Metadata Input Guidelines: Creator
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Element Name
Creator
Definition
A person, agency, or organization primarily responsible for creating the intellectual content of the resource.
Where Can the Creator Information be Found?
Creators include any person/company/organization that was centrally involved in creating the item and may be found on:
Item Type | Information Sources |
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For text |
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For images |
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For maps |
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For music scores |
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For videos |
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For sound files |
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For computer files |
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In some cases creators may come from accompanying or supplementary information.
How Creator Works in the Metadata Form
- 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’ 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)
- Secondary ‘creators’ should be entered as contributors
instead
- 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:
- The UNT Name App
- The Library of Congress Authorities
- A locally-developed utility
- 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 | Example |
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Kittrell, Norman G. (Norman Goree), 1849-1927
|
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Hébert, Rachel Bluntzer
Reid, Samuel C. Blackburn, J. K. P. Hsieh, P.-C. Briscoe, Mary Jane Harris Donahue-Smith, James A. de la Peña, L. R. |
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|
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Morris, Mrs. Harry Joseph
Ross, Lieutenant Roberts, Frank H. H., Jr. |
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Name: Perera, Mahendra Info: M.B.B.S., Ph.D., M.D., MRCPsych, FRANZCP; Albert Road Clinic, Melbourne, Australia Name: James, Thomas Leroy Info: Thos. L. James |
|
Name: Gaines, Ann
Name: Gaines, Ann Information: Ann Sanders |
|
Name: Texas. Department of Transportation.
Information: Staff Photographer |
Organization Names
Guideline | Example |
---|---|
For non-government or single-level bodies:
|
Dallas Heritage Village
R. L. Polk & Co. Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study |
For hierarchical agencies:
|
Texas State College for Women. College of Industrial Arts.
Dallas (Tex.). Police Department. Texas. Adjutant General's Office. |
For United States agencies:
|
United States. Bureau of Mines.
Geological Survey (U.S.) United States. Central Intelligence Agency. |
For foreign agencies:
|
Japan. Kankyōshō.
China (Republic : 1949- ). Huan jing bao hu shu. |
Creator Type
- Choose the appropriate creator type:
Guideline | Example |
---|---|
If the creator is an individual | Person |
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 'Person' and format the name appropriately. (If it is important to clarify this choice, you can include a Non-Displaying Note.) |
|
In some rare and very specific cases, other options may apply: | |
If the creator is a conference or other event that produces papers and materials (e.g., A statement drafted by all members of a symposium or conference as part of the activities of the meeting) |
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
- Choose the appropriate creator role from the controlled vocabulary
Guideline | Example |
---|---|
If the role is not listed:
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Name: Phillips, Nelson Role: Other Information: Speaker; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court |
If more than one role applies to the creator:
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Name: Harden, Leland Role: Editor Information: Executive Editor; Sponsor |
Assigning Roles
- Although the same list of roles is available for both creators and
contributors, some roles will 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 | Example | |
---|---|---|---|
"Director" |
|
Director |
Creator
Name: Homer, Paula Type: Person Role: Director Information: UNT Opera Theater |
vs. | |||
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n/a |
Creator
Name: Texas. Department of Transportation. Type: Organization Role: Author Information: Phil Wilson, Executive Director |
|
|
Author of introduction, etc. (or another appropriate role) |
Contributor
Name: Camargo, Gene Type: Person Role: Author of introduction, etc. Information: Director of Building Inspections |
|
"Performer" |
|
Performer |
Creator
Name: North Texas Wind Symphony Type: Organization Role: Performer |
vs. | |||
|
Originator Researcher (or another appropriate role) |
Creator
Name: Quigg, Antonietta Salvatrice Type: Person Role: Author Contributor Name: Texas Water Development Board Type: Organization Role: Originator |
|
"Consultant" |
|
Author |
Creator
Name: Kerley, Gerald I. Type: Person Role: Author Information: Consultant, Kerly Technical Services |
vs. | |||
|
Consultant |
Contributor
Name: Kanto, Leonard E. Type: Person Role: Consultant Information: State of Texas Professional Engineer; Consultant Engineer |
Creator Information
- 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 | Example |
---|---|
|
Co-Editor |
(If an authorized form of the name is used, it is not necessary to repeat the details) |
Ph.D.; Texas A & M University Real Estate Center
"By his son, the late Wilson Gregg" (d. 1899) LLNL U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Experiment Stations; W. O. Atwater, Director |
|
Speaker; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
"Member of the Association of American Directory Publishers" |
Other Examples
Book
- Name: Farrar, R. M.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
Yearbook
- Name: North Texas Laboratory School
- Type: Organization
-
Role: Author
- Name: Mays, Sharon
- Type: Person
- Role: Editor
-
Information: Co-Editor
- Name: Wyss, Margaret
- Type: Person
- Role: Editor
- Information: Co-Editor
Genealogical newsletter
- Name: Texas State Genealogical Society
- Type: Organization
-
Role: Author
- Name: Pryor, Frances
- Type: Person
- 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: Person
- 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: Person
- Role: Compiler
- Information: Clerk, District Court, Henderson County
Painting
- Name: Seurat, Georges, 1859-1891
- Type: Person
- Role: Artist
- Information: French
Research report
- Name: Moris, Marlene C.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
-
Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data
- Name: McMurdie, Howard F.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
-
Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data
- Name: Evans, Eloise H.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
-
Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data
- Name: Paretzkin, Boris
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
-
Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data
- Name: Parker, Harry S.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
-
Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data
- Name: Panagiotopoulos, Nicholas C.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
-
Information: International Centre for Diffraction Data
- Name: Hubbard, Camden R.
- Type: Person
- Role: Author
- Information: National Measurement Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards, Washington D.C.
Map
- Name: Hill, Robert Thomas, 1858-1941
- Type: Person
- Role: Cartographer
- Information: “By Robert T. Hill”
Opera score
- Name: Smith, Julia, 1905-1989
- Type: Person
- 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 Publisher element.
- Individuals or organizations with lesser responsibility for creation of the intellectual content of the resource should be recorded in the 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
- UNT Creator Role Controlled Vocabulary
- Creator and Contributor Definitions (how to choose which one to use)
- UNT Name App
- Library of Congress
- OCLC Worldcat
- Worldcat via FirstSearch (Accessible to UNT staff/students)
More Guidelines: