Encoded Archival Description Tag Library, Version 2002

EAD Elements

<c> Component (Unnumbered)

Description:

A wrapper element that designates a subordinate part of the materials being described. A Component <c> provides information about the content, context, and extent of a subordinate body of materials. It is always nested within a Description of Subordinate Components <dsc> and often within another <c> element. Each <c> element identifies an intellectually logical section of the described materials. The physical filing separations between components do not always coincide with the intellectual separations. For example, a <c> that designates dramatic works might end in the same box in which the next <c> begins with short stories. Also, not every <c> directly corresponds to a folder or other physical entity. Some <c> elements simply represent a stage within a hierarchical description.

Components may be subdivided into smaller and smaller components and may eventually reach the level of a single item. For example, the components of a collection may be series, components of series may be subseries, components of subseries may be files, and components of files may be items. A component may be either an unnumbered <c> or a numbered <c01>, <c02>, etc. The numbered components <c01> to <c12> assist a finding aid encoder in nesting up to twelve component levels accurately.

Use the LEVEL attribute to identify the descriptive character of the component, for example, "series," "subseries," "subfonds," "subgrp," "file," or "item." Assigning a LEVEL attribute for the highest <c> is recommended; thereafter the attribute may be used when the repository deems it useful.

May contain:

accessrestrict, accruals, acqinfo, altformavail, appraisal, arrangement, bibliography, bioghist, c, controlaccess, custodhist, dao, daogrp, descgrp, did, dsc, fileplan, head, index, note, odd, originalsloc, otherfindaid, phystech, prefercite, processinfo, relatedmaterial, scopecontent, separatedmaterial, thead, userestrict

May occur within:

c, dsc

Attributes:

Example:

    <dsc type="combined">
        <c level="series">

            <did>
            <unitid>Series 1</unitid>
            <unittitle>Correspondence</unittitle>
            </did>
            <scopecontent>[...]</scopecontent>
            <c level="subseries">
                <did>
                    <unitid>Subseries 1.1</unitid>
                    <unittitle>Outgoing Correspondence</unittitle>
                </did>
                <c level="file">
                    <did>
                        <unittitle>Abbinger-Aldrich</unittitle>
                    </did>
                </c> . . .
            </c>
            <c level="subseries">
                <did>
                    <unitid>Subseries 1.2</unitid>
                    <unittitle>Incoming Correspondence</unittitle>
                </did>
                <c level="file">
                    <did>
                        <unittitle>Adams-Ayers</unittitle>
                    </did>
                </c> . . .
            </c>
        </c>
    </dsc>