Metadata requirements

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Main Page > System Requirements > Metadata requirements


Metadata requirements identify the entities the system must track and the kinds of information about them it must capture in order to do the things specified by the functional requirements.


Metadata requirements are organized hierarchically, breaking down core requirements into sub- and sub-sub-requirements. Three core requirements have been identified:

  1. Record information about archival materials
  2. Record information about creators of archival materials
  3. Record information about repositories that hold archival materials


Each metadata requirement includes the following information:

Requirement number MR-x.x.x (unique tracking number assigned to requirement)
Requirement name Descriptive name assigned to requirement.
Requirement specification Brief description of requirement: what data must the system be able to capture?
Sub-requirements If the requirement is broken down into sub-requirements, provides links to these.
Requirement quotation Links to standards or other documents: why must the system capture this data?
Associated functional requirements Links to functional requirements: what functionality must the system have that requires this data?
Associated quality requirements Links to quality requirements: what design and interface features must the system have to capture this data well?
Associated technical requirements Links to technical requirements: what system architecture, hardware / software configurations, and programming rules must the system implement to capture this data?
ICA-AtoM fields List of the underlying ICA-AtoM database fields that capture the data.
ICA-AtoM implementation Brief description of how ICA-AtoM implements this metadata requirement.
Known issues Brief indication of known problems or limitations in the current version of ICA-AtoM that should be addressed in future releases.
User Manual sections Links to the User manual sections that provide step-by-step instructions for recording the data in ICA-AtoM.


Record information about archival materials

Requirement number MR-1
Requirement name Record information about archival materials
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Include an entity representing an archival description.
Sub-requirements


Context: Record information about archival materials

Identify units / objects of description

Requirement number MR-1.1
Requirement name Identify units / objects of description
Requirement specification The system must be able to:
  • Uniquely identify each description and its object.
Sub-requirements


Context: 1. Record information about archival materials > 1.1 Identify units / objects of description

Assign unique identifiers to descriptions

Requirement number MR-1.1.1
Requirement name Assign unique identifiers to descriptions.
Requirement specification The system must be able to:
  • Assign one or more unique identifiers (codes) to each description such that the description can be linked to the object of description.
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-1.3.2, Assign unique identifiers to descriptions.
Associated quality requirements
  • Auto-enter values.
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
  • information_object::id
  • information_object:identifier
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM automatically assigns each record a unqiue database ID (id); this value is invisible to users.
  • Users enter their own Reference code (identifier). ICA-AtoM allows any type of value in this field (numbers, text, alpha-numeric code) to accommodate any institutional system for assigning identifiers.
Known issues
  • Cannot currently auto-generate next sequential reference code / number.
User Manual sections

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Assign titles to descriptions

Requirement number MR-1.1.2
Requirement name Assign titles to descriptions
Requirement specification The system must be able to:
  • Assign one authorized title to archival descriptions based on the name of the object of description.
  • Register multiple titles (variants, title changes).
  • Support explanatory notes on titles.
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-1.3.2, Assign unique identifiers to descriptions.
  • FR-1.4.1, Describe the intellectual and physical characteristics of archival materials.
Associated quality requirements
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
  • information_object::title
  • information_object::alternate_title
  • note::note_content
  • note::note_type
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM includes fields for Title (title) and Alternate title (alternate_title).
  • ICA-AtoM does not impose any rules on formatting titles.
  • Users can add as many Title notes as required (stored in a separate *note database table).
Known issues
  • Need to allow multiple alternate titles (currently only allows 1 alternate).
  • Need to allow assignment of date ranges to titles for previous names of descriptive unit.
User Manual sections

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Indicate the level of description

Requirement number MR-1.1.3
Requirement name Indicate the level of description.
Requirement specification The system must be able to:
  • Indicate the level in the hierarchy of arrangement and description to which to the current description belongs.
  • Link the current description to related descriptions within the same hierarchy.
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-1.1.1, Support multi-level description.
  • FR-1.4.4, Ensure that infromation at higher and lower levels of description is consistent.
Associated quality requirements
  • Provide drop-down value list menus.
  • Provide context-specific pick lists.
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM includes the Level of description field with a drop-down list for selecting values. Value list can be customized by the system administrator to include only levels employed by the institution. The value themselves reside in a separate database table (term).
  • ICA-AtoM links the current description with others in the hierarchy of arrangement through the Next upper level of description field in which the user selects the "parent" description; leave field blank if the description represents the highest level.
Known issues
  • Need to be able to filter drop-down list in Next upper level of description so that it is more manageable.
User Manual sections

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Indicate the dates of the material described

Requirement number 1.1.4
Requirement name Indicate the dates of the material described.
Requirement specification The system must be able to:
  • Indicate the earliest and latest dates of the material described.
  • Register multiple dates (e.g. date of creation vs date of accumulation).
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-4.1, Support the description of the intellectual and physical characteristics of archival material.
  • FR-4.4, Ensure that information at the higher and lower levels are consistent.
Associated quality requirements
  • Support multiple date formats.
  • Calculate values at higher levels from data entered at lower levels.
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM handles mutliple dates through the event table, linking a description to a creator over a specifc date range.
  • Users register dates through the Creation context fields in the ContextArea and can enter as many dates as required.
  • Users enter separate data for Creation year and End year; these are number fields used behind the scenes for searching and sorting.
  • Users also enter the date range as a single text string in the Date display field; here they can records dates in any format and apply any terms or typographic conventions to the qualify the dates (e.g. "March 1975"; "ca 1967-1968"; "[ 198?]"; "predominant dates: 1980-1995").
Known issues
  • Date display should automatically default to the the Creation year and the End year so that the user need only modify this field if either of these dates requires qualification.
  • ICA-AtoM does not enable higher levels to "calculate up" date ranges from lower levels (e.g. set dates at fonds level from related lower-level descriptions); nor does it enforce consistency between levels.
User Manual sections

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Indicate the extent of the material described

Requirement number MR-1.1.5
Requirement name Indicate the extent of the material described.
Requirement specification The system mus be able to:
  • Indicate the logical or physical extent of the object.
  • Indicate the medium of the object.
  • Register multiple extents (for different media types).
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-4.1 Support the description of the intellectual and physical characteristics of archival material.
  • FR-4.4, Ensure that information at the higher and lower levels are consistent.
Associated quality requirements
  • Provide controlled vocabulary for media terms.
  • Calculate values at higher levels from data entered at lower levels of description.
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
  • information_object::extent_and_medium
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM provides a text field for Extent and medium.
Known issues
  • No support for drop-down lists for media types.
  • ICA-AtoM does not enable higher levels to "calculate up" extents from lower levels (e.g. set dates at fonds level from related lower-level descriptions); nor does it enforce consistency between levels.
User Manual sections


Describe context of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.2
Requirement name Describe context of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Indicate the origins and custody of the archival materials being described.
Sub-requirements

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Identify creator(s) of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.2.1
Requirement name Identify creator(s) of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Record the name of the the entity or entities responsible for the creation, accumulation, and maintenance of the material being described.
  • Accommodate multiple creators (e.g. in a series system approach linking a single series to different agencies at different times).
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-4.2, Support the description of the context of archival materials.
Associated quality requirements
  • Provide controlled vocabulary drop-down lists (names).
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
  • event::actor_id.
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM links creators to archival materials via the event table which registers the creation of archival material as "event" that occurs over a certain date range.
  • Users select / enter a name in the Creator field.
  • Users enter the outside years in the Creation year and End year fields; these are number field used behind the scenes for sorting and searching.
  • Users also enter the date range as a single text string in the Date display field; here they can apply any terms or typographic conventions to the qualify the dates (e.g. "ca 1967-1968", "[ 198?]", "predominant dates: 1980-1995").

Users can registers as many creator events as required.

  • ICA-AtoM provides a drop-down list in the Creator field, showing names generated from the actor authority file.
  • If the required name does not appear in the list, users can directly enter the name and ICA-AtoM registers it in the actor authority file.
Known issues
  • The drop-down list of names shows only the authorized headings and does not include variants (e.g. shows "Dr. Koenraad Kuiper" but not "Kuiper, Koenraad").
User Manual sections

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Describe creator(s) of archival materials.

Requirement number MR-1.2.2
Requirement name Describe creator(s) of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Provide an administrative history of, or biographical details on, the creator (or creators).
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-2.5, Separate descriptions of archival materials from descriptions of creators and repositories.
  • FR-4.2, Support the description of the context of archival materials.
Associated quality requirements
  • Display information stored in a related record.
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
  • actor::history.
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM stores the Administrative / biographical history (history) field in the creator authority file (actor), but displays it in the related archival description (information_object) record.
  • The archival description shows as many Administrative / biographical histories as required.
  • The Administrative / biographical history (history) field cannot be directly edited in the archival description record; the user must click an EditInfoIcon and is routed to the related authority record.
Known issues
User Manual sections

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Describe custody of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.2.3
Requirement name Describe custody of archival materials
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Record the successive transfers of ownership, responsibility and/or custody of archival materials.
  • Identify the immediate source of transfer or acquisition.
  • Identify the repository or repositories that hold the materials described.
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
  • FR-4.2, Support the description of the context of archival materials.
  • FR-4-5, Identify the location of archival materials.
Associated quality requirements
  • Provide controlled-vocabulary drop-down lists.
Associated technical requirements
ICA-AtoM fields
  • information_object::archival_history
  • information_object::acquisition
  • information_object::repository_id
ICA-AtoM implementation
  • ICA-AtoM includes text fields for Archival history (archival_history) and Immediate source of acquisition (acquisition).
  • Users identify the location of the material by selecting an archival institution from the drop-down list in the Repository field; this list draws values from all existing archival (repository) institution records.
Known issues
  • It is not possible to identify more than one repository as the location of the materials described. This would be a problem where custody of a single fonds was distributed over multiple archival institutions.
User Manual sections

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Record information about the content and structure of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.3
Requirement name Record information about the content and structure of archival materials
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Capture information about the subject matter and structure of archival materials and the activities that have affected these.
Sub-requirements

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== Describe the scope and content of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.3.1
Requirement name Describe the scope and content of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Requirement.
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
Associated quality requirements


Associated technical requirements


ICA-AtoM fields


ICA-AtoM implementation


Known issues


User Manual sections


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Record information about conditions of access and use of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.4
Requirement name Record information about abouts conditions of access and use of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Capture information about the availability for consultation and use of archival materials.
Sub-requirements

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Record information about materials related to the unit of description

Requirement number MR-1.5
Requirement name Record information about materials related to the unit of description.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Indicate other materials that have an important relationship to the archival materials described.
Sub-requirements

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Assign access points to descriptions of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.6
Requirement name Assign access points to descriptions of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Assign terms from controlled vocabularies to descriptions as a means of faciliate search and retrieval.
Sub-requirements

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Record information about descriptions of archival materials

Requirement number MR-1.6
Requirement name Record information about descriptions of archival materials.
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Capture information about how, when and by whom archival descriptions were prepared.
Sub-requirements

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Template

Requirement number Number
Requirement name
Requirement specification The system must:
  • Requirement.
Requirement quotation
Associated functional requirements
Associated quality requirements


Associated technical requirements


ICA-AtoM fields


ICA-AtoM implementation


Known issues


User Manual sections


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