Minor Changes to the Title Proper
- Ronald Flewellen
Certain changes to title proper, even if the change meets RDA’s definition of a major change, are treated in RDA and CONSER as minor changes. RDA enumerates nine (9) such changes or exceptions to the major change instruction. These are further illustrated in CONSER. (CCM:16.2.4). In case of doubt, RDA instructs to consider the change a minor change. (RDA: 2.3.2.13.2)
⮚A difference in the representation of a word, words, or other component (i.e., a character or group of characters) anywhere in the title such as a change in the form of the character, one spelling vs. another, an acronym or initialism vs. full form, abbreviated word or sign or symbol vs. spelled-out form, Arabic numeral vs. roman numeral, number or date vs. spelled-out form, hyphenated word vs. unhyphenated word, etc.)
Openhouse → Open house
Saint Paul reporter → St. Paul reporter
⮚The addition, deletion, or change of articles, prepositions, or conjunctions (or, in languages which do not use those, analogous parts of speech that have little lexical meaning but express grammatical relationships) anywhere in the title.
Papers on presidential transitions and foreign policy → Papers on presidential transitions in foreign policy
⮚A difference involving the name of the same corporate body and elements of its hierarchy or their grammatical connection anywhere in the title (e.g., the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of the name of the same corporate body, the substitution of a variant form).
Docket sheet → Docket sheet of the Supreme Court of the United States
Amalgamated Engineering Union monthly → AEU monthly
Annual report of the State Department of Health of Alabama → Annual report of Alabama State Department of Health
Tropical Audubon Society Bulletin → Tropical Audubon Bulletin (Real example discussed on CONSERLST Sept. 3-5, 2024)
⮚The addition, deletion, or change of punctuation, including initialisms and letters with separating punctuation vs. those without separating punctuation, anywhere in the title.
GBB → G.B.B
⮚A different order of titles when the title is given in more than one language on the source of information, provided that the title chosen as a title proper still appears as a parallel title proper. (CCM: 16.2.4e)
South African medical journal Suid Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde → Suid Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde South African medical journal
245 00 $a South African medical journal = $b Suid Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneesekunde.
500 ## $a Order of titles varies
⮚The addition, deletion, or change of a word, words, or other component (i.e., a character or group of characters) anywhere in the title that links the title to the numbering. (CCM: 16.2.4f)
Tin → Tin in ...
245 00 $a Tin
246 1# $i Issues for 1989- have title: $a Tin in ...
⮚Two or more titles proper are used on a serial according to a regular pattern. These are called fluctuating titles. Consider also where the language of the title varies on a regular basis based on the language of the text. Unless a publisher clearly states that certain issues will have a different title, the only way to determine that the title is fluctuating is usually after there is evidence of two or three title changes.
245 10 $a Daily gleaner.
246 1# $i Sunday issues have title: $a Sunday gleaner
⮚The addition to, deletion from, or change in the order of a word, words, or other component (i.e., a character or group of characters) in a list anywhere in the title, provided that there is no significant change in the subject matter. The change must be significant enough to warrant a major change and the list should include at least three terms. (CCM: 16.2.4h)
Directory of dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists licensed and registered in Tennessee → Directory of dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants licensed and registered in Tennessee
⮚A word, words, or other component (i.e., a character or group of characters) that indicates the type of resource, such as “magazine,” “journal,” or “newsletter” or their equivalent in other languages. (CCM: 16.2.4i)
Organic chemistry review → Organic chemistry
Outlook magazine → Outlook