down menu. To narrow the list of choices, enter the first few letters of the language.

Subject

"The topic of the resource. Typically, the subject will be represented using keywords, key phrases, or classification codes. Recommended best practice is to use a controlled vocabulary. To describe the spatial or temporal topic of the resource, use the Coverage element."

Click on the "Subject" field and select a term from the drop-down menu. You can narrow the list of choices by entering the first few letters of the term.

The values in the subject drop-down menu are drawn from the subjects taxonomy. ICA-AtoM does not ship with any pre-loaded subject terms.

This taxonomy can be edited by administrators and editors on the list taxonomy terms page.

If the subject you want to use does not appear on the menu, you (or your system administrator or editor) must first add it to the taxonomy.

For more on editing terms and adding to taxonomies, see add/edit terms.

Coverage

"The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant."

Click on the "Coverage - spatial" field and select a term from the drop-down menu. You can narrow the list of choices by entering the first few letters of the term.

The values in the this drop-down menu are drawn from the places taxonomy. ICA-AtoM does not ship with any pre-loaded place terms.

This taxonomy can be edited by administrators and editors on the list taxonomy terms page.

If the place you want to use does not appear on the menu, you (or your system dministrator or editor) must first add it to the taxonomy.

For more on editing terms and adding to taxonomies, see add/edit terms.

Source

"A related resource from which the described resource is derived. The described resource may be derived from the related resource in whole or in part. Recommended best practice is to identify the related resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system."

Rights

"Information about rights held in and over the resource. Typically, rights information includes a statement about various property rights associated with the resource, including intellectual property rights."

Repository

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. 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.

Click on the "Repository" field and select the archival institution that holds the archival material being described. The names are drawn from pre-existing archival institution records. You can narrow down the list of choices by typing in the first few letters of the name.

If the repository does not appear in this list, you need to create it separately; see add/edit archival institutions.