MCCUTCHEON, SEVIM
2014-10-14 16:33:07 UTC
I've been on a working group through the OhioLINK consortium to create standards for cataloging ETDs in RDA within OCLC. You may have seen these standards before, as they are available on the web at: https://platinum.ohiolink.edu/dms/DMSdocs/ercatstandards.htm#standards
Just wanted those involved in cataloging ETDs to know there has been a small change to the standards in light of correspondence with Jay Weitz at OCLC. We've revised the standards to show that ETDs from state-supported universities (in the United States) are considered state government publications.
Jay has permitted me to forward the email exchange that led to this conclusion. It is below.
(Ms.) Sevim McCutcheon
Catalog Librarian; Assoc. Prof.
Kent State University Libraries
330-672-1703
Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org<mailto:Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org>
From: Weitz,Jay [mailto:weitzj-1Ndb/***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 11:32 AM
To: MCCUTCHEON, SEVIM
Cc: askqc; Dawson,Chris
Subject: RE: Conflcting instructions in Bib Formats about ETDs being state gov publications
Dear Sevim,
Thanks for pointing out our apparent contradiction. As you have suggested, my guess is that we have not updated and clarified the distinction between traditional print theses and dissertations, which continue to be considered unpublished (and therefore "not government publications" by definition) and electronic theses and dissertations available online, which are considered to be published by default. My colleagues have been copied for any additional comments and to remind us of the clarifications we need to make in BFAS. Answering your first question, I believe that remotely-accessed electronic theses and dissertations from state colleges and universities in the United States are considered to be state government publications.
jay
From: MCCUTCHEON, SEVIM [mailto:lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 9:57 AM
To: Weitz,Jay
Subject: Conflcting instructions in Bib Formats about ETDs being state gov publications
Jay,
I hope you are well.
When it comes to deciding whether ETDs from state universities should be coded in the fixed field "s" for state government publications, there are two seemingly conflicting instructions in Bib Formats and Standards.
* The Gov Pub section clearly states, "Theses and dissertations. Theses and dissertations are not government publications." http://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/fixedfield/gpub.html
When people who work with ETDs read the phrase "Theses and dissertations," without a qualifier such as "print" or "electronic," we think that that phrase refers to all formats of theses and dissertations, both print and electronic (and any other way they may be)
* On the other hand, chapter 3.1, Special Cataloging Guidelines, Theses and dissertations, says, "Electronic theses and dissertations that are remotely accessible via the Web should be treated as published items and cataloged as original electronic publications, as explained in AACR2 9.4B2."
It follows that ETDs published by a state university would be considered state government publications, like anything else published by a state university.
I do vaguely remember emailing you around 2006-2007 with a quite similar question, when I was on an OhioLINK working group to develop standards for cataloging ETDs in AACR2, and then you landed on the side of considering ETDs from the state universities being state government publications. Now we've created standards for cataloging ETDs in RDA, but because of the conflicting areas of Bib Formats, I am again unsure of how to code ETDs from state institutions.
It occurs to me that the phrase, "Theses and dissertations are not government publications," although seeming to cover the whole universe of TDs, might have been written long ago when only print TDs were in existence, and therefore the meaning the writers intended would be different than the meaning readers of today take from it. If that phrase truly refers only to print TDs, it would be very helpful to readers if that were made clear, "Print theses and dissertations are not government publications." It the phrase truly means to cover the whole world of theses and dissertations, it would be very helpful to readers if that were made clear, "Theses and dissertations, both print and electronic, are not government publications."
So, here are my two requests of you, Jay:
1. Please tell us whether it's appropriate/desired by OCLC for people to code ETDs from state universities as state government publications
2. Please convey to the people who are in the process of revising Bib Formats and Standards that readers need clarity on this issue, so the question doesn't come up again.
Thank you very much,
Sevim McCutcheon
Catalog Librarian; Assoc. Prof.
Kent State University Libraries
330-672-1703
Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org<mailto:Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org>
--
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Just wanted those involved in cataloging ETDs to know there has been a small change to the standards in light of correspondence with Jay Weitz at OCLC. We've revised the standards to show that ETDs from state-supported universities (in the United States) are considered state government publications.
Jay has permitted me to forward the email exchange that led to this conclusion. It is below.
(Ms.) Sevim McCutcheon
Catalog Librarian; Assoc. Prof.
Kent State University Libraries
330-672-1703
Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org<mailto:Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org>
From: Weitz,Jay [mailto:weitzj-1Ndb/***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 11:32 AM
To: MCCUTCHEON, SEVIM
Cc: askqc; Dawson,Chris
Subject: RE: Conflcting instructions in Bib Formats about ETDs being state gov publications
Dear Sevim,
Thanks for pointing out our apparent contradiction. As you have suggested, my guess is that we have not updated and clarified the distinction between traditional print theses and dissertations, which continue to be considered unpublished (and therefore "not government publications" by definition) and electronic theses and dissertations available online, which are considered to be published by default. My colleagues have been copied for any additional comments and to remind us of the clarifications we need to make in BFAS. Answering your first question, I believe that remotely-accessed electronic theses and dissertations from state colleges and universities in the United States are considered to be state government publications.
jay
From: MCCUTCHEON, SEVIM [mailto:lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 9:57 AM
To: Weitz,Jay
Subject: Conflcting instructions in Bib Formats about ETDs being state gov publications
Jay,
I hope you are well.
When it comes to deciding whether ETDs from state universities should be coded in the fixed field "s" for state government publications, there are two seemingly conflicting instructions in Bib Formats and Standards.
* The Gov Pub section clearly states, "Theses and dissertations. Theses and dissertations are not government publications." http://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/fixedfield/gpub.html
When people who work with ETDs read the phrase "Theses and dissertations," without a qualifier such as "print" or "electronic," we think that that phrase refers to all formats of theses and dissertations, both print and electronic (and any other way they may be)
* On the other hand, chapter 3.1, Special Cataloging Guidelines, Theses and dissertations, says, "Electronic theses and dissertations that are remotely accessible via the Web should be treated as published items and cataloged as original electronic publications, as explained in AACR2 9.4B2."
It follows that ETDs published by a state university would be considered state government publications, like anything else published by a state university.
I do vaguely remember emailing you around 2006-2007 with a quite similar question, when I was on an OhioLINK working group to develop standards for cataloging ETDs in AACR2, and then you landed on the side of considering ETDs from the state universities being state government publications. Now we've created standards for cataloging ETDs in RDA, but because of the conflicting areas of Bib Formats, I am again unsure of how to code ETDs from state institutions.
It occurs to me that the phrase, "Theses and dissertations are not government publications," although seeming to cover the whole universe of TDs, might have been written long ago when only print TDs were in existence, and therefore the meaning the writers intended would be different than the meaning readers of today take from it. If that phrase truly refers only to print TDs, it would be very helpful to readers if that were made clear, "Print theses and dissertations are not government publications." It the phrase truly means to cover the whole world of theses and dissertations, it would be very helpful to readers if that were made clear, "Theses and dissertations, both print and electronic, are not government publications."
So, here are my two requests of you, Jay:
1. Please tell us whether it's appropriate/desired by OCLC for people to code ETDs from state universities as state government publications
2. Please convey to the people who are in the process of revising Bib Formats and Standards that readers need clarity on this issue, so the question doesn't come up again.
Thank you very much,
Sevim McCutcheon
Catalog Librarian; Assoc. Prof.
Kent State University Libraries
330-672-1703
Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org<mailto:Lmccutch-***@public.gmane.org>
--
***********************************************************************
AUTOCAT quoting guide: http://www.cwu.edu/~dcc/Autocat/copyright.html
E-mail AUTOCAT listowners: autocat-request-JX7+OpRa80SJISurH+***@public.gmane.org
Search AUTOCAT archives: http://listserv.syr.edu/archives/autocat.html
By posting messages to AUTOCAT, the author does not cede copyright
***********************************************************************