C: Creator

Definition: An entity primarily responsible for making the content of the resource.

Obligation: Mandatory.

What is this element?

Use the Creator element to capture the name of the organisation or person primarily responsible for the content of the resource, or the provision of the service. Only rarely will this be an individual person, or an organisation other than that providing the service or resource.

When describing a service, the Creator will always be the name of the agency providing the service.

When describing an agency, use a default value "Crown" for state sector organisations, or the name of the creating authority for agencies established by local government.

The Creator element allows searchers to find resources based on the creator of those resources. For example, it allows a searcher to discover all resources or services created by the Ministry of Education, or all books written by Maurice Gee.

For resources created by government, this element value contains the name of the agency responsible for creating the resource or the service.

Creator and other elements

Where an agency is not responsible for the content, it cannot be the Creator. If it simply distributes an item or resource, record it under Availability or Publisher as appropriate.

If there are more than three agencies or people sharing the role of primary creator and responsibility for the content, record only the first listed as Creator, and if the information is likely to be useful, record the others as Contributors, using the jointAuthor refinement.

Repetition

Where up to three agencies or people share the role of primary creator and responsibility for the content, repeat the Creator element. [Note that the order in which they are displayed cannot be guaranteed. If order is important then treat the one that must come first as creator, and the others as contributors.]

Qualifiers

Encoding schemes

Use the NZGLS Agent Encoding scheme. This will encourage consistency and give guidance on an appropriate level of detail to give. [See Appendix 3.]

Do not attempt to use all components, only enter the detail necessary. Alternatively, a URL link to a directory, authority file or similar set of identity information may be provided.

Selected NZGLS Agent Encoding Scheme components

The NZGLS Agent Encoding Scheme is a set of components of contact information for persons or organisations. Components are optional and should only be used when they give useful information. The components most likely to be appropriate are:

Examples