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CaMMS Research & Publications Committee: Research Topics In Cataloging

To promote awareness of the current status of research in cataloging and classification.

Research Topics in Cataloging

Research Topics in Cataloging & Classification Literature

The ALCTS CaMMS Research & Publications Committee has compiled the following bibliographic essays on information organization research topics of interest. A bibliographic essay is a narrative review of a particular topic in library and information science literature within a specific range of years. The bibliographic essay author should not only provide a guide to the existing literature on a topic, but synthesize and organize the main issues associated with that topic into coherent sections. All bibliographic essays should include citations to the literature discussed. Suggestions for future research can also be included.

The compilation below is intended as an informal, practical tool for those in search of a research topic or would like a quick review of recent research. The committee will reassess the topics each year, adding new ones as time permits and updating individual essays as necessary. New topics will be added as research begins to emerge.

Committee members and LIS students wrote the following essays.  However, we encourage essay proposals from any cataloging practitioner, scholar, or LIS student interested in contributing an essay. If you are interested in proposing and submitting a bibliographic essay for this website, please read the Guidelines for Bibliographic Essay Creation and Submission below. Each essay is peer reviewed by a member of the Committee assigned by the Chair. Here are some recommended topics for essays:

  • Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records (FRBR) and/or the upcoming Library Resource Model (LRM)
  • Cataloging music resources using RDA (scores and/or audio recordings)
  • Cataloging moving images/videorecordings using RDA
  • Cataloging serials using RDA
  • Cataloging ethics
  • MARC and/or BIBFRAME

 

Guidelines for Bibliographic Essay Creation and Submission

If you would like to write a bibliographic essay for inclusion on the Research Topics website, please complete the following steps:

1) Contact the Chair of the ALCTS CaMMS Research & Publications Committee to propose the specific topic and range of years for a bibliographic essay.

2) Read some of the existing bibliographic essays on this page.

3) Once the Committee approves your topic, find the literature relevant to your topic within the range of years specified. Focus primarily on journal articles, but important books and websites covering the topic should be discussed as well.

4) At the end of the essay, include a bibliography of all resources referenced throughout the essay. Use the most current edition of the Chicago Manual of Style or APA to determine the appropriate citation structure.

5) Once you have completed the essay, submit it as a Word document (.doc or .docx file extension) to the Chair of the ALCTS CaMMS Research & Publications Committee for review. One member of the Committee will be assigned to peer review your essay and provide feedback.