Harvard EAD Guidelines

In the following guidelines elements are required unless they are marked [optional].

• <ead>
• <eadheader>
  • <eadid>xxxnnnnn</eadid>
    • [Unique 8 character id number for the digital version of the finding aid, where xxx is the HOLLIS loc code (ex. hou for Houghton, sch for Schlesinger, or des for GSD), and nnnnn is a five digit number for the finding aid. These numbers will be used to update the union database of finding aids, so it's essential that they be unique within each repository.]
  • <filedesc><titlestmt><titleproper> use the same title as in the <titleproper> element from the <frontmatter> section below </titleproper></titlestmt></filedesc>
    • [These elements are needed because the DTD requires them. At least a call number must be encoded in the <titleproper> element.]
  • <profiledesc><creation><date>mm/dd/yyyy</date> encoder's name [optional] </creation> </profiledesc>
    • [The <date> subelement should contain the creation date of the digital version of the finding aid. The encoder is the person who did the SGML markup and is optional.]
  • <revisiondesc><change><date>mm/dd/yyyy</date><item><name> encoder's name [optional] </name></item> </change></revisiondesc> [optional]
    • [This element set holds date and (optionally) name information for revisions to the SGML-encoded finding aid. Its function is similar to that of a publishing history for a book, and it allows you to retain the information about when and by whom the original version was created, as well as verify the most recent version.]
• </eadheader>
• <frontmatter>
  • <titlepage>
  • <num> collection/accession number </num> [optional]
  • <titleproper> official finding aid title </titleproper>
    • [Consists of the 1XX field of the corresponding HOLLIS record, if it exists, in sort order*, followed by the exact wording from the 245 field (dates are optional for both the 1XX and 245 fields). After the 245 field type a colon and words distinguishing this as descriptive material, not the material itself (e.g. register, contents list, guide, inventory, or finding aid).
    • * This could be used to sort search result sets alphabetically by creator name]
    • Examples:
      1. When the creators name appears in the title: Gladding, Anna Spicer. Papers of Anna Spicer Gladding and Miriam Van Waters: An Inventory
      2. When the creator's name doesn't appear in the title: James, William. Papers, 1803-1941: A Guide
      3. When there is no creator: Trade cards, 1870-1900(bulk): An Inventory
  • <author> repository name </author>
  • <publisher> Harvard University </publisher>
  • <date> date finding aid was created </date> [optional]
  • <p>© YYYY The President and Fellows of Harvard College</p> </titlepage>
• </frontmatter>
• <archdesc level="collection">
  • <did>
    
    [Note: The following elements can be used in any order that makes sense for the finding aid in hand. Only <repository> and <unittitle> are required. Those marked "optional, recommended" are elements that will be required in the RLG union database, used to generate brief information about the collection.]
    • <repository> repository name; this field is used for indexing by repository. This element should end in the phrase "Harvard University", to facilitate retrieval of all Harvard finding aids in the OCLC union database. </repository>
    • <unitid> call number, accession or collection number (can also be HOLLIS#) </unitid> [optional]
      <physloc> shelving designation</physloc> [optional]
    • <unittitle> collection title [optionally can use a subelement for <date> dates of coverage </date>] </unittitle>
    • <unitdate> date(s) of collection materials </unitdate> [optional]
      
    • <origination> creator(s) of the collection, with or without dates. Names can be repeated if more than one creator was involved (use <persname> or <corpname>s, etc.</origination> [optional, similar to the MARC 100 field]
    • <physdesc><extent> information about the size of the collection (can optionally include a <num> element with a call number for a microfilm version, etc.) </extent></physdesc> [optional, recommended]
    • <abstract> A very brief summary of the collection </abstract> [optional, recommended]
  • </did>
  • <admininfo> [optional]
    • <processinfo> [optional]
      • <head> "Processed by:" </head> [optional]
      • <p> collection processor (person who created the original finding aid) </p> [optional]
      • <p> date of creation </p> [optional, and additional <date> tags can be used in the <p> if desirable]
    • </processinfo>
    • <acqinfo> [optional]
      • <p><num> accession number, or details of acquisition </num></p> [optional]
      • <p><persname role=donor> donor </persname></p> [optional]
      • <p><date> accession date </date></p> [optional]
    • </acqinfo>
    • <accessrestrict> restrictions on access, if any </accessrestrict>
    • <userestrict><p> restrictions of use of materials, if any </p></userestrict>
  • </admininfo>
  • <bioghist> [optional]
    • <head> heading such as Biography or History of Organization </head> [optional]
    • <geogname, persname, etc.> Name [optional <date> dates </date>] </geogname, persname, etc.> [optional]
    • <chronlist> [optional]
      • <chronitem><date>/date><event>...</event><</chronitem> [repeatable]
    • </chronlist>
      [NOTE: Use this approach, instead of the simpler <persname> approach, when the biographical note consists of a chronological list.]
  • </bioghist>
  • <scopecontent> [optional, repeatable]
    • <head> heading such as Notes or Scope and Content Note </head> [optional]
    • <geogname, persname, etc.> Name [optional <date> dates </date>] </geoname, persname, etc.> [optional]
    • <organization> description of the structure of the finding aid, e.g. "Organized into the following series: I. Correspondence; II. Biographical files." </organization> [optional]
    • <arrangement> description of the filing sequence, e.g. alphabetical, chronological (if in doubt, use the broader <organization>) </arrangement> [optional]
  • </scopecontent>
  • <dsc type="insert appropriate value here"> [repeatable, type attribute value will usually be "in-depth"]
  • <head> heading for collection-level info [recommended]
    • [Note: preferred to using <dsc><c><head>]
    • <c level=series, subseries, etc.> [required if applicable]
    • <did><head> [optional] </head></did>
    • <scopecontent> </scopecontent> [optional]
      • <c level=file/item/etc.><did> [required if applicable]
        [Level is optional. The default assumption is that level=item, and that "items" are whatever is the lowest level of description that you have choosen to do (so, for example, if you only describe to the folder level, then you don't need to encode level="file" for each folder since the "item" display treatment should work equally well)]
        • <container> or <physloc> Box, etc. designation, or location; can go with the unitid information. This can go before or after the <unitid> element. </container> or </physloc> [optional]
          
          NOTE: There are two ways for marking up containers in EAD-encoded finding aids.
          1. In the case where a repository wishes to include repeated container elements, one for each item held in that container, use the template:
             <c level="item"><did><unittitle>[Text of unit title]</unittitle><container>[Container information]</container> </did></c>
             
             TEXT EXAMPLE:
             Procedure for dances, 1953-1971 Box 10
             Notices and announcements, 1953-1971 Box 10
             
             MARKUP EXAMPLE:
             <c level="item"><did><unittitle>Procedure for dances, <unitdate>1953-1971
             </unitdate></unittitle><container>Box 10</container></did></c>
             <c level="item"><did><unittitle>Notices and announcements, <unitdate> 1953-1971
             </unitdate></unittile><container>Box 10</container> </did></c>
             
             FINDING AID EXAMPLE:
             To see a finding aid that is marked up in this manner, see Records of the College Teas Association and Harvard Neighbors : a finding aid
          2. In the case where a repository wishes to include a single element for each container, use the template:
             <c level="otherlevel"><did><container>[Container information]</container></did></c>
             
             TEXT EXAMPLE:
             Box 10
             Procedure for dances, 1953-1971
             Notices and announcements, 1953-1971
             
             MARKUP EXAMPLE:
             <c level="otherlevel"><did><container>Box 10</container> </did></c>
             <c level="item"><did><unittitle>Procedure for dances, <unitdate> 1953-1971 </unitdate></unittitle></did></c>
             <c level="item"><did><unittitle>Notices and announcements, <unitdate> 1953-1971 </unitdate></unittitle></did></c>
             
             FINDING AID EXAMPLE:
             
             To see a finding aid that is marked up in this manner, see Inventory of the Papers of Linda Jane Laubenstein.
        • <unitid> id number for box, folder or other physical unit. This can be the item number, if one is assigned, or an item range like 1-9, or any other information that points to the physical thing being described. </unitid>
          <unitdate> dates at the <c> level </unitdate> [optional]
          
          [NOTE: <unitdate> can be placed inside the <unittitle> if appropriate, and will display inline with the title. For other kinds of dates, use the <date> element inside the <unittitle> or other <c>-level subelement. ]
        • <unittitle> title information for box, folder, series name, title or description </unittitle>
          
          NOTE: if your description has only a <unitdate>, put the <unitdate> within a <unittitle>.
          Use of the following tags is optional, but recommended, within <unittitle> for indexing purposes:
          • <persname> </persname>
          • <corpname></corpname>
          • <famname> </famname>
          • <genreform> Use terms from the OASIS list of recommended form and genre terms. </genreform>
        • <physdesc><extent> size of unit being described (eg. 1 folder, 12 folders, 2 boxes, etc.) </extent></physdesc> [optional]
        • <note> <p>... </note> </p> [optional for use inside or outside of did, if appropriate]
      • </did></c> [for level=file, item, etc.]
    • </c> [for series components, if any]
    • <controlaccess> [optional]
      
      [use for terms that should be indexed, but that do not appear explicitly in the finding aid (e.g. LCSH, NAF forms of names). All <controlaccess> terms are under authority control. <controlaccess> can appear at many points in a finding aid.]
      • <name> ... </name> [optional, repeatable]
      • <famname> ... </famname> [optional, repeatable]
      • <persname> ... </persname> [optional, repeatable]
      • <corpname> ... </corpname> [optional, repeatable]
      • <geogname> ... </geogname> [optional, repeatable]
      • <occupation> ... </occupation> [optional, repeatable]
      • <subject> ... </subject> [optional, repeatable]
      • <genreform> ... </genreform> [optional, repeatable]
    • </controlaccess>
  • </dsc>
  • <add> [optional]
    • <index>
      
      [<index> is a list of terms, usually at the end of a finding aid. Terms are not necessarily under authority control]
      • <indexentry><namegrp><name> ... </name><name> ... </name></namegrp></indexentry> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><name> ... </name></indexentry> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><famname> ... </famname></indexentry> <ptr></ptr> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><persname> ... </persname></indexentry> <ptrgrp><ptr></ptr> <ptr></ptr> </ptrgrp> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><corpname> ... </corpname><ref target="source ID"> </ref></indexentry> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><geogname> ... </geogname></indexentry> <ptrgrp><<ref></ref> <ref></ref> </ptrgrp> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><occupation> ... </occupation></indexentry> <ptr></ptr> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><subject> ... </subject></indexentry> <ptr> [optional, repeatable]
      • <indexentry><genreform> ... </genreform></indexentry> <ptr></ptr> [optional, repeatable]
        
        [Each variation of <ptr>, <ptrgrp>, and <ref> may be used in each element of an <indexentry>. Use these tags for internal links.]
    • </index>
  • </add>
• </archdesc>
• </ead>

Punctuation: keep punctuation together with the word(s) it modifies, inside the tags... i.e. treat it as character information that belongs with the text, not as separate white space. Punctuation, meaning the symbols such as commas, periods, quotation marks, brackets, etc. and NOT meaning whitespace (tabs and blanks and carriage returns) will be normalized out of the indexes so that users won't have to know the punctuation to retrieve documents.

If there is extra text that doesn't logically fit in the heading, or in a <c> element, like a label or a running title that was included to make the print version more readable but that has no function in the finding aid, consider eliminating it or use an <odd> element to enclose it.

In general, do not use rendition attributes (<emph>, <lb>, etc.). Rely on the stylesheet instead.

The default style for the <title> tag is italic. If you want the text in quotes, use <title render="quoted">. If you do not want it to display in italic, use <title altrender="normal">.

Use a <head> element for information that helps the reader with navigation, or provides useful information, but should not be indexed, such as labels or folder summaries. For information that is there for retrieval purposes (i.e. should be indexed) use a <title> element such as the <unittitle> defined in the <c> element.

The style sheet automatically displays the default text "Series" for <c>s with level="series". To suppress this display, set the altrender attribute to "normal". Example: <c level="series" altrender="normal">.

The stylesheet does not put blank lines between <c>s. If you want a blank line to be inserted above a <c>, do the following:
<c altrender="BlankLineAbove">.

For the attribute "role," use the USMARC Code List for Relators. The term "processor" may also be used.

If the finding aid is in a language other than English you should record that fact with the LANGUAGE="xx" attribute on the <archdesc>element. If the finding aid is in mixed languages you can't really reflect that now, so choose the predominant language and use the attribute if it's not English.

For internal links, use <ref> and <ptrgrp> (as a wrapper element for multiple <ref>s) only. For external references (to images or other finding aids) only <dao> is supported in OASIS; see instructions on linking to digital archival objects for more information.

If you want dates to index correctly they must be in the four digit format, e.g. 1860 - 1865.

A list of tags indexed in OASIS is also available. For required elements, see the minimal-level EAD guidelines.