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Subject

 

 

 

Element Name

Subject/Keyword

 

Definition

The subjects or topics that succinctly describe the content of the resource.

 

Where Can the Subject Information be Found?

In many cases, the item must be read/examined to find subjects and keywords but they may come from:

Item Types
 Information Sources
For text
  • titles
  • abstracts
  • tables of contents
  • section/chapter headings
  • text
For images
  • bottom or back of a photograph
  • visible items (people surroundings, objects, etc.)
  • illustrations
 For maps
  • statement in a caption
  • notes around the outside of the map
  • geographic area and time period of the map
 For music scores
  • title page
  • table of contents
  • lyrics
 For videos
  • label on disc
  • container cover
 For sound files
  • information on disc/cassette
  • container information
 For computer files
  • title page/screen
  • text of document

In some cases subjects may come from accompanying or supplementary information.

 

How Subject Works in the Metadata Form

Parts:
1. Subject qualifier -- drop-down menu
2. Subject -- text field
Repeatable?
Yes - to include multiple subjects, click 'Add' to repeat all field parts

 

How Should the Subject be Filled in?

General Subject/Keyword Rules

  • Information in the subject/keyword field should describe what the item is 'about'
  • Subjects/keywords answer questions like: who, what, where, and when
  • Choose as many terms as necessary to capture subject content:
  • Avoid terms too general to describe a particular item
  • Only include geographic subjects when the particular place is important to the subject content
  • An average of five subject/keyword entries is recommended
  • Names can be used as subjects
  • Follow the general formatting rules for consistency
  • Subjects from controlled vocabularies must use the exact capitalization, punctuation, etc. as the source

 

 

 

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

 

Guideline Example
  • Subject strings must be formulated and formatted according to Library of Congress rules
  • Terms in Library of Congress subjects are separated by a double dash (Term -- Term)
  • Strings must end with a period unless there is a close parenthesis or open-ended date at the end
Bee culture -- Equipment and supplies.

Fort Wolters (Tex.)

Capote, Truman, 1924-
  • If the resource has previously been described in a library catalog subject fields can be taken from the catalog record
  • Library records are generally good sources for ready-made subjects
Costume -- China -- History -- Ming-Qing dynasties, 1368-1912.

 

 

UNT Libraries Browse Subjects (UNTL-BS)

  • UNTL-BS are used specifically in Portal records
  • For records about Portal objects, include at least one subject (preferably more) from the UNT Libraries Browse Structure
  • Choose as many appropriate terms as necessary from the UNTL-BS list

 

Guideline Example
  • Terms in UNT browse subjects are separated by a single dash and spaces (Term - Term)
Sports and Recreation - Riding - Bulls
  • For subject strings that have several levels, it is not necessary to include each part separately
  • Only use the most specific and relevant string(s)
Not:'Social Life and Customs' and
'Social Life and Customs - Customs' and
'Social Life and Customs - Customs - Weddings'
Social Life and Customs - Customs - Weddings

Note: Additional subjects are added to the UNTL-BS whenever there are enough items to warrant it, so the number of subjects is consistently growing.  If you would like to suggest a new subject, please notify Hannah Tarver (hannah.tarver@unt.edu).

 

 

Subjects from Other Established Thesauri or Controlled Vocabularies

  • It is strongly recommended that subject words and phrases come from established thesauri or discipline-related word lists
  • For each, the vocabulary that was used should be identified
  • If the name of the controlled vocabulary is not in the list, choose "other" and notify the metadata administrators

 

 

Keywords and Phrases (KWD)

Guideline Example
  • Add informal keywords as needed to help users locate the resource
 horseback riding
  • Only capitalize proper nouns
 Girl Scouts of America
  • Use plural forms of keywords
 cadastral maps
  • The singular form of a keyword can be used when there is no reasonable plural
 quilting
  • If the keyword's plural is formed irregularly, the singular and plural forms can both be added as separate keywords
knife
knives
  • When referring to a company, organization, school, military installation, etc., the abbreviated version of the name can be used, but the full name must appear at least once in the record (preferably the content description or as a keyword).
    • If it seems important, both the full name and abbreviated version(s) can be included as keywords
 Description: Postcard of buildings at Ft. McIntosh.
Keyword: Fort McIntosh

UNT
University of North Texas

 

  • It is not necessary to repeat terms from controlled vocabularies as keywords

 

 

Named Persons (named_person)

  • 'Named persons' refers to people who are significant in some way to the content of the item
(See below for more clarification.)
  • Only include names as 'named persons' if a surname is known
  • If only a first name, first and middle names, or nickname is known:
      • Use the name in the content description (if relevant)
      • Use the name in the title (if relevant)
  • All names should have the same format:

 

Guideline Example
  • Invert the name (Last, First Middle)
 Lott, Leanna Ivory
  •  Use any known part of the name including initials if the full name is unknown
 Thompson, J. D.
  •  Include additional names as middle names
 Williams, Mary Deline Xenia Buchanan
  • Names that are hyphenated or have multiple parts are all considered 'last names'
 Smith-Jones, John

van Tyen, Jan
  •  Use appropriate abbreviations:
      • Include known titles before the first name
      • Include known suffixes at the end of the name after a second comma
 Steever, Col. Edgar Z.

Smith, Mrs. John M.

Stolte, Hugo C., Jr.
  •  Nicknames can be included in parentheses
 Smith, John M. (Bubba)
Austin, Stephen F. (Stephen Fuller), 1793-1836
  • If a person is identified with both a married name and a prior name, include each separately
 Buchanan, Menvil Mae
Seastrunk, Menvil Mae
  • If a person has an alternate name or alias, include their real name under 'named person' and aliases as keywords
Named Person: Cody, William Frederick
Keyword: Buffalo Bill


Should someone be a 'named person'?

Named Person
 Not a Named Person
Person definitely identified in a photograph
 Person hesitantly identified (S. M. Garvin?) - keyword
Person not visible in the photograph - keyword
Statue or likeness of a person - keyword
Plaintiff or defendant in a court case
 Person mentioned once in a court transcript - not included
Person who is the subject of an entire or significant portion of a book
 Person mentioned in a paragraph or two of a book - not included
Author of an autobiography
Author of texts not about themselves - creator/contributor
Author and addressee of a letter
 Person mentioned in passing in a letter - not included

 

Other Examples:

Navy pamphlet: The Texas Navy.
    Subject: Military and Wars - Wars - Texas Revolution
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Military and War - Transportation - Ships
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Texas -- History, Naval.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Ships.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Texas -- History -- Republic, 1836-1846.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: independence
    Type: KWD

    Subject: battleships
    Type: KWD

    Subject: schooners
    Type: KWD

    Subject: naval vessels
    Type: KWD

    Subject: Nimitz
    Type: KWD
Photograph: [Look-out Tower at Fort Davis]
    Subject: New Deal, 1933-1939 -- Texas -- Fort Davis.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Davis Mountain State Park (Tex.)
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Architecture - Civil Works
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Places - United States - Texas - Jeff Davis County - Fort Davis
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Landscape and Nature - State and National Parks
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Civilian Conservation Corps
    Type: KWD

    Subject: overlooks
    Type: KWD

    Subject: scenery
    Type: KWD

    Subject: mountains
    Type: KWD

    Subject: deserts
    Type: KWD
Photograph: Jim Goin and Mr. [Fred] Cummings. Ice delivery in Aubrey
    Subject: People - Individuals
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Business, Economics and Finance - Transportation - Automobiles
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: cars
    Type: KWD

    Subject: wagons
    Type: KWD

    Subject: Goin, Jim
    Type: named_person

    Subject: Cummings, Mr. Fred
    Type: named_person
Letter to Cromwell Anson Jones, 19 May 1869
    Subject: People - Individuals - Mary Jones
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Social Life and Customs - Correspondence
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Jones, Mary Smith McCrory, 1819-1907 -- Correspondence.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: letters
    Type: KWD
Map of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway
    Subject: Landscape and Nature - Geography and Maps
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Business, Economics and Finance - Transportation - Railroads
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway -- Maps.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Railroads -- United States -- Maps.
    Type: LCSH
Texian Campaigne plate
    Subject: Military and War - Wars - Mexican War
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Social Life and Customs - Food and Cooking
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Social Life and Customs - Furnishings - Dishes
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Food T&E
    Type: NMC (Chenhall's)

    Subject: Tools & Equipment for Materials
    Type: NMC (Chenhall's)

    Subject: ceramics
    Type: KWD

    Subject: plates
    Type: KWD

    Subject: Texian Campaigne
    Type: KWD
Surgical Scalpel, 19th Century
    Subject: Science and Technology
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Devices, Medical
    Type: OTH

    Subject: surgical knife
    Type: KWD

    Subject: surgical knives
    Type: KWD
Thesis: An 8-step program: Shaping and fixed-time food delivery effects on several approximations and undesired responses in goats
    Subject: Clicker training (Animal training)
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Goats -- Training.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Operant conditioning.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: shaping
    Type: KWD
Music score: Daisy: Opera in Two Acts
    Subject: Low, Juliette Gordon, 1860-1927 -- Drama.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Girl Scouts.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Operas -- Scores.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: Girl Scouts of America
    Type: KWD

    Subject: music
    Type: KWD

    Subject: conductors
    Type: KWD

    Subject: voices
    Type: KWD

    Subject: instruments
    Type: KWD
Photograph: [Portrait of Jessie Bogle Hubbard]
    Subject: Bogle family.
    Type: LCSH

    Subject: People - Individuals
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: Social Life and Customs - Customs - Weddings
    Type: UNTL-BS

    Subject: wedding dresses
    Type: KWD

    Subject: portraits
    Type: KWD

    Subject: Bogle, Jessie
    Type: named_person

    Subject: Hubbard, Jessie Bogle
    Type: named_person

 

Comments

  • Since the "subject and keywords" element describes both what the object is about and what it is, some subject-related information may be repeated in other elements:
      • A digital image that is a photograph could be given the subject "Photographs," and also listed in the Resource Type element as "Image-Photograph."
      • To describe a resource, such as an autobiography, that is about its creator, place the creator's name in both the subject/keyword element and the Creator element.
      • Although geographic terms are normally handled by the Coverage (Place Name) element, subject fields could include geographic terms as well.

 

Resources

This page is maintained by Hannah Tarver — last modified Thursday, November 19, 2009. 10:36 PM
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