ISBD for Manifestation

An external source of information is a manifestation that embodies expressions and works that describe some aspect of the manifestation that is sufficient to indicate a value for the element. Such works include catalogues, encyclopaedias, and other structured metadata as well as non-fiction works that contain unstructured descriptions.

The same information may be found in multiple external sources. Select one of the sources to provide the most accurate and consensual value that is available to the cataloguer.

The general order of preference for selecting from values in multiple external sources is:

1. The value that is the most common.
2. The value that is the fullest within the scope of the element.
3. The value that is considered to have the most utility for users of the metadata
   1. A value that is in a language or script preferred by the cataloguing agency.
4. The value that appears first in the first external source.

Information found in multiple external sources may be contradictory. Select one of the sources. Use the following order of preference:

1. Structured metadata
   1. Created by the publisher or producer of the manifestation
   2. Created by a cataloguing agency
   3. Created by a trusted agent
2. Unstructured metadata and descriptions