Subject and Name Authorities
- Devon Murphy
Overview
Subject and name authorities are useful tools for creating keywords for your digital collections. Authorities create consistent terminology that allow for stable search/item retrieval, clear definitions for concepts, and classification of subjects within a domain. For instance, the Getty Vocabularies help to define terms for art and material culture, taking contributions from museums and researchers. These terms create a shared vocabulary that is repeated across many institutions' search systems, creating consistent search.
The following guide provides an introduction to common authorities used, how to apply them to collections records, and alternative resources when major authorities do not have adequate terms. If you have more questions about the content or this guide, please contact Devon Murphy at devon.murphy@austin.utexas.edu
Navigate pages within the Subject and Name Authorities section by using the page tree on the left sidebar or using the table of contents to the right.
Glossary
A list of names or terms that also include variants. Usually the term "authority" is used in the phrase "authority file," talking specifically about lists of personal or organizational names. Authorities can also be more generally understood as controlled vocabularies that are used widely (i.e. it is an authority.) For example, the Library of Congress's Name Authority File or Subject Authority Headings.
A list of concepts, items, or names, whose forms are determined and revised by a particular body (i.e. controlled). Controlled vocabularies generally contain the term, variants of the term and/or related terms, description/scope note of the term, and a persistent identifier for the term record.
A controlled vocabulary that also contains hierarchical organization and relationships between different terms (ex. parent-child relationships, synonym relationships, antonym relationships). Generally, these hierarchies are based on a conceptual order. For example, the Getty Vocabularies' Art and Architecture Thesaurus organizes its terms around several high-level categories, such as "Materials," "Activities" and "Styles and Periods." Those are broken down further by time period, location, or simply by broader term to narrower term. Each thesaurus has its own way of organizing terms.
Subject Authorities
Anatomy of a subject term from a subject authority
Example
For this term, we see the preferred version at the top and the accepted variant forms of the term at the bottom. The preferred term is used first when describing an object, but variants can be used in lieu based on the context. This term is a "compound subject" because it combines several terms into one: we can see those pieces in the "Components" section. Library of Congress syntax puts together those compound subjects using dashes.
Clicking on any of these images will take you to the complete record in the Library of Congress Subject Headings Authority.
How to Use Them
Subject terms are used to describe what a collections item is about (the "aboutness.") To choose subject terms, first review the collections item.
Consider:
- What are the most common themes in the item?
- Are there specific historical or cultural events in the item?
- Are there themes, concepts, or groups in the item that have historically been marginalized?
- How are these themes, concepts, or groups described currently in their community or area of scholarship?
When choosing subject terms, consider:
- Adding terms that describe the most common and/or important themes.
- Being specific and concise with term choice. Avoid general terms like "History" or narrow terms like "Urban planning--Texas–Corpus Christi." For the latter, consider breaking compound geographic terms apart.
- Highlighting histories that have been systematically marginalized (ex. contributions of women in the Chicano Movement, LGBTQ+ histories)
- Using terms that are used by scholars and/or by members of that community. See the alternative thesauri/resources below or the Critical Metadata page in this wiki for more information.
- Using terminology/phrasing different than that used in the rest of the metadata record.
- Adding only 1-5 terms to lessen visual load on the user.
- Using the preferred term first, unless it is inappropriate for the context (ex. a variant term has the most updated form.)
Where to Find Them
The following list contains a set of the most common thesauri and controlled subject vocabularies, as well as a few that are used for specific material culture contexts (ICONCLASS or Iconography Authority for art iconography, Nomenclature for furniture and objects.) Best practice is to find terms in these larger resources first before looking for an alternative or creating one's own term.
FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Headings) - general list of subject headings, meant to be a simplified version of the Library of Congress's Subject Headings
Getty Vocabularies Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) - terms relating to art, architecture, material culture, and conservation
Getty Vocabularies Iconography Authority (IA) - terms relating to iconography/themes in art and architecture
ICONCLASS - terms relating to iconography/themes in art and architecture
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) - general list of subject headings
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging - terms relating to material culture, such as furniture or clothing
Wikidata - general list of terms, authority control on items vary
Alternative Thesauri/Resources
If you can't find the term you need in the thesauri and controlled vocabularies above, or if the terms listed are not appropriate (outdated, not reflective of current scholarship, etc.), consider using some of the resources below. You can also create your own term (see the following guide.)
- Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Resources
- Chicano Thesaurus (available as a downloadable document; contact Lillian Castillo-Speed at UC Berkeley for more information)
- CKRN Interim Indigenous Subject Headings (Canadian Research Knowledge Network; in-progress)
- Controlled Vocabulary for Prejudiced Materials (BETA) (Rare Books and Manuscripts Section; in-progress)
- Densho Japanese American Terminology
- Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy, Dorothy Berry
- Disability Language Style Guide
- European Holocaust Research Infrastructure Terminology
- Hispanic/Latinx Inclusive Terminologies Project
- Homosaurus
- Huridocs Human Rights terminology
- Japanese American Citizen League’s Power of Words Handbook
- MAIN Indigenous subject headings (revision of LCSH subject headings)
- Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) implementation of MAIN's Indigenous subject headings
- Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources (contains section of revised or relevant LCSH subject headings)
- PANA (Pan-American Authorities project)
- QueerLCSH
Writing about Slavery/Teaching About Slavery: This Might Help, P. Gabrielle Foreman, et al.
For more information, such as guides to critical metadata practices and workflows, see the "Critical Metadata" section of this wiki. You can also explore collaborative efforts by UT staff at the Metadata-Centric Meet Up page.
Name Authorities
Anatomy of a name term from a name authority
Example
How to Use Them
Name terms are used to describe people, organizations, conferences/meetings, and titles that are the subject of, mentioned in, or associated with a collections item. To choose name terms, first review the collections item.
Consider:
- Are there names in the item that are the focus of the item?
- Are there specific historical or cultural names in the item?
- Are there individuals or groups in the item that have historically been marginalized?
- How are these groups described currently in their community or area of scholarship? If an individual, how do/did that person describe or identify themselves?
- NOTE: In some cases, individuals or groups may not be able to be named whether due to privacy and safety concerns or due to lack of sufficient information. In these circumstances, refer to the resources in the Alternative Thesauri/Resources section or the Critical Metadata page in this wiki for more information.
When choosing subject terms, consider:
- Adding terms that describe the most common and/or most important names.
- Being specific and concise with term choice. Avoid narrow terms "University of Texas. Alexander Architectural Archives--History." Consider breaking compound terms apart and putting parts into their respective fields.
- Highlighting names (individuals, groups, etc.) that have been systematically marginalized (ex. using womens' full names instead of Mrs. Last Name)
- Using names that are used by the individual and/or members of that community and/or scholars. See the alternative thesauri below or the Critical Metadata page in this wiki for more information.
- If the individual or group cannot have their name widely shared, consider alternative options (ex. not adding to a public record, not adding to record at all.)
- Adding only 1-5 terms to lessen visual load on the user.
- Using the preferred name first, unless it is inappropriate for the context (ex. a variant term has the most updated form.)
Where to Find Them
The following list contains a set of the most common thesauri and controlled subject vocabularies, as well as a few that are used for specific material culture contexts. Best practice is to find terms in these larger resources first before looking for an alternative or creating one's own term.
Getty Vocabularies Union List of Artist Names (ULAN) - names relating to artists, historical figures, and other makers/creatives
Getty Vocabularies Cultural Objects Name Authority (CONA) - names relating to built works and material culture/art objects
Library of Congress Name Authority File - general list of names
Virtual International Authority File - general list of names, scrapes authorities from across the world
Wikidata - general list of terms, authority control on items vary
Alternative Thesauri/Resources
If you can't find the term you need in the thesauri and controlled vocabularies above, or if the terms listed are not appropriate (outdated, not reflective of current scholarship, etc.), consider using some of the resources below. You can also create your own term (see the following guide.)
- ArchivesSpace Agents Reparative Task Force for Womens’ Names (Yale's Reparative Archival Description Working Group)
- Archives for Black Lives in Philadelphia Anti-Racist Description Resources
- Columbia’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library “Eleanor Roosevelt Speaks for Herself: Identifying 1,257 Married Women by their Full Names”
- Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources (contains name authorities section)
- PANA (Pan-American Authorities project)
- SNAC (Social Networks and Archival Context)
Other Kinds of Authorities
Geographic places, materials (genre terms, form terms), and roles or occupations also use authorities; some of these are bundled into large authorities like the Library of Congress Name Authority File, which contains names and geographic places, or the Getty Vocabularies Art and Architecture Thesaurus, which has roles/occupations and terms that can be used as subjects or as genre/form terms. Others are specific to their domain, like Geonames (only geographic terms).
Anatomy of a genre term from an authority
Example
This term from the Getty Vocabularies can be used as a subject term or as a genre term depending on the item being described. We can see the preferred term and its position within the "Objects" section of the hierarchy.
Clicking on any of these images will take you to the complete record in the Getty Vocabularies Art and Architecture Thesaurus.
How to Use Them
Geographic places, materials, and roles/occupations terms can be used similarly to subjects and names; they can be the subject of, mentioned in, or associated with a collections item. Materials can also be used to describe what the collections item is, or "isness." Roles/occupations can also be used to describe how individuals or groups are related to a collections item (ex. Joaquín García Icazbalceta collected the Relaciones Geográficas, so his role term could be "collector.")
Consider:
- What are the most common locations or themes in the item?
- What are the most common forms of the item?
- Are there specific historical or cultural places, materials, or roles in the item?
- NOTE: Some places may not be able to be recorded to ensure privacy or safety of the location. In these circumstances, refer to the resources in the Alternative Thesauri/Resources section or the Critical Metadata page in this wiki for more information.
- Are there specific roles that connect your named subjects to the item?
- Are there places, roles, or materials in the item that have historically been marginalized?
- How are these places, roles, or materials described currently in their community or area of scholarship?
When choosing subject terms, consider:
- Adding terms that most fully describe what the collections item is.
- Adding terms that describe the most common and/or most important location(s) associated with the item.
- Being specific and concise with term choice. Avoid narrow terms like "Newspapers--Mexico." Consider breaking compound terms apart and putting parts into their respective fields.
- Highlighting histories that have been systematically marginalized (ex. using vernacular place names)
- Using terms that are used by scholars and/or by members of that community. See the alternative thesauri below or the Critical Metadata page in this wiki for more information.
- Adding only 1-2 terms to lessen visual load on the user.
- Using the preferred term first, unless it is inappropriate for the context (ex. a variant term has the most updated form.)
Where to Find Them
The following list contains a set of the most common thesauri and controlled subject vocabularies, as well as a few that are used for specific material culture contexts. Best practice is to find terms in these larger resources first before looking for an alternative or creating one's own term.
Getty Vocabularies Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) - terms relating to art, architecture, material culture, conservation, and roles/occupations
Getty Vocabularies Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN) - terms relating to geographic places, including historical and archaeological locations
Geonames - terms relating to geographic places
ICONCLASS - terms relating to iconography/themes in art and architecture
Library of Congress Genre and Form Terms (LCGFT) - terms relating to types of materials (physical or subject)
Library of Congress Marcrelators - terms relating to roles/occupations
Library of Congress Name Authority File - general list of names, including geographic places
Library of Congress Thesaurus of Graphic Materials (TGM) - terms relating to types of materials for visual culture
Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging - terms relating to material culture, such as furniture or clothing
Rare Books and Manuscripts Section Controlled Vocabularies - terms relating to materials and processes for rare books and manuscripts
Wikidata - general list of terms, authority control on items vary
Alternative Thesauri/Resources
If you can't find the term you need in the thesauri and controlled vocabularies above, or if the terms listed are not appropriate (outdated, not reflective of current scholarship, etc.), consider using some of the resources below. You can also create your own term (see the following guide.)
- Controlled Vocabulary for Prejudiced Materials (BETA) (Rare Books and Manuscripts Section; in-progress)
- Descriptive Equity and Clarity around Blackface Minstrelsy, Dorothy Berry
- First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Indigenous Ontologies
- PANA (Pan-American Authorities project)
- Tribal websites for specific tribe names/reservation names (example)
- Federal and State Recognized Tribes (National Conference of State Legislatures)
Table of Contents
Works Cited
Harpring, Patricia. 2010. Introduction to Controlled Vocabularies: Terminology for Art, Architecture, and Other Cultural Works. Edited by Murtha Baca. Los Angeles, CA: J. Paul Getty Trust.
Hjørland, Birger, and Claudio Gnoli. 2016. “ISKO Encyclopedia of Knowledge Organization.” Subject (of Documents). ISKO. 2016.
IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements and Numbering of Authority Records (FRANAR). 2013. Functional Requirements for Authority Data: A Conceptual Model. Berlin/Munich: De Gruyter Saur.
Policy and Standards Division, Library of Congress. 2016. “Library of Congress Subject Headings: Module 1.4.” Library of Congress. 2016.
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