a list of established authors names and subject headings.

List of acceptable entries to ensure that the data entered into a field match a predefined format or are part of a predetermined list. Does not include thesauri.

"Authority Files are lists of terms that are used to control the variant names for an entity or the domain value for a particular field. Examples include names for countries, individuals, and organizations. Non-preferred terms may be linked to the preferred versions...generally does not include a deep organization or complex structure. The presentation may be alphabetical or organized by a shallow classification scheme. There may be some limited hierarchy applied in order to allow for simple navigation, particularly when the authority file is being accessed manually or is extremely large..." "NKOS Taxonomy of Knowledge Organization Sources/Systems" Draft, July 31, 2000. Online. Available at http://nkos.slis.kent.edu/KOS_taxonomy.htm

a group of authority records searchable by all established headings and cross-references.

An official list which establishes, for consistency, the authoritative forms of headings to be used in a catalog.

A record of the proper form of names, subjects, or series used in a catalogue. The purpose of an authority file is to keep entries uniform.  andwidth - The maximum capacity of the speed of transmission of a line in an electronic communications network, measured in bits per second, bytes per second, or Hertz (cycles per second). On the Internet, the amount of information in digital format which a given connection can carry. During periods of peak usage, bandwidth may determine speed of transmission, particularly in the case of large files, such as those containing graphics and/or audio.

A list of the authoritative forms of names, subjects, and other headings used in a library catalog or file of bibliographic records.

A collection of authority records.

A file containing a list of words or expressions that may be used in a given database field. Such controlled vocabulary is defined prior to it's use. Examples are : country names, languages and types of publications. A special case is the INIS/ETDE Thesaurus. see also INIS/ETDE Thesaurus

a record of the correct forms of names, series, or subjects used in the catalog. The purpose of the authority file is to keep entries uniform. (C&C)

A set of established headings and the cross-references to be made to and from each heading, often citing the authority for the preferred form or variants. Types of authority files include name authority files and subject authority files.

A file containing authority records. Unlike bibliographic records, records in an authority file do not usually display to the catalog user, though the cross references and some notes from the authority records do display in the OPAC.

A list of records for authorized headings used as access points in bibliographic records, also includes documentation justifying the form of the headings, and cross references to link common variant forms.

A form of vocabulary control comprising a list of preferred terms or proper names to be used when indexing and searching a set of entities within a limited domain. Includes references from the non-preferred terms. See also Controlled Vocabulary; "Synonym Rings"; "Classification Schemes"; "Thesauri"