The National Archives Catalog

Specific Records Type

Mandatory Repeatable Data Type Authority Public Element
Yes No Variable Character Length (700) None Yes

 

Definition:

The established, preferred heading for a specific records type (genre/form), or physical form of archival materials.

Variant or non-preferred specific records type headings lead to the authorized specific records type heading.

 

Purpose:

Controls the heading or entry of the Specific Records Type authority record.

Supports the primary purpose of vocabulary control to achieve consistency in description and to facilitate retrieval.

 

Relationship: Specific Records Type is the element on which all other elements used to describe the intellectual format are dependent. To have any other element about the intellectual format, Specific Records Type must be created. Specific Records Type is an independent element.

 

Guidance: For cataloging specific records type (genre/form) headings, see the Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings (Library of Congress).

 

Examples:

Correspondence

Maps

Photographs

Reports

Telegrams

 

 


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