Introducing name authority into an ETD collection

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate a workflow for establishing name authority in uncontrolled collections. Design/methodology/approach – The authors developed a workflow incorporating command-line tools and tested it in the electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) collection. The authors narrowed the scope of the study to born-digital ETDs in the collection and to contributor names, including chairs and committee members. Findings – This workflow can save staff time and allows for flexible implementation depending on staff numbers and skills as well as institutional needs. Originality/value – This workflow could be used by other institutions with little or no modification, as it does not rely on specialized software or extensive expertise.