Add a new authority record

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Visit https://www.accesstomemory.org for information about AtoM, the currently supported version.

Data entry: authority records

Main Page > (UM) User manual > UM-3 Add / edit content > UM-3.2 Add / edit authority records > UM-3.2.1 Data entry: authority records

Edit screen: all record areas collapsed


The Edit screen for authority records is structured into four information areas following the ICA's International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families (ISAAR(CPF), 2nd edition, 2004).


Click on a information area to expand it (display fields); click again to collapse it (hide fields). Note that as of the current version of ICA-AtoM (v1.0 beta), whenever you save a record ICA-AtoM re-loads the page, which collapses all areas.


The following notes aim primarily to clarify ICA-AtoM procedures; for guidelines on what information to record in particular fields, consult ISAAR(CPF) as the content standard. The notes are organized by field, with links to the applicable ISAAR section(s). Where there is a one-to-one correspondence between an ISAAR element and an ICA-AtoM field, the note simply gives the ISAAR rule verbatim.


Identity area

Edit authority record: identity area

The Identity area contains fields for information "which uniquely identifies the entity being described and which defines standardized access points for the record" (ISAAR(CPF) 4.4.1).


1. Authorized form of name

  • "Record the standardized form of name for the entity being described in accordance with any relevant national or international conventions or rules applied by the agency that created the authority record. Use dates, place, jurisdiction, occupation, epithet and other qualifiers as appropriate to distinguish the authorized form of name from those of other entities with similar names. Specify separately in the Rules and/or conventions element (5.4.3) which set of rules has been applied for this element." (ISAAR(CPF) 5.1.2)


2. Type of entity

  • "Specify the type of entity (corporate body, person or family) that is being described in this authority record." (ISAAR(CPF) 5.1.1)
  • ICA-AtoM ships with a drop-down menu using a default (taxonomy of types; the three core types (corporate body, person, family) cannot be removed or edited, but editors or administrators can add new types.


3. Other names

  • Multi-value field for registering and displaying alternate names for the entity.
  • Register as many names as you need.
  • The last row in the list contains text boxes for data entry.
  • Enter the alternate name in the Name field, select the Type of name from the drop-down list, and add any explanatory text if required in the Note field.
  • When you save the record, ICA-AtoM registers the other name and displays it in the list above the data entry field.
  • Repeat and save to register additional names.
  • To delete an entry, click the Delete icon.
  • For rules and examples, see (ISAAR(CPF) 5.1.3, 5.1.4 and 5.1.5).


4. Identifiers for corporate bodies

  • "Record where possible any official number or other identifier (e.g. a company registration number) for the corporate body and reference the jurisdiction and scheme under which it has been allocated." (ISAAR(CPF) 5.1.6)


Description area

Authority record: Description area
Authority record: Description area

The "Description area" contains fields for information "about the nature, context and activities of the entity being described" (ISAAR(CPF) 4.4.2). With the exception of date-related fields (see steps 1-3 below), all fields are basic text fields.


1. Start year and End year (ISAAR(CPF) 5.2.1):

  • Enter the start and end years of the entity (for corporate bodies: years of establishment and dissolution; for persons: birth and death year).
  • Leave end year blank if the entity is still in existence.
  • Use four-digit numbers only.
  • Do not use qualifiers (e.g. "ca.") or typographical symbols (e.g. "[197-]") to express uncertain dates.
  • Start and end values will be used in searches (earlier than, later than) and sorting.


2. Date display (ISAAR(CPF) 5.2.1):

  • Enter dates of existence as a date range (yearX - yearY).
  • Add qualifiers (e.g. "ca.", "predominant") and typographical symbols if required.
  • This is the value that will appear in view mode as the "Dates of existence".


3. The remaining fields in this area are basic text fields. See ISAAR(CPF) for guidelines:


Relationships area

Authority record: Relationships area

The "Relationships area" contains fields for documenting relationships between the current entity and other corporate bodies, persons and/or families (ISAAR(CPF) 4.4.3).

  • Not yet available as of ICA-AtoM 0.5.


Control area

The Control area contains fields for information about the creation and maintenance of the authority record itself. This area of description has been standardized in ICA-AtoM for archival descriptions, authority records, and archival institutions and is described on a separate page:

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