FR-1.2.1
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Please note that ICA-AtoM is no longer actively supported by Artefactual Systems.
Visit https://www.accesstomemory.org for information about AtoM, the currently supported version.
Describe archival materials at multiple levels of description
Main Page > System requirements > Functional requirements
Specification
- Archivists must be able to describe materials at multiple levels, reflecting the levels of arrangement.
- 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)
Source quotations
Associated metadata requirements
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
User Manual sections