ISAAR relationships area

Authority record: Relationships area

Main Page > User manual > UM-3 Add / edit content > UM-3.2 Add / edit authority records > UM-3.2.6 Relationships area

The relationships area contains fields for documenting relationships between the current entity and other corporate bodies, persons and/or families (ISAAR(CPF) 5.3).

• This information area will be implemented in ICA-AtoM 1.0.8, scheduled for release in October 2009.

1. To register a new relationship, under "Related corporate bodies, persons or families" click the add new link. ICA-AtoM opens a pop-up dialog box for data entry.

2. Name of related entity

• "Record the authorized form of name and any relevant unique identifiers, including the authority record identifier, for the related entity." (RS-2#5.3.1)
  • If no authority record exists for the name, a new one will be created when the relationship is saved. If an authority record already exists, saving this relationship will link to the pre-existing authority record.

3. Category of relationship

• "Record a general category into which the relationship being described falls." (RS-2#5.3.2)
  • Choose from associative, family, hierarchical and temporal in the drop-down menu. For descriptions and examples, see RS-2#5.3.2.

4. Description of relationship

• "Record a precise description of the nature of the relationship between the entity described in this authority record and the other related entity, e.g. superior agency, subordinate agency, owner, predecessor, husband, wife, son, cousin, teacher of, student of, professional colleague...A narrative description of the history and/or nature of the relationship may also be provided here." (RS-2#5.3.3)

5. Date / End date

• "Record when relevant the commencement date of the relationship or succession date and, when relevant, the cessation date of the relationship." (RS-2#5.3.4)
• Enter the start and end year of the date range.
• ICA-AtoM uses these values for sorting and searching purposes.
• If the start and end years are the same, enter only in the year field and leave the end year blank.
• Do not use any qualifiers here (e.g. "ca.") or typographical symbols (e.g. "[194?]") to express uncertainty (see step 4).

6. 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 "12 Aug. 1940 - 31 July 1980").

7. Click the submit button. When you have finished editing the authority record, click the savebutton.

8. In the authority record view screen, you will see the that the relationship information appears with the related entity as a link. Clicking on the link will take you to the authority record for the related entity. Note that the relationship information is captured on the view screen of the related authority record. Editing the relationship information in either authority record will save changes to the information in both authority records.

9. Note that it is possible use an authority record's relationships area to create and edit relationships not only between authority records but between an authority record and an archival description.

• Creator relationships are registered automatically when a name of creator is chosen in the archival description edit screen; the relationship is displayed in the context menu boxes of the authority records and archival descriptions.