Document Actions
Subject
SUBJECT and KEYWORDS |
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Label |
Subject and Keywords |
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Sub-Element |
-- |
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UNTL Definition |
The subject or topic of the resource that succinctly describes the content of the resource. It is expressed by headings, keywords, phrases, or names; or terms for significantly associated people, places, and events, etc. |
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Comment |
Typically, a subject will be expressed as keywords, key phrases, or defined headings that describe the topic of the resource. In order to facilitate browsing in the Portal, at least one subject must be chosen from the UNTL Browse Subjects list. Recommended best practice is to select additional values from a controlled vocabulary. Established thesauri include Library of Congress Subject Headings, LC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials, Sears List of Subject Headings, Revised Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging (Chenhall's), Getty's Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, etc. User-defined keywords may also be added. |
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Required |
Mandatory |
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Repeatable |
Yes |
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Data Type |
String |
Input guidelines:
Determining subjects and keywords.- Determine the subject content from the nature of the displayed resource, the title, and any descriptive information on the page or in the source.
- If the resource has previously been described in a library catalog, you may want to use the subject fields from the catalog record.
- Choose the most significant and unique terms (as many or as few subjects as is needed) to cover the resource and facilitate discovery; avoid those too general to describe a particular item. An average of five subject/keyword entries is recommended.
Types of subjects and keywords.
- Include at least one UNTL Browse Subject. These subjects support the browse feature of the Portal and are mandatory for each digital object. If you identify a topic that is not currently included in the Browse Subjects, contact the Portal Administrator to review suggested changes.
- It is strongly recommended that additional subject words and phrases come from established thesauri or discipline-related word lists. See the dropdown menu in the metadata entry form for the list of major thesauri.
- Add informal keywords as needed to help users locate the resource. Because the Portal does not use authority control or automated cross-referencing, user-defined keywords can be a very important source of search vocabulary.
Formulating subjects and keywords.
- Use separate "subject and keywords" elements to enter multiple subjects/keywords.
- For each subject/keyword, indicate the controlled vocabulary (LC Subject Headings, Chenhall's, keyword, etc.) used by selecting it from the accompanying drop box in the metadata entry form. If the controlled vocabulary used is not listed, choose "Other."
- Enter at least one UNTL Browse Subject using the Browse Subject tool.
- Enter additional subjects using punctuation and capitalization specified by the controlled vocabulary chosen.
- It is recommended that geographic subject elements not be used too broadly. For example, the heading Aubrey (Tex.) -- History -- Pictorial Works should be used to describe photographic essays about Aubrey and not for individual photos of people and places associated with Aubrey.
- For keywords and phrases, capitalize proper nouns only. Use plural forms of keywords, e.g. automobiles, instead of singular forms. If the keyword's plural is formed irregularly, place the singular form in one subject/keyword field and the plural form in a second field. For example, knife and knives.
Related elements.
Since "subject and keywords" elements describe 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 Creatorelement.
- Although geographic terms are normally handled by the Coverage - Place Name element, subject fields could include geographic terms as well.
Examples:
For document with title: The Texas Navy
UNTL Browse Subject:
Military and Wars - Wars - Texas Revolution
LC Subject Heading: Texas -- History, Naval.
LC Subject Heading: Ships.
LC Subject Heading: Texas -- History -- Republic, 1836-1846.
Keyword: independence
Keyword: battleships
Keyword: schooners
Keyword: naval vessels
Keyword: Nimitz
For photograph with title: Aubrey School during 1908
UNTL Browse Subject:
Education - Schools
Keyword: school buildings
For photograph with title: Jim Goin and Mr. [Fred] Cummings. Ice delivery in Aubrey
UNTL Browse Subject:
People - Individuals
Keyword: automobiles
Keyword: cars
Keyword: wagons
For letter with title: Letter to Cromwell Anson Jones, 19 May 1869
UNTL
Browse Subject: People - Individuals - Mary Jones
UNTL Browse Subject: Social Life and Customs -
Correspondence
LC Subject Heading: Jones, Mary Smith McCrory, 1819-1907
-- Correspondence
Keyword: letters
For map with title: Map of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway
UNTL
Browse Subject: Texas Landscape and Nature - Geography and
Maps
UNTL Browse Subject: Business, Economics and Finance -
Transportation - Railroads
LC Subject Heading: Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway --
Maps.
LC Subject Heading: Railroads--United States--Maps.
For object with title: Dalton adding, listing, and calculating machine, 1912
UNTL
Browse Subject: Science and Technology
NMC (Chenhall's) Object Term: MACHINE, ADDING
NMC (Chenhall's) Classification: Data Processing T&E
Keyword: tabulating machines
For object with title: Surgical Scalpel, 19th Century
UNTL Browse Subject: Science and Technology
Other Heading: Devices, Medical
Keyword: surgical knife
Keyword: surgical knives