Encoded Archival Description Tag Library, Version 2002
EAD Elements
<abstract> Abstract
Description:
A very brief summary of the materials being described, used primarily to encode bits of biographical or historical information about the creator and abridged statements about the scope, content, arrangement, or other descriptive details about the archival unit or one of its components.
Within the <archdesc><did>, the <abstract> is often extracted from the longer descriptions found in <bioghist> and <scopecontent>. Its purpose is to help readers identify quickly those materials they need to explore at greater length. Within the <c><did>, the <abstract> may describe unique characteristics of an individual Component. This information may have aspects of <arrangement>, <bioghist>, <physdesc>, and <scopecontent>, which are not substantive enough to tag individually under those elements.
Use of the TYPE and ENCODINGANALOG attributes on <abstract> may assist in extracting information for such MARC equivalents as summary note (520$a) and biographical or historical data (545$a). The LANGCODE attribute can be used when abstracts are provided in more than one language.
May contain:
#PCDATA, abbr, archref, bibref, emph, expan, extptr, extref, lb, linkgrp, ptr, ref, title
May occur within:
archref, did
Attributes:
| ALTRENDER | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| AUDIENCE | #IMPLIED, external, internal |
| ENCODINGANALOG | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| ID | #IMPLIED, ID |
| LABEL | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| LANGCODE | #IMPLIED, NMTOKEN |
| TYPE | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
Example:
<archdesc level="fonds">
<did>
<head>Descriptive Summary</head>
<unittitle label="Title">Richard Egan manuscript maps of Orange County</unittitle>
<unitdate type="inclusive" normal="1878/1879">Circa 1878-1879</unitdate>
<unitid countrycode="us" repositorycode="cu-i" label="Collection number">MS-R72</unitid>
<origination label="Creator">
<persname rules="aacr2">Egan, Richard, 1842-1923</persname>
</origination>
<physdesc label="Extent">
<extent>1 linear foot (1 box)</extent>
</physdesc>
<repository label="Repository">
<corpname rules="aacr2">University of California, Irvine. Library. Special
Collections and Archives.</corpname>
</repository>
<abstract label="Abstract">Four manuscript survey maps and one plat
map depicting areas of Orange County and attributed to the noted surveyor and
judge Richard Egan. One map is dated 1878 and 1879 by Egan. The other maps are
undated and unsigned but it is likely that he drew them during these years. These
maps primarily depict subdivisions of non-rancho tracts of land occupying what is
now Orange County, with the addition of some topographical details.</abstract>
</did>
</archdesc>