Field name: Your choice (default = "Type")

DC Element: Type

This field describes the nature or genre or form of the content of the resource. Some basic types would be "text," "image," "software." In the UW Libraries projects we have chosen to be more specific and have generally chosen to use the field Type to indicate the genre or form of the original resource ("stereograph"), not of the digitized version ("image").

This field should not be confused with Format, which refers to the physical characteristics or digital manifestation of the resource (e.g., jpeg, tiff).

Examples of field names:

• Type
• Object Type
• Work Type
• Resource Type

Examples of data:

• clipping
• diary
• photograph
• drawing
• stereograph
• map

Recommended format:

• Singular (used by UW Libraries projects)
• Plural

Stick with either all singular or all plural, don't mix both in the Type field. Be consistent.

Recommended controlled vocabulary:

• There is a Dublin Core working draft giving a list of basic Types.

• The UW Libraries is also developing a list of Object Types. This list is a subset based on other controlled vocabularies, like the Art & Architecture Thesaurus.

• The Art & Architecture Thesaurus provides many possibilities for Types in its Objects Facet hierarchy.

• You could create your own standard list to fit your own collection, if Type was an aspect you felt would be important to bring out.

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