What is an RDA subject Gordon Dunsire Presented

What is an RDA subject? Gordon Dunsire Presented to SAC meeting, ALA Midwinter, Chicago, 2 Feb 2015

Overview v The JSC agreed at its meeting in Washington, D. C. , November 3 -7, 2014, to add the high-level relationship “Subject” to RDA. It will be applicable only to the Work entity. Subject relationship designators will be accommodated in a new appendix M in RDA Toolkit. v Reasoning behind the decisions and intended impact on the utility of RDA. v Alignment with the FRBR and linked data (Dublin Core Abstract Model) models. v Changes to the RDA element set, relationship designators, and RDA Registry. v Treatment of embedded descriptions/citations.

Consolidated FR model and subjects Time FRBR FRAD Group 3 Subjects Concept Object Event Place Entities not confined to context of subject FRSAD �

FRSAD and RDA as linked data Thing is same as Work has as subject Thema has appellation Nomen has title has type W E M I P F C has name

RDA high-level subject relationship Work (has) subject Anything (is) subject of W P E Primary M I F C Secondary

J. 2. 3 Descriptive Work Relationships Ø description of (work) Ø analysis of (work) Ø commentary on (work) Ø critique of (work) Ø evaluation of (work) Ø review of (work) “A work described by a describing work. ” A work that is the subject of a work.

J. 3. 3 Descriptive Expression Relationships vdescription of (expression) v. Etc. Expression Work has subject is subject of E Re-defined as cross-entity designators E

Appendix M: Relationship designators Cross-entity: the designators relate different entities (except for Work has subject Work) Work Form or genre? [has] subject [expression] Expression Ø [is] description of (expression) Ø [is] analysis of (expression) Ø [is] commentary on (expression) Ø …

Distinguishing descriptions W Expression W Catalog, etc. E Issue, etc. [is] described in [is] description of [has] reference to a published citation “…” ALA to prepare proposal

Bottom line “Subject” is not an entity “Subject” is a relationship between a Work and something else: Work “(has) subject” something Reciprocal relationship: something “(is) subject (of)” Work

Thank you! vjscchair@rdatoolkit. org v 6 JSC/ALA/31 v. Subject Relationship Element in RDA Chapter 23 v 6 JSC/Technical. WG/3 v. High-level subject relationship in RDA v. RDA Toolkit release, April 2015