,AIS3711 ASSIGNMENT 02
ANSWERS
DUE DATE: 22 MAY 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1 Definition of RDA and the Three Frameworks Used in the Development of RDA
Definition of RDA
Resource Description and Access (RDA) is an international cataloguing standard that
provides guidelines and instructions for recording and describing information resources in
libraries and information centres. RDA was developed to assist cataloguers in creating
consistent bibliographic records that improve the discovery, identification, selection, and
access of resources by users (Riva, Le Boeuf & Žumer, 2017).
RDA replaced the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2), which had
become less suitable for modern information environments because it primarily focused on
print resources. With technological developments and the rapid growth of electronic
resources, digital databases, websites, multimedia materials, and online information
systems, there was a need for a more flexible and adaptable cataloguing standard. RDA
was therefore designed specifically to function effectively in both traditional and digital
environments (Oliver, 2010).
RDA places significant emphasis on user needs and is intended to assist users in
performing four important tasks:
Finding resources
This enables users to locate resources that correspond to specific search criteria.
,Identifying resources
This allows users to confirm that the resource located is the resource they require.
Selecting resources
This enables users to choose resources suitable for their needs.
Obtaining resources
This allows users to gain access to or acquire the desired resource.
RDA differs from previous cataloguing standards because it is designed to be flexible,
internationally applicable, and suitable for linked data and future technological
developments. According to Tillett (2016), RDA moved cataloguing away from simply
describing physical materials and towards representing relationships among information
entities.
Framework 1: Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR)
The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) framework was developed
by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in 1998.
FRBR introduced a conceptual model that focused on user tasks and relationships among
bibliographic entities.
Instead of describing information resources only as physical objects, FRBR proposed four
major entities that together explain the relationship between an intellectual work and its
physical form.
These entities are:
Work
A work refers to a distinct intellectual or artistic creation existing at an abstract level.
Example:
The literary concept of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
, Expression
An expression refers to the specific realisation of a work.
Example:
A translated French version of Hamlet.
Manifestation
A manifestation refers to the physical or digital embodiment of an expression.
Example:
A specific Penguin publication of Hamlet.
Item
An item refers to an individual copy of a manifestation.
Example:
A particular library copy of the Penguin publication.
These entities are commonly known as the WEMI model:
Work
Expression
Manifestation
Item
FRBR also introduced four user tasks:
Find
Identify
Select
Obtain
ANSWERS
DUE DATE: 22 MAY 2026
QUESTION 1
1.1 Definition of RDA and the Three Frameworks Used in the Development of RDA
Definition of RDA
Resource Description and Access (RDA) is an international cataloguing standard that
provides guidelines and instructions for recording and describing information resources in
libraries and information centres. RDA was developed to assist cataloguers in creating
consistent bibliographic records that improve the discovery, identification, selection, and
access of resources by users (Riva, Le Boeuf & Žumer, 2017).
RDA replaced the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2), which had
become less suitable for modern information environments because it primarily focused on
print resources. With technological developments and the rapid growth of electronic
resources, digital databases, websites, multimedia materials, and online information
systems, there was a need for a more flexible and adaptable cataloguing standard. RDA
was therefore designed specifically to function effectively in both traditional and digital
environments (Oliver, 2010).
RDA places significant emphasis on user needs and is intended to assist users in
performing four important tasks:
Finding resources
This enables users to locate resources that correspond to specific search criteria.
,Identifying resources
This allows users to confirm that the resource located is the resource they require.
Selecting resources
This enables users to choose resources suitable for their needs.
Obtaining resources
This allows users to gain access to or acquire the desired resource.
RDA differs from previous cataloguing standards because it is designed to be flexible,
internationally applicable, and suitable for linked data and future technological
developments. According to Tillett (2016), RDA moved cataloguing away from simply
describing physical materials and towards representing relationships among information
entities.
Framework 1: Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR)
The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) framework was developed
by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in 1998.
FRBR introduced a conceptual model that focused on user tasks and relationships among
bibliographic entities.
Instead of describing information resources only as physical objects, FRBR proposed four
major entities that together explain the relationship between an intellectual work and its
physical form.
These entities are:
Work
A work refers to a distinct intellectual or artistic creation existing at an abstract level.
Example:
The literary concept of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
, Expression
An expression refers to the specific realisation of a work.
Example:
A translated French version of Hamlet.
Manifestation
A manifestation refers to the physical or digital embodiment of an expression.
Example:
A specific Penguin publication of Hamlet.
Item
An item refers to an individual copy of a manifestation.
Example:
A particular library copy of the Penguin publication.
These entities are commonly known as the WEMI model:
Work
Expression
Manifestation
Item
FRBR also introduced four user tasks:
Find
Identify
Select
Obtain
