UNTL Metadata: Coverage
 

 

Label

Coverage

Sub-Element

12.1 Place Name, 12.2 Time Period, 12.3 Date, 12.4 Date Range

Definition

The spatial and/or temporal characteristics of the resource

Comment

Coverage is the extent or scope of the content of the resource. It will typically include spatial location (a place name or geographic coordinates), temporal period (a period label, date, or date range) or jurisdiction (such as a named administrative entity). Recommended best practice is to select a value from a controlled vocabulary (for example, the Thesaurus of Geographic Names [TGN]) and that, where appropriate, named places or time periods be used in preference to numeric identifiers such as sets of coordinates or date ranges.

Required

No

Repeatable

Yes

 

Input Guidelines:

  • Coverage will typically include spatial location (a place name or geographic coordinates), temporal period (a period label, date, or date range) or jurisdiction (such as a named administrative entity).

Place Name (spatial) coverage refers to locations or areas that are covered and/or discussed in the intellectual content of the resource and not the place of publication. It describes geographical/place information (Place Name, or Geographical Coverage) using controlled vocabularies (or longitude and latitude; or celestial sector) .

Period Name (temporal) coverage refers to time periods [a period label(12.2), date(12.3), or date range(12.4)] that are covered and/or discussed in the content of the resource not the publication date. It describes a date/time period according to accepted standards and controlled vocabularies. (E.g. Texas Revolution: October 1835-April 1836). 

Jurisdiction refers to the territory over which a particular government exercises its authority. It is recommended that the jurisdiction covered by the resource be included.

 

12 Coverage

 

12.1 Place Name

Definition:  The place(s) associated with the intellectual content of the resource. 

Example:  Denton (county); Lower Neches Valley Authority Canal; Big Bend National Park

Source:  Thesaurus of Geographic Names (or other controlled list)

12.2 Time Period

Definition: The time period associated with the intellectual content of the resource. 
Example: Spanish Colonial Period, Texas Revolution, Republic of Texas, Civil War, Progressive Era
Source:  controlled list

12.3 Date

Definition: The single date associated with the intellectual content of the resource.
Example: 1845-12-29
Source:  the document

12.4 Date Range

Definition: The range of dates associated with the intellectual content of the resource, if there is no acceptable named time period.
Example: October 1835-April 1836; 1800-1899; 1950-1959;
Source: the document

 

Input Guidelines:

  • Multiple places and time periods may be associated with the intellectual content of the resource. Use separate Coverage elements to enter multiple spatial and temporal values
  • Write the geographical location as a hierarchy beginning with the largest and proceeding to the smallest geographical unit with each field containing a single geographical location. The first element in the hierarchy is the continent (e.g. Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, etc.).
  • Currently this element recommended for use in describing maps, globes, and cartographic resources or when a spatial or temporal characteristic of a resource cannot be adequately expressed using the Subject element.
  • If the region being described has changed names, use the current form of the name. If the previous name is deemed essential information, then include this in the Description Element. Ex. A photograph of Mr. X, President of Guyana (formerly British Guinea).
  • For artifacts or art objects, the spatial characteristics usually refer to the place where the artifact/object originated while the temporal characteristics refer to the date or time period during which the artifact/object was made.
  • For a range of dates, see Date element

Examples:

        - To be selected from Control Vocabularies (See: Sub-elements):

-        Temporal: “Texas Revolution”,
               (October 1835-April 1836) 

-         Spatial: “Texas”

-         Spatial: “North America”

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