Contributor
Definition
A person, agency, or organization that has played an important but secondary role in creating the content of the resource and is not specified in the creator element.
Where Can the Contributor Information be Found?
In some cases, contributors may come from accompanying or supplementary information, but they may also be found on:
Item Types |
Information Sources |
---|---|
For text |
|
For images |
|
For maps |
|
For music scores |
|
For videos |
|
For sound files |
|
For computer files |
|
How Contributor Works in the Metadata Form
- Parts:
Contributor name – text field
Contributor type – drop-down menu
Contributor role – drop-down menu
Contributor information – text field
- Repeatable?
Yes - to include multiple contributors, click ‘Add’ to repeat all field parts
- Required?
No (more information)
How Should the Contributor be Filled in?
General Contributor Rules
If no contributor information is readily available, leave the field blank
Only include individuals/organizations who had secondary responsibility for the item, or who were only responsible for a portion of the work
Primary “contributors” should be entered as creators instead
A name should never be entered as both a creator and a contributor; if an agent acts in multiple capacities, see the Role section for clarification
For more information about when a person/organization is a creator or a contributor, see our definition page
An entity must have a direct relationship to the item that can be explicated in order to be included as a contributor
Include as many contributors as are readily available
A contributor name can only be entered once per record; if an agent acts in multiple capacities, see the Role section for clarification
Place them in order of importance
If contributors are equally important, list them in the order that they appear
If a document has an excessively large number of creators or authors (e.g., several hundred researchers) include the parent organizations as creators and the individual persons as contributors
For each contributor the name, type, and role are required
If possible, consult an authority file to find the correct form of the name, such as:
The UNT Name App
A locally-developed utility
Note that organizational names generally reflect the name of the agency at the time the item was created – e.g., Texas (Republic) vs. Texas, or North Texas State University vs. University of North Texas – however, if possible, personal names will generally reflect a single, most current version when multiple names (initials, maiden names, etc.) are known to be used by a specific person
Contributor Names
Personal Names
Guideline |
Examples |
---|---|
If known, use the authorized form of the name from the Library of Congress Authorities |
Agapkin, Vasiliĭ Ivanovich, 1884-1964 |
If no authorized version is available, enter the most complete version of the name that is known using proper formatting: |
|
|
McCaleb, Walter Flavius |
|
Henderson, Charles V. |
|
Mitchell, A. Cameron |
|
Blackburn, J. K. P. |
|
Fang, H.-C. |
|
Sonneck, Oscar George Theodore |
|
Ala’i-Rosales, Shahla S.
Martinez Fischer, Ferdinand Frank
|
|
de Almeida Lobo, Adriana |
|
Huffman |
|
|
Use appropriate abbreviations: |
|
|
|
|
Williams, J. F. C., Jr. |
|
Name: Alwin, Lawrence F.
Info: CPA; State Auditor
|
|
Name: Dunlap, George P.
Info: Geo. P. Dunlap
|
|
|
|
Name: Gaines, Ann
Info: Ann Sanders
|
|
Name: Associated Press
Info: Staff Photographer
|
Organization Names
Guideline |
Examples |
---|---|
|
Geological Survey (U.S.) |
For non-government or single-level bodies: |
|
|
Camp Wolters Public Relations Branch |
|
Julis Bien & Co. |
|
Name: New York University
Info: NYU
|
For hierarchical agencies or entities: |
|
|
University of Texas. Bureau of Research in the Social Sciences. |
|
Osk Ridge National Laboratory. Chemical Technology Division. |
|
Martin County (Fla.). Board of Commissioners. |
|
|
For United States agencies: |
|
|
|
|
United States. Central Intelligence Agency. |
|
Name: Texas. Department of State
Health Services.
Version on text: Departamento
Estatal de Servicios de Salud
|
For non-U.S. organizations: |
|
|
Name: Han’guk Kich’o Kwahak Chiwŏn
Yŏn’guwŏn
Info: Korea Basic Science
Institute; Taejon, Republic of Korea
|
Instituto de Investigaciones Geológicas (Chile) |
|
|
Mexico. Secretaría de la Economia Nacional Direccion General de Minas y Petoleo. |
Contributor Type
Choose the appropriate contributor type:
Guideline |
Examples |
---|---|
If the contributor is an individual |
Personal |
If the contributor is a company, organization, association, agency, or other institution |
Organization |
If it is unclear whether the contributor name belongs to an individual or an organization, use “Personal” and format the name appropriately
|
In some rare and very specific cases, other options may apply:
Guideline |
Examples |
---|---|
If the contributor is a conference or other event that produces papers and materials (as an entity rather than named individual participants or a hosting organization)
|
Event |
If the contributor is a computer program that generates data or files independently
|
Software |
Contributor Role
Entering Roles
Choose the appropriate contributor role from the controlled vocabulary
Guideline |
Examples |
---|---|
If the role is not listed: |
|
|
Name: Caffey, Wiley L.
Role: Other
Info: Business Manager
|
If more than one role applies to the contributor: |
|
|
Name: Etter, Amanda Perez
Role: Editor
Info: Managing Editor; Sponsor
|
Assigning Roles
Although the same list of roles is available for both creators and contributors, some roles will generally only apply to contributors:
Agents who only had responsibility for a part, e.g., author of introduction, etc.; witness; consultant; expert
Agents who had an indirect relationship, e.g., funder, sponsor, former owner, donor
Additional explanation is on our contributor and contributor definition page
The role should describe the action that the agent took in creating the item and it may not align with job titles or credentials, for example:
Agents |
Role |
Field |
Example |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
“Director” |
director of a performance (film, play, concert, etc.) |
Director |
Creator |
Name: Homer, Paula
Type: Personal
Role: Director
Info: UNT Opera Theater
|
executive director of an agency with no apparent personal contribution to the item |
n/a |
Creator |
Name: Texas. Department of
Transportation.
Type: Organization
Role: Author
Info: Phil Wilson, Executive Director
|
|
executive director of an agency with a described or understandable role (e.g., author of transmittal letter) |
Author of introduction, etc. (or another appropriate role) |
Contributor |
Name: Camargo, Gene
Type: Personal
Role: Author of introduction, etc.
Info: Director of Building
Inspections
|
|
“Performer” |
|
Performer |
Creator |
Name: North Texas Wind Symphony
Type: Organization
Role: Performer
|
a person/organization that “performed” work or research (aside from, or in addition to, specific person/s who authored a report or created some product of the work) |
Originator, Researcher, or another appropriate role |
Creator |
Name: Quigg, Antonietta Salvatrice
Type: Personal
Role: Author
|
|
Contributor |
Name: Texas Water Development Board
Type: Organization
Role: Originator
|
|||
“Consultant” |
a consulting company or person that authors a report |
Author |
Creator |
Name: Kerley, Gerald Irwin
Type: Personal
Role: Author
Info: Kerley Technical Consultant,
Appomattox, VA
|
|
Consultant |
Contributor |
Name: Kanto, Leonard E.
Type: Personal
Role: Consultant
Info: State of Texas Professional
Engineer; Consultant Engineer
|
Contributor Info
Info is not required as part of the contributor entry
This field is only for information about the contributor listed in or directly related to the object
The info field is not intended for biographies or lengthy descriptions of the agent
It is not necessary to do research to find information; this field is only used for readily-available notes
Guideline |
Examples |
---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Examples:
Book
Name: Ben C. Jones & Co.
Type: Organization
Role: Printer
Information: “Printers, Electrotypers and Binders, Austin.”
Yearbook
Name: Richards, Olan
Type: Personal
Role: Editor
Information: Art Editor
Name: American Beauty Cover Company
Type: Organization
Role: Artist
Name: Abilene Printing and Stationery Company
Type: Organization
Role: Printer
Name: Thurman’s Studio
Type: Organization
Role: Photographer
Name: Southwest Engraving Company
Type: Organization
Role: Engraver
Journal issue
Name: Baldwin, Dan
Type: Personal
Role: Editor
Information: Assistant Editor
Name: Riddle, Peggy
Type: Personal
Role: Editor
Information: Assistant Editor
Research report
Name: Texas Water Development Board
Type: Organization
Role: Sponsor
Name: Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (Tex.)
Type: Organization
Role: Funder
Name: Upper Guadalupe River Authority
Type: Organization
Role: Funder
Name: Headwaters Groundswater Conservation District
Type: Organization
Role: Consultant
Name: Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District
Type: Organization
Role: Consultant
Name: Kendall County Water Control and Improvement District #1
Type: Organization
Role: Consultant
Name: Kerr County (Tex.)
Type: Organization
Role: Consultant
Name: Kendall County (Tex.)
Type: Organization
Role: Consultant
Map
Name: United States. Bureau of Naval Personalnel. Educational Services Section.
Type: Organization
Role: Distributor
Information: [United States.] Navy Dept. BuPers. Educational Services Section.; Navy distribution. Washington, D. C.
Name: Harrison, Richard Edes
Type: Personal
Role: Cartographer
Information: Base map for “Pacific War in the Air” drawn by Richard Edes Harrison. Copyright, Fortune.
Name: United States. Office of Strategic Services.
Type: Organization
Role: Cartographer
Information: Map of South Burma and Thailand “prepared in the R and A Branch, O.S.S.”
Legal estate transfer
Name: Sayles, Mary E.
Type: Personal
Role: Other
Information: Transferee
Name: Turnee, Sam
Type: Personal
Role: Author
Information: Notary Public
Name: Collins, E. H.
Type: Personal
Role: Witness
Dissertation
Name: Wilhelm, Ronald
Type: Personal
Role: Chair or Major Professor
Information: Major Professor
Name: Ausbrooks, Carrie Y.
Type: Personal
Role: Committee member
Information: Minor Professor
Name: Cowart, Melinda
Type: Personal
Role: Committee member
Opera score
Name: Harding, Bertita
Type: Personal
Role: Librettist
Name: Ballenger, Kenneth L.
Type: Personal
Role: Author of introduction, etc.
Information: Prof. Kenneth L. Ballenger; Author of synopsis (page ii).
Resources
UNT Contributor Role controlled vocabulary
Contributor and Contributor Definitions definition page (how to choose which one to use)
Library of Congress
Worldcat via FirstSearch (Accessible to UNT staff/students)
More Guidelines:
Comments
Name fields are connected to the UNT Name App, which will try to match text against local authority files. Editors should always choose an authorized form from the list if it is available.
The contributor field is not constrained by the AACR2 practice of limiting contributors to three or fewer names. Include as many contributors as are readily available.
If the contributor and the publisher are the same, repeat the name in the Publisher element.
Individuals or organizations with greater or complete responsibility for creation of the intellectual content of the resource should be recorded in the Creator element instead of the contributor element. Some examples of creators are author, editor, compiler, etc. (when applicable to the whole item)
The contributor roles come primarily from MARC relator codes; not all of the Library of Congress roles are included in the UNT system and several local codes have been added to the UNT list.