The National Archives Catalog

Subtitle

Mandatory Repeatable Data Type Authority Level Available A/V Only Public Element
No No Variable Character Length (700) None Item No Yes

 

Definition:

The secondary name in the formal title of the item, usually indicated by punctuation
such as a colon ( : ) or brackets ( [ ] ).

(Formal titles are the specific bibliographic titles written on individual items, such as the title of a movie or book. When transcribing a formal subtitle, enter any dates exactly as they appear.)

 

Purpose: Further explains the formal title.

 

Relationship: This element is dependent on Title. To have Subtitle, Title must be created.

 

Guidance:

Enter the formal subtitle exactly as it appears on the item. If the formal subtitle is incorrect or vague, enter a corrected version in Other Title. Variant or translated subtitles should also be entered in Other Title.

Use initial capital letters. Do not end a subtitle with a period. Do not enter a colon after the title or before the subtitle. A colon may be added by the system as part of the display.

If Subtitle uses an acronym that is not defined in either Title or Scope and Content Note, define the acronym the first time that it is used in Subtitle.

 

Examples:

 

Title - World War II
Subtitle - The Final Months
[For the motion picture "World War II: The Final Months."]

 

Title - CBS News Special Report
Subtitle - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968
[For the motion picture "CBS News Special Report: Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968."]


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