CHIN Data Dictionaries

The Canadian Heritage Information Network's Data Dictionaries are valuable reference tools for the management of museum and gallery collections information.

A data dictionary defines all the categories or types of information in a database. The CHIN Data Dictionaries are not a data structure for use in a collections management system, but they can be used as the basis for such a structure. They can be used by a wide range of museums to help them to identify their institution's information needs and standardize their documentation.

Each data field in the CHIN Data Dictionaries is described by a field label, a mnemonic, and a name. Fields include a definition, entry rules, related fields, a data type, examples, a discipline, authority lists, a source, and other information. The CHIN Data Dictionaries are used:

• as the standard for Canadian institutions that contribute collections data to CHIN's Artefacts Canada;
• as guidelines for institutions which are developing or modifying a collections management system;
• to promote the consistent recording of information by cataloguers, or to provide users of collections databases with search strategies.

CHIN Humanities Data Dictionary

The Canadian Heritage Information Network's Humanities Data Dictionary consists of 656 fields for collections in history, ethnology, archaeological specimens, and fine and decorative arts.

It is possible to search for individual fields, or to browse groups of fields, such as identification fields, descriptive fields, title fields, location fields, and many more.

Filters can be applied on the search to find the following subsets:

• Artefacts Canada Humanities Data Dictionary - 143 fields that can be used for public display. Only fields that can be uploaded to Artefacts Canada are included.
• Required and Recommended Fields for Artefacts Canada Contribution - 49 fields that are required or highly recommended for Artefacts Canada contribution.

CHIN Natural Sciences Data Dictionary

The CHIN Natural Sciences Dictionary is intended for museums with natural science collections. It is no longer being updated and has been removed from our website. To obtain an Excel version of the data dictionary, please contact CHIN.