3

EDITORIAL RULES, CONTINUED

3.2

Identifying numbers, status flags, and subject sources

Included in this chapter

• Subject ID (required-default) ^[1]
  
• Parent Key (required)
  
• Merged Status (required-default)
  
• Published Status (required-default)
  
• Review Status (required-default)
  
• Record Type (required-default)
  
• Candidate Status (required-default)
  
• Label (required-default)
  
• Contributors for the Subject Record (required)
  
• Sources for the Subject Record (required)
  

3.2.1

Subject ID (required default)

3.2.1.1

Definition
A number used to uniquely identify the record to the system.

3.2.1.2

Values
Numbers are automatically assigned by the system in the following range: 300,000,000 - 599,999,999.

3.2.1.3

Discussion
For Subject_ID, note that "subject" in this context is not to be confused with the depicted subject of a work of art. "Subject" here means the work being cataloged.

The Subject_ID displays at the top of the Subject Edit screen in VCS, in the hierarchy, and in other displays. The Subject_ID for each record is unique and persistent. Numbers for a given record change only if the record is merged with another record, when a new record is generated. Mappings between old numbers and new numbers are generated with the annual licensed files release.

3.2.1.4

RULES for Subject ID

• The editor cannot edit the numbers.
  
  
• The rules followed by the system in producing them include the following: Numbers are assigned sequentially. Numbers of deleted records are not re-used. Numbers do not contain commas or any other punctuation.

3.2.2

Parent Key (required)

3.2.2.1

Definition
The unique ID of the immediate parent of the record.

3.2.2.2

Values
Automatically generated by the system. When you link to the parent (which happens when you place the record in the hierarchy), the parent's ID is placed in the record: The range of numbers is the following: 300,000,000 - 599,999,999.

3.2.2.3

Discussion
There may be multiple parents; the Parent Key for the preferred parent appears at the top of the Edit Subject record in VCS.

3.2.2.4

RULES for Parent Key

• See Hierarchical relationships below for rules regarding how to assign or change parents (i.e., how to position records or move them in the hierarchy).
  
  
• The editor cannot edit the numbers. The rules followed by the system in producing the numbers include the following: Numbers are assigned sequentially. Numbers of deleted records are not re-used. Numbers do not contain commas or any other punctuation.

3.2.3

Merged Status (required-default)

3.2.3.1

Definition
Flag indicating whether or not the record has been merged with one or more other records.

3.2.3.2

Values
When records are merged by an editor, the flag is automatically set by the system.

Merged
Not Merged

3.2.3.3

RULES for Merged Status

• For rules for merging, see General Guidelines: 2.2 Merging Records.
  
  
• More information about merged records is contained in the Revision History, including date of merge and the subject_ids of merged records.

3.2.4

Published Status (required-default)

3.2.4.1

Definition
Flag indicating whether or not the record has been released in the various release formats.

As of this writing, CONA is not released in any format other than in the online Web search interface.

3.2.4.2

Values
Automatically assigned by the system.

Published
Not Published

3.2.4.3

RULES for Published Status

• Rules apply to the system only; editors cannot edit this flag. A new record is labeled as "Unpublished."
  
  Once a record has been included in one of the annual releases, the system automatically switches this value to "Published."

3.2.5

Review Status (required-default)

3.2.5.1

Definition
Flag indicating the stage in the editorial process that the record has reached.

3.2.5.2

Values
Values are drawn from a short controlled list. Some values are automatically assigned by the system. The editors should assign others as instructed in the rules below. Editors can overwrite automatically assigned values if necessary (consult with your supervisor before doing so).

NC - New Candidate
NW - New VP
AC - Accepted Candidate
HD - Holding
IP - In Process
RV - Reviewed
AP - Approved
FN - Finished

3.2.5.3

RULES for Review Status
Assign review status based on the definitions below.

• NC - New Candidate: Automatically assigned. Status of a record that has been loaded as a candidate but not moved from the candidate hierarchy ("temp.parent"). Also assigned when an editor creates a new record in a candidate hierarchy.
  
  
• AC - Accepted Candidate: Automatically assigned. Status assigned when a record is moved from a candidate hierarchy to the publishable hierarchies.
  
  
• NW - New VP: Automatically assigned when a record is created in the publishable hierarchies of VCS. Designates a record created by the Vocabulary Program.
  
  
• HD - Holding: Automatically assigned when a record is moved from the publishable hierarchy into a candidate hierarchy.
  
  
• IP - In Process: Assigned by editor. Indicates a record has been processed after loading, and is minimally ready for the published hierarchy. Changes and additions are frequent with In Process records.
  
  
• RV - Reviewed: Assigned by editor. Indicates record has been more thoroughly reviewed than In Process records, and is likely a full record rather than a minimal record. However, such records are still subject to frequent changes and additions, as are all CONA records.
  
  
• FN - Finished: First step in approval process for a section of the hierarchy. Assigned by an editor to a section of the hierarchy. Indicates that the records in this section of the hierarchy (i.e., the hierarchical descendents of this record) have been okayed for the annual review.
  
  
• AP - Approved: Second step in approval process for a section of the hierarchy. Assigned by a designated editor to a section of the hierarchy that had earlier been flagged as "finished." Indicates that the records in this section of the hierarchy (i.e., the hierarchical descendents of this record) have been double-checked prior to the annual review.

3.2.6

Record Type (required-default)

3.2.6.1

Definition
Flag indicating the general type of thing described in the record.

3.2.6.2

Values
Flags are derived from a short, extensible controlled list. New values may occasionally be added.

Movable Work
Built Work
Conceptual
Surrogate
Facet
Guide Term

3.2.6.3

RULES

• Movable Work: Record type indicating movable works, such as paintings, drawings, and sculptures. This record type should be assigned to all works in the Movable Work Facet, which has the following definition: For CONA, movable works include the visual arts and other cultural works that are of the type collected by art museums and special collections, or by an ethnographic, anthropological, or other museum, or owned by a private collector. Examples include paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, manuscripts, photographs, ceramics, textiles, furniture, and other visual media such as frescoes and architectural sculpture, performance art, archaeological artifacts, and various functional objects that are from the realm of material culture and of the type collected by museums. Are monumental works “movable works”? For stained glass windows, architectural sculptures, frescoes, freestanding monumental sculptures, furniture, and such other large works, the works should be cataloged as movable works, because their characteristics (types of artists, materials, designs, etc.) have more in common with movable works than with architecture; such works should be linked to the built work with which they are associated, if any.
  
  Movable work record type may also apply to records in the Unidentified Named Works Facet.
  
  
• Built Work: Record type indicating architectural works. This record type should be assigned to all records in the Built Work Facet, which has the following definition: For CONA, built works include structures or parts of structures that are the result of conscious construction, are of practical use, are relatively stable and permanent, and are of a size and scale appropriate for, but not limited to, habitable buildings. Models and miniature buildings are not built works (they are movable works). Most built works in CONA are manifestations of the built environment that are typically classified as fine art, meaning it is generally considered to have esthetic value, was designed by an architect (whether or not his or her name is known), and constructed with skilled labor. However, other structures that do not fall under this definition may also be included.
  
  Built Work record type may also apply to records in the Unidentified Named Works Facet
  
  
• Conceptual: Record type indicating conceptual works. This record type should be assigned to all records in the Conceptual Works Facet, which has the following definition: Contains records for series as a concept, conceptual records for multiples, records for a conceptual group as for an architectural competition, and other similar records. Physical works, such as prints that belong to a series, may be linked to the conceptual record for the series or other conceptual works. Historical works, or works that were planned but never executed, are placed in the Movable Works or Built Works facets, because they were, or were intended to be, physical entities, not merely conceptual in nature.
  
  
• Visual Surrogate: Record type indicating a visual surrogate rather than a work of art or architecture. This record type should be assigned to all records in the Visual Surrogates Facet, which is defined as follows: records for images and three-dimensional works intended to be surrogates for the works depicted, for example study photographs.
  
  Records for photographs or other images in the Movable Works Facet should not be assigned Visual Surrogate as record type.
  
  
• Facet: A facet record type indicates a broad division of the hierarchical structure, appearing directly under the Root. In CONA, currently the facets are Movable Works, Built Works, Conceptual Works, Visual Surrogates, Unidentified Named Works, and various candidate hierarchies (designated by their name temp.parent).
  
  Do not use this designation. Only the supervisor may label a record as Facet.
  
  
• Guide Term: A Guide Term record type (also called a node label) is a level used to organize the hierarchy into logical segments. Currently used rarely in CONA. Do not use this designation without consulting your supervisor.

3.2.7

Candidate Status (required-default)

3.2.7.1

Definition
Flag indicating if the record is a Candidate or not. A Candidate record is a record that has been submitted for publication in CONA, but has not yet been processed and okayed by the editors.

3.2.7.2

Values
Automatically generated by the system:

C - Candidate
N - Non Candidate

3.2.7.3

Discussion
This flag is used to distinguish Candidate records from publishable records (Non-Candidate); therefore, this flag ultimately indicates whether or not the record will be published.

Only Non-Candidate records are published.

Candidate records are new records, either added by VP under a candidate hierarchy (temp.parent) or loaded by the VCS Loader.

3.2.7.4

RULES for Candidate Status

• The rules are imposed by the system. Editors cannot change this flag.
  
  
• If the record has a parent or other ancestor that is a temp.parent, the record is a Candidate. If it is in a publishable section of the hierarchy, it is a Non-Candidate.

3.2.8

Label (required-default)

3.2.8.1

Definition
Concatenated string used to give a brief identification of the work in a form intelligible to end users

3.2.8.2

Values
Free text. Use Unicode characters and, if required, numbers. In CONA, the label is generated by the system.

3.2.8.3

Sources
Various fields and hierarchical relationships in the target subject record and its parents' and ancestors' records are the sources for values in the Label.

3.2.8.4

Discussion
A label is a brief description of the work, to be used in results lists and other displays of CONA data.

Labels are also used by end users as wall labels, slide labels, illustration captions, catalog captions, and in other situations where the work must be identified succinctly and uniquely.

While the Subject_ID uniquely identifies the record from a systems perspective, the Label identifies the work and distinguishes it from similar works for human readers.

3.2.8.5

RULES for Label

• The Editor cannot edit the Label directly. In VCS, it is created by the system from the descriptor of the concept record and the parent string (a string of the preferred descriptors for its parents (see Parent Key above).
  
  
• Implementors should construct the Label using the following fields in the order indicated below.
  
  
  • 1. The Title of the work (e.g., Cypresses or Willis Tower). Use the preferred title, the descriptive title, the repository title, or a title in another language, if desired.
    
    
  • 2. The preferred Work Type.
    
    
  • 3. The creator: Use the preferred display creator field, or a display creator field contributed by another contributor. (e.g., Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890)). For unknown creators, list the culture of the creator (e.g., unknown Somali).
    
    
  • 4. The display date of creation of the work, including nuance and uncertainty when necessary (e.g.,mid-20th century).
    
    
  • 5. The Current Location (e.g., J.Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, California, USA)). If there is no repository, the geographic location that is the current location (e.g., Giza (Egypt)).
    
    
  • 6. The credit line, if any.
    
    
  • 7. The accession number or other unique identifier for the work in the repository.
    
    
  • 8. The CONA Subject_ID.
  
  
  • Examples
    
    
  • Cypresses (painting; Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853-1890); 1889; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, New York, USA); Rogers Fund, 1949; 49.30) [CONA 700008857]
    
    
  • Rosewater Bottle (vessel; unknown Somali; mid-20th century; National Museum of African Art (Washington, DC, USA); Gift of the Loughrans; 76-16-12) [CONA 700008858]
    
    
  • Tournament Helm (Stechhelm) (helmet; Unknown German; ca. 1500; Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, New York, USA); Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1929; 29.156.67a) [CONA 700008859]
    
    
  • Willis Tower (skyscraper; Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (American, established 1939); completed in 1973; Chicago (Illinois, USA)) [CONA 700000053]

3.2.9

Contributors for the Work Record (required)

3.2.9.1

Definition
A reference to the institutions or projects that contributed information to the CONA record as a whole.

Examples

AS-Academia Sinica
CAA-AIIS
GRISC
IfM-SMB-PK
MNM-TePapa
Rijksmuseum

3.2.9.2

Values
Controlled by a link to a file of controlled terminology; the list changes as new contributors are added. See Appendix C: Contributors and Citations.

3.2.9.3

Discussion
Contributors are linked to the Terms, Scope Note, and - in this field - to the Subject record as a whole.

• This field generally (but not always) comprises the sum of all the contributors linked to Titles and Descriptive Note; in addition, it may include some contributors not also linked to Titles or Descriptive Note.
  

3.2.9.4

RULES

• The default Contributor is VP (Vocabulary Program). Editors may change other contributors' initials only in very rare cases. If you feel it is necessary to add a contributor other than VP or to change a link from one contributor to another, consult with your supervisor.
  

• If you are adding data to a field that is not linked to a contributor (that is, to any field other than Titles or Descriptive Note), such as Associative Relationships, be certain that your contributor initials (VP) are included as Subject Contributors. If they have not been added automatically by VCS, add them by hand.

3.2.10

Sources for the Work Record (required)

3.2.10.1

Definition
A reference to the sources used for information included in the record as a whole.

3.2.10.2

Values
Values are controlled by the Sources file in VCS. A source must be added to the Source file in order to be used in (linked to) the Subject (concept) record. For a discussion of how to add sources to the Sources file, see Appendix C: Sources.

3.2.10.3

Discussion
Sources are linked to the Titles, Descriptive Note, and - in this field - to the work record as a whole.

• This field often (but not always) comprises the sum of all the sources linked to Titles and Descriptive Note; in addition, it may include some sources not also linked to Titles or Descriptive Note.

3.2.10.4

RULES for Sources for Work Record

• When sources are required
  If a source provided information for a field that is not itself separately linked to a contributor (that is, to any field other than Titles or Descriptive Note), you must cite the source here. Examples include physical characteristics and Associative Relationships.
  
  
• Cite the page
  In the Page Field, it is required to cite the volume, page number, date of accessing a Web site, or other appropriate indication of the specific location where the title or name was found in the source.

• Link to correct edition
  If there are multiple editions or multiple publication dates for a source, link to the specific source that you are using.

^[1] "Required-default" indicates that a default is automatically set; some defaults are editable and should be changed by the cataloguer as necessary. Others are system-generated and cannot be changed.

Last updated 18 December 2015
Document is subject to frequent revisions