Glossary of Media Cataloging Terms

Glossary of Media
Cataloging Terms
Date created: May 13, 2004
Created by: Richard Carson
Date revised: May 24, 2004
Abstract Concept (ABC) A T-Rex tag for abstract
words, including: (1) those commonly thought of as
commercial concepts (Achievement, Freedom,
Opportunity); (2) academic disciplines (Astronomy,
Law, Mathematics); (3) style and genre terms used
on non-art content (Film noir, Jazz, Science fiction).
ABC is displayed among the Keywords & Descriptors
on the Enlargement page.
Accession Number (AN) An uncontrolled tag for
storing ID numbers coming from the image provider,
when the number identifies an object, typically a
museum artifact. The object can be the image itself,
in which case the number refers to the physical copy
that is in the source's possession. That same number
may also be entered as a Source Tag. AN is not
searched, and is displayed only on the Tags page and
not in Keywords & Descriptors.
Action, Process, or Activity (APA) A T-Rex tag
containing action words, particularly gerunds, such as
Walking; also words for broader areas of activity,
such as Baseball. It is similar to Generic Event, the
main difference being that APA terms are purely
generic and do not have a named equivalent. APA is
displayed among the Keywords & Descriptors on the
Enlargement page.
Additional Text (ATX) An uncontrolled tag for
notes that originate in-house, as distinct from Source
Text, which originates outside. ATX is not searched,
and is displayed only on the Tags page and not in
Keywords & Descriptors.
Alternate Formal Title (AFTI) An uncontrolled tag
for storing additional forms of an artwork's title so
that all can be searched on. It is entered within the
knowledge base of a Named Thing or Artwork. The
preferred form is entered as Formal Title. AFTI is
searched, but is displayed only on the Tags page and
Alternate Personal Name (APRN) An authority list
tag for storing additional forms of a person's name so
that all can be searched on. The tag is entered within
the knowledge base of a parent term that is in the
tag PRN. The APRN is considered an exact synonym
of the PRN, and therefore is the equivalent of a lead-
in in its purpose; but it is not a true lead-in, because
the tag is not in T-Rex and therefore does not have a
term type. APRN values are formatted in the same
way as PRN values, which means they may be
inverted. APRN is searched, but is displayed only on
the Tags page and not in Keywords & Descriptors.
AN see Accession Number.
Anatomy (ATY) A T-Rex tag for words denoting
anatomical parts, such as Eyes, as distinguished from
the entire living thing that they are part of. All such
terms, whether they relate to people, animals,
plants, or other lifeforms (or all of these), are
grouped under this one tag. ATY is displayed among
the Keywords & Descriptors on the Enlargement
page.
angle brackets (<>) Used to indicate italics. When
text is displayed within an environment that allows
italics, the string contained within the brackets is
italicized and the brackets themselves are omitted.
APA see Action, Process, or Activity.
APRN see Alternate Personal Name.
Artwork Subject (AWSB) A T-Rex tag for standard
recurring subjects and themes found in fine art: Still
lifes, Equestrian portraits, Crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
etc. It is usually entered into the knowledge base of a
Named Thing or Artwork, though it sometimes will be
found in an image record. It also has a knowledge
base of its own into which may be entered other
associated concepts, such as the name of a religion.
AWSB is displayed among the Keywords &
Descriptors on the Enlargement page.
ATS (1) Applied Technology Services, the company
that created CCM and Bobcat. (2) ATSServer, the
server on which CCM resides.
Attribute (ATT) A T-Rex tag for words that usually
refer to one characteristic of something depicted,
such as words relating to size, shape, color, or age.
ATT is displayed among the Keywords & Descriptors
on the Enlargement page.
ATX see Additional Text.
ATY see Anatomy.
authority list or authority file Any tag that
contains controlled vocabulary terms, but that lies
outside the T-Rex thesaurus and is a flat alphabetical
list with no hierarchical structure. For example, the
tag PRN is an authority list. Catalogers can add new
terms to an authority list but not to the thesaurus.
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authorized thesaurus term or preferred term A
type of thesaurus term that is available to be entered
into cataloging records as a keyword. When a
keyword has multiple spellings, synonyms, or other
variants, any of which might be searched on by
users, one version of the keyword is chosen to be the
authorized form and the others are made lead-ins.
The authorized form is the one the cataloger actually
enters into the record.
AWSB see Artwork Subject.
Bettmann Category (BCAT) An authority list tag
created for the importation of Bettmann Archive's
own system for classifying its images according to
their content. Most Bettmann images have one such
entry, though some have two, or none. The value
consists of an alphanumeric code denoting a subject
category, often followed by a verbal description.
BCAT is searched, but is displayed only on the Tags
page and not in Keywords & Descriptors.
Bettmann Collection Code (BCC) An authority list
tag created for the importation of original collection
codes from Bettmann Archive. Unlike Bettmann
Category (see above), every Bettmann image has a
collection code, and the value always consists only of
the code, and not the verbal description of the
collection. BCC is searched, but is displayed only on
Bettmann Keyword (BKW) An uncontrolled tag
created for the importation of original source
keywords from Bettmann Archive. Within a given
image record, each such keyword exists as a
separate iteration of the tag. BKW is searched, but is
displayed only on the Tags page and not in Keywords
& Descriptors.
Bobcat The user interface through which indexing
and cataloging information is entered into the CCM
database. The application was created by Applied
Technology Services.
broad(er) term see parent term.
Candidate Thesaurus Term (CTT) An authority list
tag used to store candidates for other tags, when
those tags are part of T-Rex. When a record requires
a term that does not exist yet, and that term, if it
existed, would logically be placed somewhere in the
T-Rex hierarchy, the cataloger can create it. The
cataloger specifies for which tag the term is a
candidate, in effect double-tagging it. The new term
is not actually in T-Rex, so it does not benefit from
thesaurus relationships and cannot be searched at
the same time as T-Rex. It can nevertheless be found
and used by other catalogers, and the search engine
will regard it as having some of the same properties
as the tag for which it is a candidate. If useful and as
time permits, it may go on to be added to T-Rex and
become an authorized term.
CAP see Image Caption.
caption see Image Caption; Source Caption; French
Caption; Knowledge Base Caption; title.
caret Used in T-Rex to append explanatory text to
an ambiguous value in order to clarify it. The
resulting text string is unique, thereby allowing the
same keyword to be used for multiple meanings. For
example, "Cranes^Birds" and "Cranes^Equipment"
are two separate values in T-Rex. The text beginning
with the caret is not displayed externally, but it still
can be searched so as to restrict a search to the
meaning desired.
Catalog Level (CTL) A T-Rex tag used to enter a
single letter or number into an image record or
knowledge base that gives a general indication of
which workflow stages it has passed through, and
therefore how complete it is likely to be, based on
defined standards for each level. Six levels (0-5) are
defined for image records and four (A-D) for
knowledge bases. The tag is automatically indented
to "Group:Processing Info" in the record. CTL is
neither searched nor displayed.
cataloging The manual entering or editing of data in
an image record or knowledge base, using Bobcat,
especially when it results in the upgrading of the
Catalog Level (see above) to a level higher than 3
(for an image record) or B (for a knowledge base).
CCM (Contiguous Connection Model) The
relational database into which indexing and
cataloging information is entered through the Bobcat
user interface. The database is in a proprietary
format owned by Applied Technology Services.
CCMSQL A database that replicates the contents of
CCM (see above), which is in a nonstandard format,
into one that can be more easily read by downstream
systems.
child term A term that is regarded as being "under"
another term (the other term being called a parent
term), such as: (1) A T-Rex term that is "included" or
"contained" within another, less specific term; for
example, Poodles is included within Dogs. In this
sense, also called a "narrow" or "narrower" term. The
narrower term is entered into the broader term's T-
Rex database record. (2) A term inside a knowledge
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base, relative to the term it describes. (3) A term
that is indented to another within a record.
CI see Credit Information.
clarification A method that enables the same value
to have different meanings that can be searched on
separately. For example, people who have the same
name can have separate keywords created for them,
each of which can be excluded from a search on the
others, even though to the user they look the same.
The separation is accomplished by appending either
sequential numbers or explanatory text to the values,
with a colon or caret in between, so that the values
are no longer the same. The extra text is not
displayed, but will be searched on if the user asks
that the search be restricted.
CM see Creator Modifier.
colon Used to join a tag and a value. Also used in
lead-ins and authority lists to indicate that what
follows is a number that serves only to differentiate
the value from others that otherwise would be
identical. The colon and number are to be stripped
from the value for external search and display
purposes.
Contiguous Connection Model see CCM.
controlled vocabulary A repository of keywords,
available for use while cataloging, that is regularly
maintained and controlled to conform to rules of style
and organization. Authority lists and the T-Rex
thesaurus together make up Corbis's controlled
vocabulary. Authority lists are less tightly controlled
than the thesaurus because of their broad scope,
which necessitates allowing more people to add to
them, but they are subject to the same rules.
Creator Modifier (CM) A T-Rex tag used within a
creator name structure (see below) to indicate that
an artwork or cultural feature is associated with a
particular person(s), even though that person is not,
or may not be, the actual or sole creator; for
example, a painting by an artist whose name is
unknown, but who is known to have been a student
of the artist whose name is given. CM is displayed in
parentheses as part of the "Creator Name"
information on the Enlargement page.
creator name structure An indentation structure by
which creation information is distinguished from
descriptive keywords in a record. Creation
information is attached (indented) to the Work Type,
Generic Thing, or Generic Cultural Feature to which it
refers. For example, when cataloging a photograph of
a building, the photographer's name is entered in the
image record, indented to the WT, and the architect's
name is entered in the building's knowledge base
record, indented to the GCF. The controlled
vocabulary used is exactly the same as if the
photographer or architect were depicted in the
image; the indentation structure is what
communicates that this person is the creator. In the
same structure also will be included the date of
creation, work dimensions, and any other known
information that refers to the creation of the item
and not to the depicted content.
Credit Information (CI) An uncontrolled tag for
information that might affect the credit line or
copyright notice and that has not already been
entered elsewhere; for example, a company name
stamped on the back of a photo that is different from
what the cataloger understands to be the current
source of the photo. CI is neither searched nor
displayed.
CTL see Catalog Level.
CTT see Candidate Thesaurus Term.
D A relevancy setting in Bobcat that is used to
indicate normal relevancy. It involves selecting a
check box that is labeled with the letter D. (The D
originally stood for "depicted," but the box is no
longer defined this way.) Checking the box
automatically causes the checked term to be
indented to "Group:Depicted," which the search
engine will interpret as normal relevancy.
dataflow The processes by which data stored in CCM
is extracted and manipulated for use by the search
engine.
DATE An uncontrolled tag used to store dates of all
kinds. A DATE value has no meaning until it is
combined with a Date Type (see following). If it is the
creation date of the image, it will display as "Date
Photographed" at the top of the Enlargement page. If
it is the creation date of an artwork or building
prominently depicted in the image, it will display as
"Date Created." Other kinds of dates are neither
searched nor displayed.
Date Type (DTP) A T-Rex tag used in combination
with the tag DATE (see above) to give it meaning by
indicating whether it refers to the creation date of the
image, the death date of the artist, etc. The DATE
tag:value pair is indented to the DTP tag:value pair
that describes it. DTP itself is neither searched nor
displayed; rather, it determines whether the date will
be searched and displayed.
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Depicted see D.
Descriptive Title see Image Title.
differentiation see clarification.
DR A relevancy setting in Bobcat that is used to
indicate high relevancy. It involves selecting a check
box that is labeled with the letter R (for "relevant").
Checking the box automatically also checks a second
box (labeled D) and causes the checked term to be
indented to "Group:Relevant," which the search
engine will interpret as high relevancy.
DSR A relevancy setting in which all three check
boxes are checked (not to be confused with the
broader topic of "DSR settings" in general). The
setting is officially not used, as it is considered to
have the same meaning as DR (see above), and
where it occurs, it should be interpreted as such.
DSR setting see relevancy setting.
DTI see Image Title.
DTP see Date Type.
facet A type of thesaurus term used to group words
that describe a general kind of item in terms of one
specific aspect. For example, Motorboats and
Sailboats are words for boats that describe how they
are powered, whereas Yachts and Trawlers describe
how they are used. Facets are used to group these
two kinds of words separately under the broader
term Watercraft.
FCAP see French Caption.
FDTI see French Image Title.
FKW see French Keyword.
FLIU see French Location Information Uncontrolled.
Formal Title (FTI) An uncontrolled tag entered into
the knowledge base of an artwork and usually
consisting of the work's formally recognized title (if
any), not italicized and minus any extraneous
information such as the artist's name. Other possible
forms of the title are entered as Alternate Formal
Title. FTI is searched, but is displayed only on the
Tags page and not in Keywords & Descriptors.
free text Any text entered into a record that is not
controlled vocabulary; e.g., a caption. Free text that
is searchable by outside users is assumed to have
low relevancy.
French Caption (FCAP) An uncontrolled tag created
for the importation of Sygma image captions written
in French. The French-language caption is mapped to
this tag, which then is automatically indented to
"Group:French Data" in the image record. The
English-language version is mapped to Source
Caption. FCAP is displayed under the French Image
Title (see following) when French is the chosen
language.
French Image Title (FDTI) An uncontrolled tag
created for the importation of Sygma image titles
written in French. The French-language title is
mapped to this tag, which then is automatically
indented to "Group:French Data" in the image record.
The English-language version is mapped to Image
Title. FDTI is displayed in bold at the top of the
Enlargement page when French is the chosen
language.
French Keyword (FKW) An uncontrolled tag
keywords from Sygma that are in French. Within a
given image record, each such keyword exists as a
separate iteration of the tag. The keywords are
indented to "Group:French Data" in the image record.
The English-language versions of the same keywords
receive the tag Sygma Keyword. FKW is displayed
among the Keywords & Descriptors on the
Enlargement page when French is the chosen
language.
French Location Information Uncontrolled
(FLIU) An uncontrolled tag created for the
importation of location information from Sygma that
uses the French-language equivalent (if any) of place
names. It is indented to "Group:French Data" in the
image record. The English-language version (if any)
is stored as Location Information Uncontrolled. Both
text strings are generated by concatenating several
data fields so as to mimic the format used in LIU
when it is entered manually. FLIU is displayed under
the French Image Title on the Enlargement page
when French is the chosen language.
FTI see Formal Title.
Generic Animal (GAN) A T-Rex tag containing most
names for kinds of animals. (Some terms that
describe animals are instead grouped under Attribute
or Role or Occupation. Body parts of animals are
under Anatomy. The word "Animals" itself is a Work
Subject.) It has a knowledge base into which may be
entered certain permanent facts, such as whether a
particular kind of fish is a tropical fish. GAN also may
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itself be entered into the knowledge base of a Named
Animal. GAN is displayed among the Keywords &
Generic Atmospheric or Weather Phenomenon
(GAWP) A T-Rex tag for weather-related words:
Clouds, Rain, Sunshine, etc. (The word "Weather"
itself is a Work Subject.) It may be entered into the
knowledge base of a Named Atmospheric or Weather
Phenomenon. GAWP is displayed among the
Keywords & Descriptors on the Enlargement page.
Generic Cultural Feature (GCF) A T-Rex tag for
words denoting kinds of places made or defined by
humans (Houses, Stores, Parks, etc.) or their
component parts (Floors, Chimneys, Lawns, etc.). It
differs from Generic Thing in that individual examples
of such objects have a fixed geographic location. GCF
may be entered into the knowledge base of a Named
Cultural Feature and have a creator name structure
attached to it. Features not created or defined by
humans are stored in Generic Topographic Feature
instead of this tag. GCF is displayed among the
Generic Event (GEV) A T-Rex tag for words
denoting kinds of events: Wars, Movie premieres,
Eclipses, etc. It is similar to Action, Process, or
Activity, but deals with blocks of time that are rather
more clearly and formally defined. It may be entered
into the knowledge base of a Named Event. GEV is
Enlargement page.
Generic Organization or Group (GORG) A T-Rex
tag for words denoting kinds of organizations or
other groups of human beings, both small and large:
Rock bands, Gangs, Advertising agencies, Middle
class, etc. (Words that simply denote the number of
human beings are under Total Number of People.) It
Organization or Group. GORG is displayed among the
Generic Plant (GPL) A T-Rex tag containing most
names for kinds of plants. (Some terms that describe
plants are instead grouped under Attribute. Parts of
plants are under Anatomy. The word "Plants" itself is
a Work Subject.) It has a knowledge base into which
may be entered certain permanent facts, such as
whether a particular species of birch is a tree or a
bush. GPL also may itself be entered into the
knowledge base of a Named Plant. GPL is displayed
Enlargement page.
Generic Supernatural, Mythological, or
Legendary Being (GSNB) A T-Rex tag for words
denoting kinds of beings that are otherworldly,
fantastic, or metaphorical: Angels, Fairies, Dragons,
etc. It may be entered into the knowledge base of a
Named Supernatural, Mythological, or Legendary
Being. GSNB is displayed among the Keywords &
Generic Thing (GTH) A T-Rex tag for words
denoting movable objects (Tools, Clothing, Vehicles),
substances (Water, Wood, Gold), foods and
beverages (Salads, Sandwiches, Coffee), intellectual
creations (Paintings, Motion pictures, Books), and
lifeforms other than animals and plants (Algae,
Bacteria, Fungi). It may be entered into the
knowledge base of a Named Thing or Artwork and
have a creator name structure attached to it,
provided a Work Type is not being entered instead
(though occasionally both may be entered). GTH also
has a knowledge base of its own, though it is not
officially used for anything but internal notes. Objects
with a fixed location, such as buildings, are stored in
Generic Cultural Feature instead of this tag. GTH is
Enlargement page.
Generic Thing Uncontrolled (GTHU) An
uncontrolled tag created for the importation of Corbis
cataloging data that was entered into the Image
Tracking Database (ITD) before the introduction of
Bobcat in 1997. It exists only in image records
having a Catalog Level of 4. When such a record is
upgraded to 5, this tag is replaced with controlled
vocabulary from the current tag Generic Thing (see
above) and sometimes also Attribute. GTHU is
searched, but is displayed only on the Tags page and
Generic Topographic Feature (GTF) A T-Rex tag
for words denoting kinds of places that are part of
the natural world: Mountains, Rivers, Forests, etc. It
Topographic Feature. Features created or defined by
humans are stored in Generic Cultural Feature
instead of this tag. GTF is displayed among the
Group A T-Rex tag whose only purpose is to group
terms from other tags. It allows terms from different
tags to be given the same characteristic, or terms
from the same tag to be given different
characteristics. The terms are grouped by indenting
them to the Group term in the record. For example,
all of the terms in a given image record or artwork
record that have the same relevancy setting are
indented to the same Group term in that record. In
T-Rex, Group serves to distinguish a term's lead-ins
and related terms from its narrower terms.
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high relevancy A relevancy setting that, depending
on the tag, is indicated by either DR or S.
IDX see Short Index.
IG see Internal Group.
Image Caption (CAP) An uncontrolled tag for free
text that provides more information about an image
than can be adequately conveyed by the Image Title
and keywords. It displays below the title on the
Website when the image is enlarged. Use of this tag
implies that the caption has been created by Media
Cataloging, though it may be almost entirely based
on Source Text or a Source Caption.
image record A data record in Bobcat that is
associated with one specific Corbis image ID
(alphanumeric) and receives all the cataloging data
unique to that image. The record also permits read-
only viewing of certain data originating elsewhere,
such as the contract name. Image records are one of
three kinds of records used in Bobcat, the others
being knowledge bases and Term records.
Image Set (ISET) An authority list tag entered in
image records to indicate that a group of images
functions as a unit, such as a series of high-speed
shots of a single continuous action. It is combined
with a Set Type that specifies how the images are
related. ISET is neither searched nor displayed.
Image Title (DTI) or short caption formerly
Descriptive Title An uncontrolled tag for storing the
relatively short image description that displays next
to the Corbis image ID on the Website. It is the text
that pops up when the mouse points to the image,
appears in boldface when the image is enlarged, and
appears in red in List view.
In Progress (INP) An uncontrolled tag that allows
Media Cataloging to create image sets for its own
internal purposes by giving a group of images its own
unique, temporary keyword that is searchable only in
Bobcat. Its primary purpose is to organize images
into cataloging assignments.
indentation A method in Bobcat of creating an ad
hoc relationship between terms that do not inherently
have such a relationship, within a specific cataloging
record. One term is literally indented to the other (as
it appears in Bobcat, similar to a bullet list). A third
term may be further indented to the second. The
resulting structure conveys a meaning, according to
predefined rules, that the separate terms by
themselves would not convey. For example, a person
may be the creator of one image and also depicted in
another image. In both records, the same term for
the person's name is entered, the only difference
being how it is indented.
indexing Initial steps in the cataloging process,
corresponding to Catalog Levels 1, 2, and 3. They
include creating the image record in CCM and
entering the Catalog Level and Image Title (both of
which are required for Bobcat to save the record).
Where applicable, the indexer also will enter an
Image Caption, Work Type, creator name and
creation date, Location Information, Source Text,
Source Tag, and Additional Text.
inheritance The automatic assigning of relevancy
settings to terms based on the setting given to
another term. If a term has a knowledge base with
other terms in it, or if it has walk-ups, these other
terms all inherit their settings from the original term.
Inheritance does not necessarily mean that all the
settings are made the same, only that they can be
determined automatically according to certain rules,
which may vary depending on the tag.
INP see In Progress.
Internal Group (IG) A T-Rex tag that was used to
group images belonging to special past projects not
fully covered by the ProjectName tag. It is indented
to "Group:Processing Info" in the record. Though still
available, IG has not been used in several years. IG
is neither searched nor displayed.
inversion The splitting of a phrase into two parts
and then switching their order for purposes of
alphabetization, such as listing people last name first.
Inversion is practiced in the tags Named Person,
Alternate Personal Name, and Named Topographic
Feature, where it is indicated by the presence of a
semicolon between the two parts.
ISET see Image Set.
italics see angle brackets.
KB see knowledge base.
KBCap see Knowledge Base Caption.
keyword (1) A text string, especially a controlled
vocabulary term, that is or can be searched on to
retrieve records. (2) To catalog.
knowledge base or KB A record for storing
cataloging data pertaining to a term rather than an
image; for example, a record that describes a
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building, independently of any images that may
depict the building. The term being described by the
record is called the parent term. Only certain tags
support the creation of knowledge bases. Unlike
Term records, knowledge bases can be added to by
catalogers. A term may have a Term record or a
knowledge base, or both, or neither. A knowledge
base may simply contain in-house notes to aid in
clarification, or it may contain searchable keywords.
If it contains keywords, then whether the keywords
should be searched and/or displayed depends on the
relevancy setting of the parent term.
Knowledge Base Caption (KBCap) An uncontrolled
tag that is the equivalent of Image Caption but
describes an artwork rather than a Corbis image and
is entered into the knowledge base of a Named Thing
or Artwork rather than an image record. KBCap is
neither searched nor displayed.
lead-in A type of thesaurus term that acts as a
synonym, usually for an authorized term. It may be
simply a variant spelling or an entirely different word
that means the same thing. Unless it is a proper
name, a lead-in is spelled with a lowercase first
letter. It is entered into the authorized term's record,
indented to "Group:Lead In Terms." Lead-ins serve
two purposes: They enable external users to search
on more than one form of the same term, and they
guide internal users of T-Rex to the authorized form.
Lead-ins are displayed only on the Tags page and not
in Keywords & Descriptors.
LIU see Location Information Uncontrolled.
LM see Location Modifier.
localization The processes involved in translating
cataloging data, especially controlled vocabulary,
from American English into other languages, for use
on Websites in other countries.
Location Information Uncontrolled (LIU) An
uncontrolled tag for storing the text string labeled as
"Location Information" on the Website, displayed
below the Image Title when the image is enlarged
and usually consisting of more than one name
separated by commas ("Seattle, Washington, USA").
This same information also is covered by the
controlled tags Named Cultural Feature and
sometimes also Named Topographic Feature, but
those tags normally are used only when a record is
being fully upgraded.
Location Modifier (LM) A T-Rex tag that qualifies
location information entered into a record, usually to
indicate that the location given is not the actual
setting of the image; for example, the nearest town.
It is especially important in artwork records as an
indicator of where the artwork is currently located.
The location(s) being thus modified may be a Named
Cultural Feature, a Named Topographic Feature,
and/or Location Information Uncontrolled, all
indented to the Location Modifier in the record.
low relevancy A relevancy setting that, depending
on the tag, is indicated either by the complete
absence of check boxes or by three unchecked
boxes.
mapping The preparation of source data for
importation into CCM by comparing it to, and where
possible matching it up with, Corbis's own data. For
example, if the source used a keyword in a way that
exactly corresponds to one of Corbis's authorized
thesaurus terms, the source keyword will be mapped
to the Corbis term. During the import, the Corbis
term will replace the source term. Data that does not
exactly correspond to controlled vocabulary may be
imported as free text with a particular tag attached.
Materials and Techniques (MT) An uncontrolled
tag for listing, in a single entry, all the individual
components that were used to create a Named Thing
or Artwork, especially if unusual or not already
covered by other tags. MT is neither searched nor
displayed.
metadata All the data attached to an image, as
distinguished from the image itself.
MT see Materials and Techniques.
Name Type (NTP) A T-Rex tag formerly used to
categorize proper names of people by specifying
given name, married name, stage name, etc. Unlike
dates, it was not essential for a name to have a type
in order to be meaningful. While use of this tag has
been discontinued, it still may be encountered in
older PRN records. NTP is neither searched nor
displayed.
Named Animal (NAN) An authority list tag for
storing proper names of individual animals, such as
famous racehorses. It has a knowledge base into
which is placed a corresponding term from Generic
Animal. Some fictional characters qualify for inclusion
in this tag. NAN is displayed among the Keywords &
Named Atmospheric or Weather Phenomenon
(NAWP) A T-Rex tag for storing proper names of
famous weather events, mostly hurricanes. It has a
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knowledge base into which is placed a corresponding
term from Generic Atmospheric or Weather
Phenomenon. NAWP is displayed among the
Named Cultural Feature (NCF) A T-Rex tag for
storing proper names of locations created or defined
by humans, such as cities and countries. It is
organized geographically so that entering a city
automatically also enters the country, etc., via the
walk-up. It has a knowledge base into which are
placed one or more corresponding terms from
Generic Cultural Feature. If the feature is a
prominent architectural work, it also may be given a
creator name structure, work style, or other pertinent
information. (These architecture records may
someday be grouped elsewhere.) Features not
created or defined by humans are stored in Named
Topographic Feature instead of this tag. NCF is
Enlargement page.
Named Event (NEV) A T-Rex tag for storing proper
names of events, both one-time (Lewis and Clark
Expedition, World War II) and recurring (Academy
Awards ceremonies, Christmas). It has a knowledge
base into which are placed one or more
corresponding terms from Generic Event. NEV is
Enlargement page.
Named Organization or Group (NORG) A T-Rex
tag for storing proper names that denote more than
one person, such as rock bands, corporations, and
armies. It has a knowledge base into which are
Generic Organization or Group. NORG is displayed
Enlargement page, when not part of a creator name
structure.
Named Person (PRN) formerly Person Name An
authority list tag for storing proper names of
individual persons, both real and fictional. It has a
knowledge base into which are placed one or more
corresponding terms from Attribute, and sometimes
other information, such as alternate forms of the
name that also should be searchable. PRN is
Enlargement page, when not part of a creator name
structure.
Named Person Uncontrolled (PRNU) formerly
Person Name Uncontrolled An uncontrolled tag for
storing proper names of people when the name
comes from an outside source (such as Sygma) and
is not being mapped to any corresponding value in
Named Person (see above). PRNU is displayed among
page.
Named Plant (NPL) An authority list tag for storing
proper names of individual plants, such as the Lone
Cypress Tree. It has a knowledge base into which is
placed a corresponding term from Generic Plant. NPL
is displayed among the Keywords & Descriptors on
the Enlargement page.
Named Supernatural, Mythological, or
Legendary Being (NSNB) A T-Rex tag for storing
certain kinds of proper names that do not qualify for
inclusion in Named Person or Named Animal, such as
deities, personifications of abstract concepts, and
talking animals or other fantastic creatures. It has a
knowledge base into which often is placed a
corresponding term from Generic Supernatural,
Mythological, or Legendary Being; but it may contain
whatever tag is necessary to describe what the being
is or represents. NSNB is displayed among the
Named Supernatural, Mythological, or
Legendary Location (NSNL) A T-Rex tag
containing a handful of terms denoting religious ideas
that can be depicted as places but that are not of this
world, such as Heaven. It has a knowledge base but
no corresponding generic tag. NSNL is displayed
Enlargement page.
Named Thing or Artwork (NTAW) An authority list
tag for storing proper names of unique objects,
particularly artworks. It has a knowledge base into
which are placed one or more corresponding terms
from Work Type (if an artwork), Generic Thing, or
both, and a creator name structure if applicable.
While this tag is used on all content, it is central to
fine art cataloging. For visual artworks it is the
equivalent of an image record, permitting full
description of everything represented in the artwork,
including relevancy settings. The record of an image
that depicts an artwork may be minimal, almost all of
the information being contained within the knowledge
base of the NTAW. By contrast, a non-art object,
such as a ship or airplane, may have only a single
GTH in its knowledge base. NTAW is displayed among
page.
Named Topographic Feature (NTF) A T-Rex tag
for storing proper names of locations that are part of
the natural world, such as mountains and rivers. It is
organized geographically so that entering a mountain
automatically also enters the range, etc., via the
walk-up. It has a knowledge base into which are
Generic Topographic Feature. Features created or
Page 8 of 13

defined by humans are stored in Named Cultural
Feature instead of this tag. NTF is displayed among
page.
NAN see Named Animal.
narrow(er) term see child term.
NAWP see Named Atmospheric or Weather
Phenomenon.
NCF see Named Cultural Feature.
NEV see Named Event.
NORG see Named Organization or Group.
normal relevancy A relevancy setting that,
depending on the tag, is indicated either by D or by a
single unchecked box.
NPL see Named Plant.
NSNB see Named Supernatural, Mythological, or
Legendary Being.
NSNL see Named Supernatural, Mythological, or
Legendary Location.
NTAW see Named Thing or Artwork.
NTF see Named Topographic Feature.
NTP see Name Type.
Other Classifications and Identifiers (OC) An
uncontrolled tag for storing ID numbers or categories
that differ from Corbis IDs and that do not qualify for
Source Tag, either because they are applied to more
than one record or because they come from a source
other than the image provider. OC is not searched,
and is displayed only on the Tags page and not in
Keywords & Descriptors.
Other Keyword (OKW) An uncontrolled tag for
storing keywords that come from the image provider
(other than Bettmann Archive or Sygma) when the
keywords are not being mapped to any
corresponding value in Corbis's own controlled
vocabulary. Within a given image record, each such
keyword exists as a separate iteration of the tag.
Depending on the source, these keywords may or
may not be retained when the image record is
upgraded. OKW is searched, but is displayed only on
parent term A term that is regarded as being
"above" another term (the other term being called a
child term), such as: (1) A T-Rex term that "includes"
or "contains" another, more specific term; for
example, Dogs includes Poodles. In this sense, also
called a "broad" or "broader" term, or a walk-up. The
narrower term is entered into the broader term's T-
Rex database record. (2) A term that has a
knowledge base, seen in relation to whatever is
inside the knowledge base. (3) A term that has
another term indented to it within a record.
Person Name see Named Person.
Pictorial Technique or Effect (PICT) A T-Rex tag
for technical qualities visible within an image or
artwork: Blur, Foreshortening, Silhouette, etc.
Technical terms that describe the medium of the
image or artwork as a whole, such as whether it is a
photograph or painting, are under Work Type. PICT is
Enlargement page.
placeholder A type of thesaurus term that occupies
a particular place in the hierarchy but is not a
keyword. Usually, a placeholder serves the purpose
of organizing other terms under a single heading. It
is an aid to people who view the thesaurus directly,
but is not part of the vocabulary that actually gets
entered into cataloging records.
Point of View (POV) A T-Rex tag for words
describing the position of the observer relative to
what is depicted: View from above, Close-up view,
Underwater view, etc. POV is displayed among the
polyhierarchy The placement of a term in a
thesaurus in more than one category, so that it walks
up to more than one other term. In T-Rex,
polyhierarchy can be done only within the same tag.
postcombination The entering of a phrase into a
cataloging record by entering parts of the phrase as
separate keywords ("Red" and "Apple"), rather than
a single keyword containing the entire phrase ("Red
apple"). Opposite of precombination.
POV see Point of View.
precombination The creation or use of a single
keyword combining two or more words or ideas that
could be entered as separate keywords; e.g., "Young
adult woman." Opposite of postcombination.
Page 9 of 13

preferred term see authorized thesaurus term.
PRN see Named Person.
PRNU see Named Person Uncontrolled.
Reference (RE) An uncontrolled tag for entering
names of reference works consulted while cataloging.
It serves the same purpose as the Reference Type
structure (see below), but is a standalone tag that
contains all the information in a single value. Though
simpler, it is less versatile than the Reference Type
structure, which allows for more kinds of
relationships and for the use of terms that have
already been created. RE is neither searched nor
displayed.
Reference Type (REF) An uncontrolled tag that
modifies a publication title or Web address to indicate
that information in the record was acquired from it,
or that the image was published in it. The
relationship to the record is indicated by indenting a
Named Thing or Artwork or Uniform Resource Locator
to the Reference Type. This structure may be entered
in any kind of record. REF is neither searched nor
displayed.
related term An authorized thesaurus term that is
conceptually associated with another, but not in an
equivalent or hierarchical sense. For example,
Jockeys and Racehorses are associated, but not in
the sense that one means the same thing as, or
includes, the other. When this kind of relationship is
indicated in a Term record, catalogers who browse T-
Rex in Bobcat can see both terms at the same time
and enter them into a record, without having to
search on each one separately.
relevancy setting or relevancy marking A mark
next to a single keyword in an image record or
artwork record, indicating that keyword's perceived
relevancy. All terms in a record are at one of three
levels of relevancy: low, normal, or high. The level
partly affects how high up the image appears in the
search results. Relevancy settings allow for the
manipulation of individual records so that the same
keyword can be weighted higher for one image than
for another. In Bobcat, check boxes are used to set
the level. This functionality exists only for certain
controlled tags, and to varying degrees. (Relevancy
is commonly referred to as "DSR settings," because
the check boxes are labeled with these letters in
Bobcat, though the original significance of these
letters no longer applies.)
Relevant see DR.
Religious, Political, Philosophical, or Social
Issue (RPS) A T-Rex tag for conceptual words that,
unlike those in Abstract Concept, are always human-
related and generally are more specific, less
commercial, and more often controversial or
negative, such as Poverty, Racism, Drug use, etc. It
includes words for religions (Christianity, Judaism,
etc.) and forms of government (Democracy,
Monarchy, etc.). RPS is displayed among the
Role or Occupation (ROL) A T-Rex tag for words
that describe people and animals in terms of their
status within the context of an image (Pet owner and
Pet), as opposed to inherent characteristics (Man and
Dog). ROL is displayed among the Keywords &
RPS see Religious, Political, Philosophical, or Social
Issue.
S A relevancy setting in Bobcat that is used to
indicate high relevancy. It involves selecting a check
box that is labeled with the letter S. (The S originally
stood for "subject," but the box is no longer defined
this way.) Checking the box automatically causes the
checked term to be indented to "Group:Subject,"
which the search engine will interpret as high
relevancy.
SCAP see Source Caption.
ScopeNote A tag for storing internal notes inside a
Term record, such as a definition, restrictions on how
the term is to be used, or suggestions for other
terms that might be used instead or in addition.
semicolon Used in values under the tags Named
Person, Alternate Personal Name, and Named
Topographic Feature to indicate that the value is
inverted. When it is found under one of these tags,
the value is to be put back into direct order for
customer search and display. It does not have this
meaning when it appears under Named Thing or
Artwork.
Set Type (STP) A T-Rex tag that is indented to the
name of an Image Set to specify how the images
function as a set. STP is neither searched nor
displayed.
short caption see Image Title.
Short Index (IDX) A T-Rex tag patterned after
Work Subject but going into greater detail in some
areas, formerly used during indexing to upgrade an
image record up to a Catalog Level of 3. Though no
Page 10 of 13

longer used, it still will be found in older level 3
records. IDX is displayed among the Keywords &
SNA see Supernatural Being Attribute.
Source Caption (SCAP) An uncontrolled tag for the
importation of captions written by an outside source,
when it is desired that the caption be made
immediately viewable and searchable externally
(otherwise it may be imported as Source Text). It
displays under the Image Title on the Website when
the image is enlarged, and is distinguished from
Image Caption by the automatic addition of the
phrase "Original Caption:" at the beginning. If a
Source Caption is viewable, then no Image Caption
exists. If the caption turns out to be unsuitable,
either an Image Caption will be written or, if this is
not sensible, the Source Caption can be demoted to
Source Text, either of which will suppress it.
Source Tag (SRT) An uncontrolled tag for storing a
unique image ID that comes from the source and is
different from Corbis's own ID for the same image. If
the image is part of a historical collection, the same
ID also may be entered as an Accession Number. SRT
is neither searched nor displayed.
Source Text (STX) An uncontrolled tag for storing
information that comes directly from the image
provider, may be needed by the cataloger, and is not
being mapped to other tags. For example, a
paragraph that might make a suitable caption, but
that is not known to be reliable enough to be mapped
directly to Source Caption, will be stored as Source
Text instead and evaluated more closely during the
cataloging stage. Notes that originate in-house are
stored in Additional Text instead of this tag. STX is
not searched, and is displayed only on the Tags page
and not in Keywords & Descriptors.
Special Considerations (SPC) An uncontrolled tag
for storing legal information about a specific image,
such as restrictions or model release numbers. The
Media Cataloging Department can view this tag in
Bobcat and even enter it into the image record, if
requested to do so by the Legal team. SPC is not
searched, and is displayed only on the Tags page and
square brackets ([]) Used in Candidate Thesaurus
Terms to append internal notes to the end of a value,
such as to specify what the term's parent should be if
it is added to T-Rex. The brackets and everything
between them are to be stripped from the value for
search and display purposes.
SRT see Source Tag.
STP see Set Type.
strip and flip To modify a keyword value, if
necessary, so that it is in a format more appropriate
for search and display. A keyword value may include
extra text to aid in clarification, and it also may be
inverted for purposes of alphabetization. Such
keywords need to be stripped or flipped or both
before being presented to external users. Text that
should be stripped is indicated by the use of square
brackets, carets, and sometimes colons. Most uses of
semicolons indicate values that are inverted.
structure The various ways in which tags, values,
and tag:value pairs are combined with each other to
create larger units having meaning.
STX see Source Text.
Subject see S.
Supernatural Being Attribute (SNA) An
uncontrolled tag for describing fantastic creatures
when the description is too complicated to be
captured adequately with controlled vocabulary; e.g.,
"laurel tree branches for arms," "multiple human-
headed snakes." SNA is searched, but is displayed
only on the Tags page and not in Keywords &
Descriptors.
Sygma Keyword (SYGKW) An uncontrolled tag
keywords from Sygma. Within a given image record,
each such keyword exists as a separate iteration of
the tag. Usually, Sygma keywords describe an image
set rather than a single image. SYGKW is displayed
Enlargement page.
TAC see Thing or Artwork Component.
tag One of the top-level categories into which values
are classified, or a prefix that denotes such a
category. When attached to a value, the prefix
specifies what kind of information the value
represents, so that the search engine knows what (if
anything) to do with the value; for example, whether
to format and display it as a title. Values that have
the same tag attached to them are thought of
collectively as "belonging to" or being "in" or "under"
that tag. Tags that are part of T-Rex are more tightly
controlled than other tags. ("Tagging" also can
simply mean cataloging, which consists of entering
tag:value pairs into records; see below.)
tag:value The form assumed by a term, that of a
tag (see above) and a value joined by a colon. All
Page 11 of 13

three elements must be present for the data to be
usable. Usually this is simply called a term (or, less
correctly, a keyword), but because those words can
sometimes be vague, saying "tag:value pair" is an
unambiguous way of referring to these pieces of data
when clarity is essential.
TDS see Time of Day or Season.
term (1) Term A tag that contains every record in
the T-Rex thesaurus database. (2) The value of the
parent term of a Term record. (3) Any tag:value pair,
whether or not it is part of T-Rex.
TermType A tag containing four values, one of which
is entered into the record of each term (see above) in
T-Rex. A T-Rex term may be an authorized thesaurus
term, a lead-in, a placeholder, or a facet.
Termulator An application used to store and
manage multilingual translations of controlled
vocabulary for localization purposes.
thesaurus Controlled vocabulary that, in addition to
governing the spelling of terms, also recognizes three
kinds of relationships between terms: equivalent
(lead-ins), hierarchical (broader and narrower
terms), and associative (related terms). Corbis's own
in-house thesaurus is called T-Rex.
Thing or Artwork Component (TAC) A T-Rex tag
used to associate a Named Thing or Artwork record
either to another such record or to an image, such as
to show a part-whole relationship. For example, an
NTAW record may describe a set of items, and there
also may be records for some or all of the individual
items in the set. The other records all are linked to
the first by using TAC in an indentation structure
within those records.
Time of Day or Season (TDS) A T-Rex tag
containing words for the broad divisions of the day
and year, such as Morning and Autumn. Except for
Noon and Midnight, specific times of day are not
stored here, but will be mentioned in a title or
caption if necessary. TDS is displayed among the
title see Image Title; Formal Title; Alternate Formal
Title; French Image Title.
Total Number of People (TNP) A T-Rex tag for
entering the number of people depicted in an image
or artwork. It drives the "Number of People" filter on
the "Advanced Search" Web page. TNP is displayed
Enlargement page.
Transmogrifier A set of conversion rules for
identifying which data in CCM should be displayed on
the Corbis Website and how.
T-Rex The name given to Corbis's thesaurus, aka
Thesaurus Rex. The T-Rex database is accessible
through the same interface (Bobcat) used for
cataloging. The Controlled Vocabulary team can open
and modify the database within Bobcat, at the same
time that others can view and search it to find
authorized terms to enter into records.
uncontrolled text see free text.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) An uncontrolled
tag for storing Web addresses that have something
to do with the record, such as a Website that
corroborates what the cataloger has entered, or one
on which the image has been published. Its
relationship to the record is indicated by indenting it
to a Reference Type. URL is neither searched nor
displayed.
Unsynchronized (UNS) A tag that contains only
one value ("NotSynced"). It enables catalogers to
continue working in the CCM database when the
Image Tracking Database (ITD) is down. The term is
automatically generated by Bobcat within all records
that are saved during the downtime. When ITD
comes back, these records are resynced with ITD by
searching on "UNS:NotSynced" to retrieve them,
deleting the term from the records, and resaving
them.
upgrade The editing of an image record so that it
meets the standards of a higher Catalog Level,
usually level 5.
URL see Uniform Resource Locator.
validation Confirmation as to whether a potential
term does or does not already exist within the
controlled vocabulary.
value A string of text, of any length, that constitutes
a discrete unit of information: a keyword, title,
caption, date, internal code, etc. Before it can be
used, every such unit must have a tag attached to it
that specifies what kind of information it is.
variant term see lead-in.
walk-up A broader term in a thesaurus. When a T-
Rex term is entered into a cataloging record as a
Page 12 of 13

keyword, and that term has walk-ups that
themselves are keywords, all of the walk-ups also are
automatically attached to the record and also will
retrieve it. Thus, the cataloger needs to enter only
the keyword that is most specific.
Work Dimensions (WD) An uncontrolled tag for
describing the physical dimensions of an object (e.g.,
"882 ft. long"). It may be entered into the knowledge
base of a Named Thing or Artwork or Named Cultural
Feature. WD is neither searched nor displayed.
Work Style (WST) A T-Rex tag for words describing
art and architecture styles (Impressionist, Victorian,
etc.). It can be applied to an artwork or structure
depicted in an image, and occasionally to the image
itself. Words that pertain to genre rather than style
are under Artwork Subject (for visual art) or Abstract
Concept (for literature and music). Words for visual
effects not unique to any style are under Pictorial
Technique or Effect. WST is displayed among the
Work Subject (WSB) A T-Rex tag for major subject
headings such as Sports, Agriculture, Industry, etc.
In practice, virtually every image record receives at
least one such entry, with the maximum tending
around five, though officially there is no required
number. Artwork records may be given an Artwork
Subject instead of or in addition to this tag.
Sometimes WSB implies the presence of some
specific other tag in the record that is important; for
example, "WSB:Wildlife" means that there probably
also is a term from Generic Animal in the record and
that it is highly relevant. Other WSB terms, such as
Government, are broader than any one tag and can
be represented in many ways. WSB is displayed
Enlargement page.
Work Type (WT) A T-Rex tag for words that
describe the medium of the image being cataloged
(whether it is a photograph, computer image, etc.) or
of the artwork depicted in the image (whether it is a
painting, statue, etc.). The same work may have
more than one Work Type. Other kinds of information
that pertain to the image or artwork itself rather than
its content, such as who created it and when, are
identified as such by indenting them to the Work
Type. WT is displayed among the Keywords &
Page 13 of 13

Glossary of Media Cataloging Terms

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