ABSTRACT
SUMMARY. The attribution of authorship in the context of electronic works is complex. Defining the semantic content of the element that denotes authorship or responsibility for an electronic resource must adhere to the prescribed definition of the elements within metadata standards. The Creator element is a kind of catchall element for the designation of responsibility for a resource’s content. The Creator element or its equivalent in individual metadata schemas is examined: (1) to understand how the element is treated and functions within each specified schema, and (2) to eventually decipher similarities and differences of the Creator element across different schemas, which shall indicate defining attributes of the element. Standardization of the definitions within various element sets is suggested. In the case of the Creator element, attribution should reside with the entity primarily responsible for the resource. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Ser vice: 1-8OO-HAWORTH. E-mail address: <docdelivery@haworthpress.com> Website: <https://www.HaworthPress.com>; © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.]
Due to the rapid growth of electronic resources, information re trieval systems have had to develop, adapt, and innovate in order to keep up with an ever-changing array of digitally based resources. Con sequently, new standards and methods for describing electronic and other non-print works have been established. In order to contend with the saturation of information that the Internet and electronic resources have given way to, international metadata initiatives are consistently proposing revisions to already existing metadata standards and new metadata schemas are in constant development.
