| Describe
this Element
NAME
 |
subject |
DEFINITION
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The descriptor
subject is used to assign topical headings or keywords that portray the intellectual content of the media item you are cataloging.
Typically, a subject is expressed by a limited number of keywords,
key phrases, or even specific classification codes. Controlled vocabularies, authorities, or
formal classification schemes may be employed when assigning descriptive subject terms (rather than using random or ad hoc terminology called folksonomies). |
ELEMENT
INTERDEPENDENCIES
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 This element, along with its sibling element subjectAuthorityUsed, is hierarchically bound to the container pbcoreSubject
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REFINEMENTS &
ENCODING SCHEMES
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PBCore does not dictate a single subject authority or classification scheme from which to select keywords, topics, and terms. However, if subjects are assigned to a media item and the terms used are derived from a specific authority or classification scheme, use the companion descriptor subjectAuthorityUsed to identify whose vocabularies and terms are being used.
PBS PODS PROGRAM OFFER DATA SERVICE
METADATA DICTIONARY...
That said, PBCore can recommend the use of the PBS TOPIC KEYWORD TABLE used in the Public Broadcasting Service's Program Offer Data Service: PODS. The PBS staff developed the Topic Keyword List in the late 1980s to support the Program Database (PDB), a system for managing production, content, rights and funding metadata about PBS programs. The list was compiled using a variety of internal sources, most notably a glossary used to code PBS programs with public interest categories for the production of FCC ascertainment reports sent to public television stations. This rich list has been updated regularly over the years to reflect new content areas and is maintained using the Broadview traffic and program management system, which replaced the PDB in April, 2006 at PBS. To view the actual vocabulary list, use this link (no password or login authentication is required)...
https://secure.connect.pbs.org/pbsdocuments/pbs/PBCore/
ID3 PSD...
In the realm of the radio medium, the PRI PSD Consortium (Public Radio International's Program Service Data) has released its "Recommended Field Descriptions for Program Service Data" in public radio programming. The tags are based on ID3 which is a very popular audio file data tagging format in active use by software and hardware developers around the world. ID3 tags are supported in software such as iTunes, Windows Media Player (with Microsoft proprietary modifications), WinAmp, YME, MusicMatch and hardware players like the iPod, Creative Zen, Toshiba Gigabeat and Sony Walkman. In HD radio, the PSD information is embedded in transmitted audio files and can be displayed on radios with text screens. Artist names, Song title, Year, and Genre are common tags. The ID3 Genre tag contains a comprehensive list of terms used to describe music types and can be used as a source of vocabulary when describing the subject of music media items. The numbers associated with the genre tags are the actual numeric codes carried in the ID3 data stream that are then decoded into human-readable form. The list is provided here as a courtesy to finding the entire collection of terms in a convenient format.
http://www.mpx.cz/mp3manager/tags.htm
NAMES...
If the subject is a person's name or the name of an organization or company, PBCore recommends using the form, structure, and grammar found in the AACR2 Cataloging Rules (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition) for names.
http://www.aacr2.org/
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GUIDELINES
FOR USAGE
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Many times,
keywords or topics assigned to the descriptor subject can be harvested from the
information revealed in the descriptors title or description. Focus on what
the intellectual content of the media item is about.
Choose the most significant and unique words for
keywords and topics, avoiding words or phrases that are too general or vague to accurately describe the intellectual content, e.g., use the more specific term "trigonometry" to complement the generalized subject "math." Specificity and granularity on your part will help others as they search for media items through various search engines and databases.
If a term used in the subject has variations
or alternatives, include them as well, e.g., use "Mormons" as well as "LDS" and "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints."
If the subject is a person's name or the name of an organization or company, PBCore recommends using the form, structure, and grammar found in the AACR2 Cataloging Rules (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition) for names.
http://www.aacr2.org/
FOR PERSONAL NAMES:
Enter personal names in inverted form using commas as indicated here:
- LastName, FirstName MiddleName, Suffix.
- Substitute a MiddleInitial for a MiddleName as appropriate, or ignore if not available.
- The suffix is any type of academic credential (Ph.D., Ed.D.) or familial lineage (Smithee, Alan, III)
FOR CORPORATE OR ORGANIZATIONAL NAMES:
Enter corporate names in full direct form.
- Use the most specific and commonly used official name for an organization if it is distinctive enough to identify the group who is considered to be a contributor.
- If a particular subdivision of an organization is the actual contributor, identify both the more encompassing group as well as the subdivisions.
- The hierarchy (main group and subdivision) starts with the main group, followed by <period space>, then the subdivision.
- For example:
- State of Utah. Film Commission
- Smithee Productions. Educational Division
- Wisconsin Public Television. Extension Division
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
For a very enlightening discussion on the complexities of entering and displaying names, see "Representing People's Names in Dublin Core."
If you are entering free-form text descriptions for a media item, don't use the descriptor subject for this purpose. Instead, use another PBCore element called description.
If you have the interest or expertise to exploit third party subject authorities (such as PBS PODS and PRI ID3 PDS), below are listed a small sample of different subject authorities that may be appropriate for study and use.
PBS PODS: Program Offer Data Service Metadata Dictionary
Subject Terms
https://secure.connect.pbs.org/pbsdocuments/pbs/PBCore/
PRI ID3 PDS : Public Radio International Consortium ID3 Program Data Service
Music Genre Tags
http://psd.publicbroadcasting.net
http://www.mpx.cz/mp3manager/tags.htm
World Wide Web Consortium Thesauri and Controlled
Vocabularies Available for the Choice of Controlled Subject Terms
http://www.lub.lu.se/metadata/subject-help.html
Library of Congress Authorities
http://authorities.loc.gov/
http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html
http://authorities.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First
http://authorities.loc.gov/help/subj-auth.htm
DDC: Dewey Decimal Classification
http://www.oclc.org/dewey/index.htm
IPTC: International Press Telecommunications Council
http://www.iptc.org/pages/index.php
http://www.iptc.org/metadata/
GEM: Gateway to Educational Materials
ASN-Achievement Standards Network
Subject/Topic Vocabulary
http://www.thegateway.org
ASN Subject/Topic Vocabulary List
MESH: Medical Subject Headings of the National
Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html
HEAL: Health Education Assets Library
http://www.healcentral.org
HEAL Metadata Schema
Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus
http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/aat/
MIC--Moving Image Collections listing of Name and Subject Authorities and Vocabularies
http://mic.imtc.gatech.edu/catalogers_portal/
cat_cntrldVocab.htm#namesubj
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OBLIGATION
TO USE
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Recommended |
REPEATABLE
ELEMENT
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Apply once within its container, pbcoreSubject (which itself can be applied multiple times for a media item) |
TYPE OF
DATA ENTRY
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Text String |
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Describe
this Element
