Creator

Definition

A person, agency, or organization primarily responsible for creating the intellectual content of the resource.

Where Can the Creator Information be Found?

In some cases, creators may come from accompanying or supplementary information, but they may also be found on:

Item Types

Information Sources

For text

  • title page

  • cover

  • end of document

  • copyright statement

  • acknowledgments

For images

  • notes on bottom or back of a photograph

  • envelope, slip cover, or case

For maps

  • statement in a caption

  • notes around the outside of the map

For music scores

  • title page or header

  • top of page

  • table of contents

For videos

  • label on disc

  • container cover

  • title screen(s) or credits

For sound files

  • information on disc/cassette

  • container information

For computer files

  • title page/screen

  • statement in a header/footer

How Creator Works in the Metadata Form

Screenshot of creator element in metadata editing system.
Parts:

  1. Creator name – text field

  2. Creator type – drop-down menu

  3. Creator role – drop-down menu

  4. Creator information – text field

Repeatable?

Yes - to include multiple creators, click ‘Add’ to repeat all field parts

Required?

No (more information)

How Should the Creator be Filled in?

General Creator Rules

  • If no creator information is readily available, leave the field blank

  • Only include individuals/organizations who were primarily responsible for the creation of the item

    • Secondary “creators” (e.g., agents responsible for only a portion of the work) should be entered as contributors instead

      • A name should never be entered as both a creator and a contributor; if an agent acts in multiple capacities, see the Role section for clarification

      • For more information about when a person/organization is a creator or a contributor, see our definition page

    • An entity must have a direct relationship to the item that can be explicated in order to be included as a creator (or contributor)

      • If there is information about a person/organization that cannot be expressed as a role, it may be appropriate to add it elsewhere, such as a Note or Info in relation to an established creator

  • Include as many creators as are readily available

    • Place them in order of importance

    • If creators are equally important, list them in the order that they appear

    • If a document lists individuals as “et al.” include names of every individual author that is known for the item

    • If a document has an excessively large number of creators or authors (e.g., several hundred researchers) include the parent organizations as creators and the individual persons as contributors

  • For each creator the name, type, and role are required

  • If possible, consult an authority file to find the correct form of the name, such as:

  • Note that organizational names generally reflect the name of the agency at the time the item was created – e.g., Texas (Republic) vs. Texas, or North Texas State University vs. University of North Texas – however, if possible, personal names will generally reflect a single, most current version when multiple names (initials, maiden names, etc.) are known to be used by a specific person

Creator Names

Personal Names

Guideline

Examples

If known, use the authorized form of the name from the Library of Congress Authorities

Kittrell, Norman G. (Norman Goree), 1849-1927

If no authorized version is available, enter the most complete version of the name that is known using proper formatting:

  1. Invert names (Last, First, Middle)

Hébert, Rachel Bluntzer

  1. Use initials if the full name(s) are not known

Reid, Samuel C.

  1. Do not change the order of names

Davis, J. Mark

  1. Use spaces between initials

Blackburn, J. K. P.

  1. Separate hyphenated first names with a hyphen instead of a space if only initials are known

Hsieh, P.-C.

  1. Put additional middle names after the first name

Briscoe, Mary Jane Harris

  1. Keep hyphenated “last names” and compound surnames together

  • Donahue-Smith, James A.

  • Hasanul Basher, A. M.

  1. Consider multiple parts (von, de la, etc.) as part of the last name

de la Peña, L. R.

If it is unclear which part of the name is the surname, enter the name as it appears on the item

Use appropriate abbreviations:

  1. Only include known titles (Dr., Rev., Capt., etc.) before the first name if:

    • The title is necessary for clarification of the name (e.g., if the given name for a married woman is unknown)

    • The title is the only part of the name known (aside from a surname)

  • Morris, Mrs. Harry Joseph

  • Ross, Lieutenant

  1. Include suffixes that are a part of the name (Jr., Sr., etc.) at the end of the name after a second comma

Roberts, Frank H. H., Jr.

  • Do not include:

    • nicknames

    • abbreviations

    • titles that do not fit the criteria above

    • job or educational qualifiers (C.E., D.D.S., Ph.D., etc.)
Name: Parera, Mahendra
Info: M.B.B.S., Ph.D., M.D., MRCPsych, FRANZCP; Albert Road Clinic, Melbourne, Australia

  • Some common historical personal name abbreviations:

    • Chas. = Charles

    • Geo. = George

    • Jas. = James

    • Jno. = John

    • Thos. = Thomas

    • Wm. = William

  • Alternate versions and omitted information may be added to the “info” section
Name: James, Thomas Leroy
Info: Thos. L. James

  • If the same person is responsible for multiple items:

    • Enter the name as consistently as possible in every record

    • Use the fullest form of the name that is available

  • If the name changes and it is certainly the same person:

    • Use the later/most current version

    • Include the former name in the info section if that version is used in the text

  • When in doubt, enter the name as it appears on the item
Name: Gaines, Ann
Info: Ann Sanders

  • Only include the names of specific persons (or organizations)

  • In cases where the name is not known (e.g., “Staff Photographer”), either:

    • Leave the creator field blank

    • Include the name of the parent organization and add details in the “info” section
Name: Texas. Department of Transportation.
Info: Staff Photographer

Organization Names

Guideline

Examples

Geological Survey (U.S.)

For non-government or single-level bodies:

  • Use the name as it appears in the item

Dallas Heritage Village

  • Do not invert personal names that are parts of organizational names

    1. Polk & Co.

  • Write out names rather than using acronyms

Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study

For hierarchical agencies or entities:

  • List agency or body parts in hierarchical order, starting at the highest level and ending with the most specific

Texas State College for Women. College of Industrial Arts.

  • Separate the elements of the hierarchy with periods

Dallas (Tex.). Police Department.

  • Preface the name of government agencies with the name of the country or state

Washington (State). State Building Code Advisory Council. Energy Code Committee.

  • If a hierarchy is unclear, record the name as it appears on the item

For United States agencies:

  • Spell out “United States” unless there is an authorized version that abbreviates it

United States. Bureau of Mines.

  • In the case of a long (well-known) name, it may be shortened by eliminating unnecessary parts

    • For example, the Library of Congress Authorities often omit upper-level intermediary divisions, such as the secondary level in “United States. National Security Council. Central Intelligence Agency.”

United States. Central Intelligence Agency.

For non-U.S. agencies:

  • When using an authorized form of the name, it may be appropriate to add notes to the “info” section:

    • If the name is written in a language other than English, add the English translation (if known)

    • If the name is written in English, additional forms from the item may be added
Name: Han’guk Kwahak Kisurwŏn
Info: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

China (Republic : 1949- ). Huan jing bao hu shu.

  • If there is no authorized form, follow general formatting rules

Creator Type

  • Choose the appropriate creator type:

Guideline

Examples

If the creator is an individual

Personal

If the creator is a company, organization, association, agency, or other institution

Organization

If it is unclear whether the creator name belongs to an individual or an organization, use “Personal” and format the name appropriately

  • (If it is important to document or clarify this choice, use a Non-Display Note)

  • In some rare and very specific cases, other options may apply:

Guideline

Examples

If the creator is a conference or other event that produces papers and materials (as an entity rather than named individual participants or a hosting organization)

  • For example: a statement drafted by all members of a symposium or conference as part of the activities of the meeting

  • There are other ways to represent an event related to the creation of an item, such as Source, when the event itself is not the creator

Event

If the creator is a computer program that generates data or files independently

  • E.g.: an automatically-generated file created while a computer program was running

Software

Creator Role

Entering Roles

Guideline

Examples

If the role is not listed:

  • Choose “Other”

  • Include clarification in the “Info” section
Name: Phillips, Nelson
Role: Other
Info: Speaker; Associate Justice or the Supreme Court

If more than one role applies to the creator:

  • Choose the primary or most encompassing role (or the one listed first

  • Explain the details in the info section
Name: Harden, Leland
Role: Editor
Info: Executive Editor; Sponsor

Assigning Roles

  • Although the same list of roles is available for both creators and contributors, some roles will generally only apply to contributors:

    • Agents who only had responsibility for a part, e.g., author of introduction, etc.; witness; consultant; expert

    • Agents who had an indirect relationship, e.g., funder, sponsor, former owner, donor

    • Additional explanation is on our creator and contributor definition page

  • The role should describe the action that the agent took in creating the item and it may not align with job titles or credentials, for example:

Agents

Role

Field

Example

“Director”

director of a performance (film, play, concert, etc.)

Director

Creator
Name: Homer, Paula
Type: Personal
Role: Director
Info: UNT Opera Theater

executive director of an agency with no apparent personal contribution to the item

n/a

Creator
Name: Texas. Department of Transportation.
Type: Organization
Role: Author
Info: Phil Wilson, Executive Director

executive director of an agency with a described or understandable role (e.g., author of transmittal letter)

Author of introduction, etc.

(or another appropriate role)

Contributor
Name: Camargo, Gene
Type: Personal
Role: Author of introduction, etc.
Info: Director of Building Inspections

“Performer”

  • musician in a recital or concert

  • actor in a play or movie

Performer

Creator
Name: North Texas Wind Symphony
Type: Organization
Role: Performer

a person/organization that “performed” work or research (aside from, or in addition to, specific person/s who authored a report or created some product of the work)

Originator, Researcher, or another appropriate role

Creator
Name: Quigg, Antonietta Salvatrice
Type: Personal
Role: Author

Contributor
Name: Texas Water Development Board
Type: Organization
Role: Originator

“Consultant”

a consulting company or person that authors a report

Author

Creator
Name: Kerley, Gerald Irwin
Type: Personal
Role: Author
Info: Kerley Technical Consultant, Appomattox, VA)

  • a consultant who provided information as a contribution to a report

  • a consultant who spoke during recorded/transcribed proceedings (could also be an “expert” or “witness” depending on the context)

Consultant

Contributor
Name: Kanto, Leonard E.
Type: Personal
Role: Consultant
Info: State of Texas Professional Engineer; Consultant Engineer

Creator Info

  • Info is not required as part of the creator entry

  • This field is only for information about the creator listed in or directly related to the object

  • The info field is not intended for biographies or lengthy descriptions of the agent

  • It is not necessary to do research to find information; this field is only used for readily-available notes

Guideline

Examples

  • Include information that clarifies the role of the creator

Co-Editor

  • Include other relevant information known about the creator that relates to the object, such as:

    • Additional forms of the creator’s name

    • Addresses

    • Birth and death dates (not part of an authorized name)

    • Organizational affiliations

    • Other information associated with the name

  • Geo. S. Anderson

  • 1906-2005

  • Ph.D.; Texas A & M University Real Estate Center

  • “By his son, the late Wilson Gregg” (d. 1899)

  • For an agency, the info may include:

    • Persons associated with the organization who did not have another role (e.g., directors)

    • Acronyms, abbreviations, or alternative name forms

    • Additional omitted hierarchical components (e.g., for some federal agencies)

  • LLNL

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations; W. O. Atwater, Director

  • There are no strict formatting requirements for info, but here are some suggestions:

    • List each name, fact, or statement individually and separate them with semicolons or periods

    • Use sentence form when relevant, or when taken directly from the item

    • Quotation marks may be used when quoting information directly from the item

  • California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Geology and Geophysics Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

  • Freegift Vandervoort, of Carrizo Springs, Texas ; F. Vandervoort

  • Member of the Association of American Directory Publishers”

Other Examples:

Book

  • Name: Farrar, R. M.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

Yearbook

  • Name: North Texas Laboratory School

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Author


  • Name: Mays, Sharon

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Editor

  • Information: Co-Editor


  • Name: Wyss, Margaret

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Editor

  • Information: Co-Editor

Genealogical newsletter

  • Name: Texas State Genealogical Society

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Author


  • Name: Pryor, Frances

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Editor

Atlas

  • Name: Geological Survey (U.S.)

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Author

  • Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey; J. W. Powell, Director


  • Name: Dutton, Clarence E.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: Capt. Clarence E. Dutton U.S.A. - Author of “Tertiary History of the Grand Canon District”

Collection of legal papers

  • Name: Blades, J. R.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Compiler

  • Information: Clerk, District Court, Henderson County

Painting

  • Name: Seurat, Georges, 1859-1891

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Artist

  • Information: French

Research report

  • Name: Moris, Marlene C.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data


  • Name: McMurdie, Howard F.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data


  • Name: Evans, Eloise H.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data


  • Name: Paretzkin, Boris

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data


  • Name: Parker, Harry S.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data


  • Name: Panagiotopoulos, Nicholas C.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data


  • Name: Hubbard, Camden R.

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Author

  • Information: National Measurement Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C.

Map

  • Name: Hill, Robert Thomas, 1858-1941

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Cartographer

  • Information: “By Robert T. Hill”

Opera score

  • Name: Smith, Julia, 1905-1989

  • Type: Personal

  • Role: Composer

  • Information: Music by Julia Smith

Laws of Texas

  • Name: Texas (Republic). Secretary of State.

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Compiler

City directory

  • Name: Morrison & Fourmy Directory Co.

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Compiler

  • Information: Compilers, Publishers and Proprietors

Committee report

  • Name: Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Committee on Business and Industry.

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Author

Photograph

  • Name: Dallas (Tex.). Police Department.

  • Type: Organization

  • Role: Photographer

  • Information: Staff photographer

Comments

  • Name fields are connected to the UNT Name App, which will try to match text against local authority files. Editors should always choose an authorized form from the list if it is available.

  • The creator field is not constrained by the AACR2 practice of limiting creators to three or fewer names. Include as many creators as are readily available.

  • If the creator and the publisher are the same, repeat the name in the :doc: Publisher </fields/publisher> element.

  • Individuals or organizations with lesser responsibility for creation of the intellectual content of the resource should be recorded in the :doc: Contributor </fields/contributor> element instead of the creator element. Some examples of contributors are collector, donor, section editor, etc.

  • The creator roles come primarily from MARC relator codes; not all of the Library of Congress roles are included in the UNT system and several local codes have been added to the UNT list.

Resources

More Guidelines: