How does one qualify serial/series titles?
Series and serials with similar titles need to be qualified in order to distinguish them from one another. This is known as conflict resolution. The choice of the qualifying term depends on several factors (listed below). When using place or corporate body as a qualifier, it should follow the AACR2 form from the name authority file.
1. Generic title
In this case, use the body that is issuing or publishing the series/serial as a qualifier. If you have a choice between the issuing body and the publisher, always use the issuing body as the qualifier.
Examples:
- Bulletin (International Society of Criminology)
- Newsletter (Cultural Survival Inc.)
- Occasional paper (American Rock Art Research Association)
- Occasional publication (Popular Archaeology (Firm))
- Report (Bureau of Social Science Research (Washington, D.C.). Legal Action Support Project)
2. Non-generic title
There is no preferred order of qualifiers for non-generic titles. It is appropriate to use corporate body, place name, date, etc. This is left to the discretion of the cataloger.
Examples:
- Anthropos (Brno, Czech Republic)
- Anthropos (Córdoba, Argentina)
- Anthropos (Grand Séminaire de Nkol-Bison)
3. Newspapers
The place of publication is always used as the qualifier. They can be further qualified by edition statement, beginning date of publication, and/or frequency.
Examples:
- Indian journal
- Indian journal (Muskogee, Okla.)
- Sun herald (Charlotte Harbor, Fla. : Englewood ed.)
- Sun herald (Charlotte Harbor, Fla. : Charlotte ed.)
- Washington gazette (Washington, D.C. : Daily)
- Washington gazette (Washington, D.C. : Triweekly)
4. Format
LCRI advises one to “generally avoid use of the terms ‘print’ and ‘text’ as qualifiers because they are vague and there is not a consensus as to their appropriate use”.
If a title appears in both a print format and a non-print format, then it is not necessary to use a qualifier for the print version. For a title that appears in both print and online, use the authorized form of the print version. For a title that appears only online, use the authorized form of the online series.
Examples:
- Social sciences index [No qualifier – this is the print version]
- Social sciences index [No qualifier – this is the online version]
- Social sciences index (CD-ROM)
- Peterson’s financial aid service (IBM version)
- Peterson’s financial aid service (Macintosh version)
5. Date as qualifier
The publishing date is used to distinguish between different instances of the same title issued by the same body. Dates can be used alone or in combination with other qualifiers.
Examples:
- Library journal [Continued by LJ, Library Journal from 1974-1976]
- Library journal (1976)
- Life (Chicago, Ill.) [Published 1936-1972]
- Life (Chicago, Ill. : 1978)
6. Corporate body as series title This is not so much an instance of conflict resolution as it is simple clarification. Sometimes a series name will be identical to that of the issuing body. In this instance, the title is qualified by (Series).
Example:
- Archaeological Society of New Mexico (Series)
For further information see:
- LC Rule Interpretations – Chapter 25 – Uniform Titles
- CONSER Cataloging Manual – Part 1. Original Cataloging – Module 5. Uniform Titles (Fields 130 and 240)
- Provider-Neutral E-Monograph MARC Record Guide, rev. Sept. 2010 http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/bibco/PN-Guide.pdf
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