Source Type
Reviewed field entry.
This page explains a term used by Anatomy Steward’s digital museum and teaching resources.
Definition
Section titled “Definition”Entry context: Anatomy Steward Wiki › Collection Documentation › Source Type
Source type identifies the kind of material or reference behind a record.
Why It Matters
Section titled “Why It Matters”It tells visitors whether they are reading about a physical object, digital illustration, replica, public-domain reference, teaching model, or documentation note.
Museum Use
Section titled “Museum Use”Source type should appear in object metadata and image captions to avoid confusion.
Teaching Use
Section titled “Teaching Use”Learners can ask whether a record is based on a specimen, model, illustration, or digital teaching approximation.
Cautions
Section titled “Cautions”Never let source type remain ambiguous when it affects interpretation or rights.
Diagram to Add
Section titled “Diagram to Add”A future diagram for this entry should show:
- Source type decision diagram: physical object, replica, public-domain image, digital model, teaching illustration.
- Connect to trust and transparency.
Diagram notes: use calm educational line art, clear labels, alt text, image credit, and rights status.
Related Terms
Section titled “Related Terms”Use with Museum Pages
Section titled “Use with Museum Pages”This wiki entry is designed to support these Anatomy Steward museum pages:
Related Museum Pages
Section titled “Related Museum Pages”Sources and Further Reading
Section titled “Sources and Further Reading”The following public sources support this entry. They are provided for definition review, teaching context, museum documentation language, or rights/digital preservation context.
- Getty Vocabularies — Public source for structured vocabularies used in cataloging, visual surrogates, archival materials, and conservation-related description.
- Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus — Structured vocabulary resource for object description, materials, techniques, and indexing terms.
- IIIF — Presentation API — Public source for digital object structure, metadata, and presentation context.
Source Review Note
Section titled “Source Review Note”These sources are public references for educational and museum documentation use. They do not replace professional, legal, conservation, taxonomic, or collection-specific review.
Diagram
Section titled “Diagram”
Key Observations
Section titled “Key Observations”- Physical specimen
- Replica or model
- Educational illustration
- Public-domain reference
- Digital teaching record
Common Misunderstandings
Section titled “Common Misunderstandings”- A digital record does not automatically mean a physical object is held.
- A realistic image is not the same as an accession photograph.
- Source type and rights status are different fields.
Field Note
Section titled “Field Note”Source type is one of the most important trust fields in the Anatomy Steward system.
Mini Teaching Activity
Section titled “Mini Teaching Activity”Give students three records and ask them to identify whether each is a physical object, model, image, or interpretive digital record.
Contribution Ideas
Section titled “Contribution Ideas”This entry can be improved with:
- Clear examples of source type labels
- Better wording for representation status
- Public references on digital collections metadata
Search Keywords
Section titled “Search Keywords”source type, digital teaching record, educational model, public-domain reference
Teacher Use
Section titled “Teacher Use”Use this entry when reading object records. Ask students whether the record is based on a physical object, model, illustration, public reference, or digital teaching record.
Suggested Citation
Section titled “Suggested Citation”Anatomy Steward Wiki. “Source Type.” Anatomy Steward Wiki. https://wiki.anatomysteward.com/documentation/source-type/
Improve This Entry
Section titled “Improve This Entry”Help improve this reviewed wiki entry.
See a clearer definition, better public source, correction, teaching use, or image lead?
📝 Suggest a Correction, Source, or Teaching Use
Suggestions may include:
- a public source
- a correction or safer wording
- a related museum page
- a teaching activity
- an image or diagram lead with clear rights information
- a question that would make this entry easier to understand
Reviewed Status
Section titled “Reviewed Status”Version 2 field note. This page is part of the reviewed Anatomy Steward Wiki and is not open for direct public editing. Suggestions should be submitted through the reviewed contribution process.