Premise

In general, the preference is to use broad terms in lieu of specific terms. This supports clear terminology for browsing purposes, is easier to maintain and is based on feedback from usability studies on user preferences.

More specific terms may be used at the discretion of collection curators. Examples of such cases may include: adhering to larger community of practices (e.g ETDs, NDLTD), meeting users needs for a specific project (e.g. Americas, Chao Center, Patents) or to provide greater exposure for truly unique and rare materials (e.g. Roman coins item). Such determination may be subjective in nature though efforts should be made to use broad terms whenever possible.

Controlled vocabularies

• All items in the IR should have a dc.dcmi type assigned

• Some duplication of terms may exist to better support different communities (e.g. Journal Articles vs articles).

Commonly used controlled vocabularies include:

• DCMI Type Vocabulary http://dublincore.org/documents/2010/10/11/dcmi-type-vocabulary/

• Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATSearchPage.jsp

• see local guidelines link for common values: https://digitalriceprojects.pbworks.com/w/page/45823548/Historical%20Images%20Metadata%20Creation%20Guidelines#dctypegenrerequired

• Faculty Publications. Custom terms. Provided in default submission form. https://digitalriceprojects.pbworks.com/w/page/63904648/Faculty%20Publications%20Metadata%20Guidelines#dctyperequired

DCMI Type Mapping

Notes on practice

• specific terms can still be used (and encourage where appropriate) either as part of the dc.description field or as part of the title.

Examples:

Title: Expressionism, Sight and Sound: The Exhibition Sewall Art Gallery Friday, January 30 through Friday, March 27, 1987 [Invitation]

dc.type.genre ephemera

dc.type.dcmi Text

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1911/78016

Title: Map of Battle of El Molino del Rey (issued 1850)

dc.description Battlefield map. Lithographed battle plan engraved by...

dc.type.genre maps

dc.type.dcmi Image

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1911/21772

Title: Broadside-Decree, S. Martin Xilotepeque, Guatemala, September 22, 1826

dc.type.genre broadsides

dc.type.dcmi Text

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1911/27581

• Exceptions: some truly unique items may simply warrant a more specific term to perhaps highlight the item in the archive.

Example:

Title: Athenian drachma coin used as model for Athenian owls on Rice Institute shield

dc.type.genre coins (money)

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1911/64885

• Clarification on travel documents

Per Getty AAT:

Travel Guidebooks: "Guidebooks aimed particularly at tourists or other leisure travelers."

Travel literature: "Accounts of journeys, voyages, and travels written to instruct, inform or entertain."

• Local terms that apply to ALL collections

the following genre terms should be used across all collection types (culture heritage and faculty publications) to ensure consistency at the repository level.  these may differ from terms found in the Getty AAT.

• Journal article 
• Book  
• video recordings 
• audio recordings 
• Presentation