Narratives module tabs

The Summary tab includes fields that summarise the detail of a narrative. These fields also display on the Details, Description and Narrative tabs. Completing these fields on the Summary tab will update fields on the other tabs (and vice versa).

The Details tab holds high level details about a narrative:

The Narrative tab is for the text of the narrative, text that will display in any publication of the narrative, including on a website.

Tip: See Controlling styles and formats if you use the Narratives module as the public face of your collection, i.e. via a website: it is important to control how text is formatted in order to have a consistent look to your website.

Two versions of the Narrative tab are available, although your version of the module will typically only include one of them:

• A plain text tab:

  

  The plain text Narrative tab is a basic text editor and takes unformatted plain text. It can also be used for marking up text using HTML tags.

• A formatted text tab:

  

  The formatted text tab is a basic WYSISWYG text editor and includes many standard Windows formatting controls (bold, italics, justified, left aligned, etc.).

If your version of the Narratives module includes both Narrative tabs, you will observe that they are dynamically linked: changes to one are automatically updated in the other. For instance, text marked up using the HTML bold tag, <b>, in the plain text tab will display as bold in the formatted text tab.

Note: The Narrative tab corresponds to the Dublin Core element Description.

The Description tab provides a context for the narrative:

Field Group	Field Name	Purpose
Description Details	Type	The Type field corresponds to the Dublin Core element Type and describes the nature or the content of the narrative. Types make it possible to organise records in the Narratives module into logical groupings. Available types will depend on the nature of your collection, and could include: Collection - the narrative relates to a collection of objects. Event - the narrative relates to a particular exhibition or event, or to a collection event or related series of collection events (such as an expedition). Image - the narrative relates to an image. Interactive resource - if the narrative relates to a website. Party - if the narrative relates to a particular person or group. Physical object - if the narrative relates to an object or specimen. Place - if the narrative relates to a Site. A practical application of the Type field is in the organisation and presentation of narratives for the web: Using Type: (Description Details) to organise narratives for the web All narratives that will be presented on a website should be assigned a Type. Types are broad categories in a hierarchy to which we assign similar sorts of narratives. Note: It is important to keep in mind that narratives are not displayed on a web page based on their Type. As we'll see, they are displayed based on the relationships made between narratives. The Type is primarily just a useful way of grouping similar kinds of narrative. A hierarchy of Types might be: Master (this is the highest level of the hierarchy: there should be only one Master narrative, which describes the collection of narratives being presented). Theme (a sub category of Master). Category (a sub category of Theme). Story (a sub category of Category). In practice the hierarchy of Types could be very flat with one Master and many categories at the same level beneath it. What is important when considering structuring narratives for the web is the grouping of similar narratives into Types AND the relationships made between narratives. This will become clearer when we see it in practice later. As we'll see, when narratives are listed on a website, their Type is used as a page heading / label for the list. It is up to your organisation what terms are used to describe Types; it is only important that they reflect the nature of your collection and that their arrangement makes sense. Note: Once established, the Type: (Description Details) Lookup List should probably be made Read-Only. Once the hierarchy of Types has been established, we assign a narrative a Type on the Description tab: Select the appropriate Type from the Type: (Description Details) Lookup List (or enter it if necessary).
	Intended Audience	The intended audience for this narrative. Categories will be defined by your organisation and may include: General School student Website
	Publisher	Who (a person or organisation) responsible for making the narrative available.
	Rights	Links to a record in the Rights module that defines any rights held in and over this narrative.
	Source	A reference to a resource from which this narrative is derived.
	Language	The language in which the narrative is written.
	Geographic Coverage	The geographic location(s) with which the narrative is associated.
	Historical Significance	A free text field for describing the historical significance of the narrative.
Narrative Summary		Free text summary of the narrative.

The Related, Sub Narrative and Associations tabs are used to manage the relationships between narratives.

We examine in detail how to form these relationships in How to organise your narratives.

The Related, Sub Narrative and Associations tabs are used to manage the relationships between narratives. It is here that we link narratives together in a logical hierarchy (Master and Sub Narratives) and / or in logical Associations that together tell the story of our collections.

We examine in detail how to form these relationships in How to organise your narratives.

The Hierarchy tab presents relationships established using the Related Narratives fields on the Associations tab as a visual tree of Master and Sub narratives. In the example above:

• Six Degrees of Separation is a Master narrative (it is in fact THE Master narrative and will be assigned a Type: (Description Details) of Master).
• Six Degrees of Separation: Henry Ford & Thomas Edison is a Sub narrative (of Six Degrees of Separation) AND a Master narrative (it has Sub narratives).
• Henry Ford is a Sub narrative (of Six Degrees of Separation: Henry Ford & Thomas Edison).

The Related, Sub Narrative and Associations tabs are used to manage the relationships between narratives. It is here that we link narratives together in a logical hierarchy (Master and Sub Narratives) and / or in logical Associations that together tell the story of our collections.

We examine in detail how to form these relationships in How to organise your narratives.

The Interview tab can serve various purposes:

• Generally it is used to record details about one or more interviews that relate to the current narrative.
• The current narrative could be an interview, in which case the text of the interview could be entered on the Narrative tab.

The Correspond. tab can serve various purposes:

• Generally it is used to record details about any correspondence relating to the current narrative.
• The current narrative could be a correspondence, in which case the text of the correspondence could be entered on the Narrative tab.

The Publication tab links to the Bibliography module and records any documents that relate to the current narrative.

The Authorisation tab maintains a record and history of actions relating to the narrative that require permission.

The Classification tab provides eight levels of classification for narratives. A very useful system of classification could mirror the hierarchical structure of an organisation, e.g. from Museum through to Disciplines through to Departments, and so on. Each Department (or even more discrete group within a Department) could have responsibility for narratives recorded at its level of classification.

The following common tabs are described elsewhere: