Scope of application

The metadata core set describes the bibliographic information required for automated deposits of online publications and is available for all types of publications regardless of format. Please use the metadata core set together with the format documents.

These specify the metadata elements required by the DNB when depositing metadata for digital publications. Here a distinction is made between elements which must always be provided (obligatory/O) and elements which should be provided (facultative/F). It is also possible to transfer and record additional metadata which go beyond these minimum requirements. All data are reviewed during the test phase required before the publication is deposited.

Metadata core set for all types of publication (Last updated: 28 August 2023)

Definitions of publication types (excerpt from the introduction)

Monographs

Monographs are works published in one or more parts that form a self-contained unit, e.g. novels, scientific treatises, dictionaries, academic theses and theses. Monographs include doctoral theses, habilitation theses, Bachelor’s and Master's theses, and other academic theses that have been published by a publishing company. Manuscripts, working papers and seminar papers are also classified as monographs.
Doctoral theses, habilitation theses, Bachelor’s and Master's theses, and other academic theses that have not been published by a publishing company are classified as “university theses”.

Audio books

These include all audio books available for download or stream including features and audio plays. They do not include recorded music which is only available online.

University theses

Theses include all kind of theses, like doctoral and habilitation theses, Bachelor’s and Master's theses, and other academic theses that have not been published by a publishing company.
In contrast, doctoral theses, habilitation theses, Bachelor’s and Master's theses, and likewise thesis that have been published by a publishing company are classified as “monographs”.

Music

This includes all audio content offered for download or stream. The content delivered in an audio file is a piece of music that can stand alone or be part of a music album, a thematic compilation etc.

Sheet music

This includes notated music used to interpret musical works, for example scores, vocal parts, piano arrangements.

Periodical content

Digital periodicals are published at regular intervals and have no fixed final publication date. They are numbered and the same titles are used over lengthy periods. Examples include publications with designations such as “e-journal”, “e-magazine”, “e-paper” as well as electronic official gazettes, business/annual reports and yearbooks. The parts of a periodical that have to be deposited are issues and articles. In this core set, they are also described as “periodical content”.

Issues are individual instalments of a periodical (that must be deposited). Each issue contains one or more articles. Issues are numbered and frequently bundled into volumes, especially if they are published several times a year. They also encompass yearbooks and issues published at intervals of several years.

Articles are individual parts of an issue (that must be deposited). They usually consist of texts by one or more authors. Each article has its own title, which is not the same as the title of the periodical.

Research data

Research data is data generated or used when planning, executing and keeping records of scientific projects. According to the German National Library’s policy on dissertation  -related research data (urn:nbn:de:101-2017092701), only research data records relating to theses are accepted at this time. The theses themselves are classified as “university theses”.

Further Information

The term “digital publication” refers to non-physical media works as defined in the Law Regarding the German National Library. A digital publication can be made accessible to the public. This is the case if it is available through wired or wireless systems and has public access at any time or place. Further information is available here (in German only): http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/dnbg/.