Encoded Archival Description Tag Library, Version 2002
EAD Elements
<function> Function
Description:
Terms for the spheres of activities and processes that generated the described materials. Such terms often provide useful access points to the materials, especially for corporate, government, or institutional records. Examples include: collecting taxes and entertaining.
All functions mentioned in a finding aid do not have to be tagged. One option is to tag those functions for which access other than basic, undifferentiated keyword retrieval is desired. Use of controlled vocabulary forms is recommended to facilitate access to the functions within and across finding aid systems. The <function> element may be used in text elements such as <p>. To indicate a function with major representation in the materials being described, nest <function> within the <controlaccess> element.
Use the SOURCE attribute to specify the vocabulary from which the term has been taken. The AUTHFILENUMBER attribute can be used to identify a link to an authority file record that has more information about the function or cross references for alternative forms of a function term.
Do not confuse with <occupation>, which designates a type of work or business and is often associated with personal papers.
See also the related access elements under <controlaccess>.
The <function> element is comparable to MARC field 657.
May contain:
#PCDATA, emph, extptr, lb, ptr
May occur within:
controlaccess, entry, event, extref, extrefloc, indexentry, item, label, namegrp, p, physdesc, physfacet, ref, refloc, unittitle
Attributes:
| ALTRENDER | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| AUDIENCE | #IMPLIED, external, internal |
| AUTHFILENUMBER | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| ENCODINGANALOG | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| ID | #IMPLIED, ID |
| NORMAL | #IMPLIED, CDATA |
| RULES | #IMPLIED, NMTOKEN |
| SOURCE | #IMPLIED, NMTOKEN |
Example:
<controlaccess>
<head>Index Terms</head>
<p>These records are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of
the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers wishing to find related materials
should search the catalog under these index terms.</p>
<controlaccess>
<head>Government Functions:</head>
<function encodinganalog="657" source="aat">Law enforcing.</function>
<function encodinganalog="657" source="aat">Convicting.</function>
</controlaccess>
</controlaccess>