The National Archives Catalog

Creating Individual Type

Mandatory	Repeatable	Data Type	Authority	Level Available	A/V Only	Public Element
Yes*	No	Variable Character Length (20)	Creator Type List	Series**	No	Yes

* When a Creating Individual is designated, Creating Individual Type must also be indicated.

** Archival creators are captured at the Series Level and are inherited downward to the File Unit and Item Levels.

Definition:

The means for indicating if a person is the most recent or predecessor creator of a series.

Purpose:

Alerts users if the creating individual was the most recent or predecessor creator of the series.

Relationship:

This element and Creating Individual are dependent on each other. For each creating individual, Creating Individual and Creating Individual Type must both be included. Creating Individual is repeatable. One Creating Individual Type can be specified for each Creating Individual.

Guidance:

When a name has been indicated in Creating Individual, choose the correct term from the Creator Type Authority List.

If the creating individual is the person last responsible for the archival materials creation, accumulation, or maintenance, then indicate "Most Recent" in Creating Individual Type.

If the creating individual is the person first or previously responsible for the archival materials, then indicate "Predecessor" in Creating Individual Type. A predecessor creator should be indicated whenever necessary to understand the context of the archival materials.

Do not enter a "Predecessor" individual without first entering a "Most Recent" individual.

Examples:

Creating Individual - Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963
Creating Individual Type - Most Recent

[For the series "Harvard Records", which consists of donated personal papers and not organizational records from his Presidential Administration.]

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