Definition

The authorized form of name combined with other information elements that identify and describe the named entity and may also point to other related authority records.

Source: International Council on Archives. International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families (ISAAR-CPF), 2nd edition. 

Introduction

Access points are used to facilitate searching and browsing archival descriptions. The Rules for Archival Description defines access point as "a name, term, etc., by which a descriptive record may be searched and identified." 

Types of access points could include:

• Subject headings
• Geographic place headings
• Genre/form headings
• Authority records

Related terms

Provenance

Dalhousie Libraries documentation

See Section 4 of the University Archives Procedure Manual for instructions on how to create four types of access points:

• Archival authority records
• Genre access points
• Geographic place access points
• Subject access points