This document provides an overview of relationships in RDA, including definitions of key terms, characteristics of relationships, relationship elements, and recording methods. It discusses what a relationship is, how relationships are expressed in RDA through relationship elements, and how each relationship element has a domain and range. It also briefly outlines the different types of recording methods available in RDA and how unstructured descriptions can be used. Finally, it provides information on accessing exercises and application profiles related to relationships through the RDA Toolkit.

1. Relationship Basics
Session 1

2. Topics Covered
• What is a Relationship?
• Relationships in RDA
• Relationship Elements
• Domain and Range
• Recording Methods
• Exercises and Toolkit Information
Relationship Basics. Session 1 2

3. Relationship Basics. Session 1 3
What is a Relationship?

4. Definition
• “A connection or relation between
things”—Macmillan Dictionary
Relationship Basics. Session 1 4
Thing 1 Thing 2

5. Some Characteristics
• Relationships are inherently reciprocal
▪ Example: Jacqueline Carey is the author of Godslayer
▪ Example: Godslayer has author Jacqueline Carey
• Relationships help identify one thing by
defining its relationship to another
▪ Example: Jacqueline Carey, the author of Godslayer,
not Jacqueline Carey, the author of It’s a Crime
• Relationships can be expressed with
different levels of specificity
▪ Example: Jacqueline Carey is the creator of Godslayer
▪ Example: Jacqueline Carey is the author of Godslayer
Relationship Basics. Session 1 5

6. Relationship Basics. Session 1 6
Relationships in RDA

7. Glossary Definitions
• Relationship: a specific association
between two entities
• Relationship element: an element
that relates two RDA entities
• Relationship designator
See: Relationship element
Relationship Basics. Session 1 7

8. What’s the Difference?
• Relationship elements express
relationships only between RDA entities
▪ Example: Godslayer has author person
Jacqueline Carey
• Relationships may relate RDA entities to
non-RDA entities
▪ Example: Godslayer has category of work
fantasy fiction
• Every relationship element expresses a
relationship but not all relationships are
expressed with relationship elements
Relationship Basics. Session 1 8

9. Relationship Basics. Session 1 9
Relationship Elements

10. Original RDA
• Original RDA had relationship
elements
▪ Example: Creator
• Original RDA had relationship
designators that were a
“refinement” of the relationship
▪ Example: Composer: Ortiz, Gabriela
o Represents creator relationship
Relationship Basics. Session 1 10

11. From Designator to Element
• Creator is a relationship element
• Composer is a type of creator
• Therefore, composer is a relationship
element
• Designators were always shown as
properties in RDA Registry
• T
Relationship Basics. Session 1 11

12. Attribute Element
vs. Relationship Element
• Both describe an RDA entity
• Both may have multiple recording
methods available to record value
of an element
• Difference is whether the value
recorded is an RDA entity
Relationship Basics. Session 1 12

13. Some Characteristics
• A relationship element has an
inverse relationship element
▪ Example: creator agent of work
▪ Example: creator agent of work of
• A relationship element has a
domain and a range
Relationship Basics. Session 1 13

14. Relationship Basics. Session 1 14
Domain and Range

15. Glossary Definitions
• Domain: the RDA entity that is
described by an element.
• Range: the RDA entity that is the
value of a relationship element.
Relationship Basics. Session 1 15
Domain Range
relationship element

16. Determining Domain and Range
• Consult the Element Reference Box
▪ Located on element page below
Definition and Scope
• Use the verbalized label
▪ Located in Element Reference under
“Alternate labels”
▪ Have verbs
o Example: has title of work
o Example: is title of work of
Relationship Basics. Session 1 16

17. Element Reference Box
Relationship Basics. Session 1 17
RDA entity that is described
by an element
RDA entity that is the value
of a relationship element

18. Relationship Basics. Session 1 18
Thomas Jefferson
High School
Ezra Jack Keats
is graduate of
Domain: Person Range: Corporate Body
element label
The verbalized label
helps understand
the essence of the
relationship
record a value
for the element
is
Example

19. Relationship Matrix
• You may have seen this in
presentations or used it from the
beta Toolkit Resources tab
• This was removed from the beta
Toolkit so it is not covered in this
module
• See Removing the Relationship
Matrix on Toolkit website
Relationship Basics. Session 1 19

20. Relationship Basics. Session 1 20
Recording Methods
Note: this is a brief overview. More will be discussed in a later
session.

21. Overview
• All elements have between 1-4
recording methods available
• All elements have sections for each
method, but, if not applicable, it
will say “This recording method is
not applicable to this element.”
• Instructions are on element pages
and Guidance: Recording methods
Relationship Basics. Session 1 21

22. Types of Recording Methods
• Unstructured description
▪ Example: 평창군
• Structured description
▪ Example: P'yŏngch'ang-gun (Korea)
• Identifier
▪ Example: 141874639
• IRI
▪ Example: http:/viaf.org/viaf/141874639
Relationship Basics. Session 1 22

23. Unstructured Description
• “A recording method that is a
human-readable string that is an
uncontrolled full or partial
description of an entity or an
uncontrolled term describing an
aspect of an entity”—Glossary
• Includes notes, keywords,
transcribed data
Relationship Basics. Session 1 23

24. Unstructured Description in
Original RDA for Relationships
• Original RDA had this for WEMI
entities (24.4.3)
• Original RDA allowed “…description of
the related resource written as a
sentence or paragraph”
• Example:
▪ The 1968 film Romeo and Juliet is a
motion picture adaptation of Romeo
and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Relationship Basics. Session 1 24

25. Unstructured Description in New
RDA for Relationship Elements
• New RDA allows for this recording
method for relationship elements
for all 13 RDA entities
• Record value as a “name of…” or
“title of … element”
• Example:
▪ motion picture adaptation of work
Romeo and Juliet
Relationship Basics. Session 1 25

26. Relationship Basics. Session 1 26
Exercises and Toolkit
Information
Application profiles, exercises, and worksheet are
all found in beta Toolkit as RDA University
Documents

27. Accessing RDA University Documents
• Make sure you are logged into beta
Toolkit with your profile
▪ See Using the Beta RDA Toolkit [pdf]
for help
• Select ”Documents” from Toolbar
• Select “Subscribe” Tab
Relationship Basics. Session 1 27

28. Subscribing to RDA U Documents
• Find RDA Lab Series
Relationship Basics
AP 1
• Click on “Subscribe to
Document”
underneath the title
• Click on RDA Toolkit
logo in top left of
website to return to
homepage
Relationship Basics. Session 1 28

29. Finding Subscribed Document
• Available 2 ways
1. By selecting“Documents” from
Toolbar
2. In “Documents” box underneath
“Recently Viewed”
• Listed on Documents page
Relationship Basics. Session 1 29

30. Application Profile Contents
• The AP is on this page with clickable Table
of Contents
• 2 MS Word documents
▪ Use Relationship Basics Exercise 1 for
surrogate resource information
▪ Use Relationship Basics Worksheet 1 to fill
in elements
Relationship Basics. Session 1 30

31. If you don’t have a profile
• Create one!
• Cannot subscribe to a document
without a profile
• For current subscribers, existing
profile will work if the name is
globally unique
• Current subscribers without a
profile can create one
Relationship Basics. Session 1 31

32. Creating a Profile
Relationship Basics. Session 1 32
After logged in,
click on
Profile>Create
Profile Account
Box changes to dark blue
when logged in

33. Relationship Basics. Session 1 33
For More Information…

34. Beta Toolkit Information
• RDA Toolkit YouTube channel
videos
▪ Using the entity page elements list
▪ Beta Site—Searching
▪ Beta Site—Linking Tool
• Using the Beta RDA Toolkit [pdf]
• RDA Beta Toolkit Basics [pdf]
Relationship Basics. Session 1 34

35. Beta RDA and 3R Information
• RDA Toolkit YouTube channel videos
▪ RDA Concepts playlist (7 videos)
• RSC website presentations
▪ Everything Old is New Again [pdf]
▪ RDA Cataloguing and Linked Data [pdf]
• Beta Toolkit/3R Project FAQ
• RSC/Chair/2019/1 [pdf]
Relationship Basics. Session 1 35

36. Acknowledgements
• Graphics on slides 17-18 modified from
▪ Dominique Bourassa, A Quickstart Guide to
RDA Terminology: Elements, SES, and VES,
January 2020
• Graphics on slides 11, 27-30, and 33 are
modified screenshots from the RDA Registry
and beta RDA Toolkit
• Thanks to these individuals for information on
beta Toolkit and 3R Project issues:
▪ Kathy Glennan, RSC Chair
▪ Linda Barnhart, RSC Secretary
▪ James Hennelly, Director, ALA Digital Reference
Relationship Basics. Session 1 36