Get Travel Authorisation Form (annexure A) (21 January 2010)

An authority record is created for the standardized form of a name or term. This form is sometimes called the authorized, authoritative, or established form. On the authority record the standardized form is the key element for which the record was made, so it is also called the heading.

Only catalogers who have completed NACO training are authorized to establish name authority records. This section offers guidance in the use of established names and subjects, and in assembling supporting information for use in the creation of new headings.

So what is a person name authority, and how does it work? A Name Authority File (NAF) establishes a standardized spelling and form of the name. At the National Archives, we typically select the fullest form of the name including the first name, middle name, and last name to link to related records.

Authority control is an important process of organizing bibliographic data in the library catalog. It ensures data consistency and enhances collocation of library resources in the catalog.

You may hear authority files called by other titles: thesauruses, heading lists, indexing vocabularies, or taxonomies. The specialized scope of most authority files means that libraries and archives often rely on several vocabulary sources.

What is an authority record? cross references and instructions for use, and cites the sources consulted in determining the choice and form of the heading. A bibliographic record represents one work. An authority record represents an element (i.e., a name, subject, series, or uniform title) that can apply to many works.

Only catalogers who have completed NACO training are authorized to establish name authority records. This section offers guidance in the use of established names and subjects, and in assembling supporting information for use in the creation of new headings.

Authority Record is a record which gives the authoritative form (the form selected for a heading) of a personal name, corporate name, family name, place name, uniform or preferred title, series title, subject, etc.