This page is part of the International Guidelines for Museum Object Information: The CIDOC Information Categories: a description of the Information Categories that can be used when developing records about the objects in museum collections. For an outline of the Information Groups and Categories in the Guidelines, turn to the introductory list.
Purpose:
Object Measurement information supports Security, Accountability, and Access in that it may be the only way of establishing whether or not an object is really that which is described in the documentation. It can be of particular research importance for natural science collections. Measurements can also indicate how easy it is to access and move an object.
Information categories:
Dimension
Measurement
Measurement unit
Measured part
Examples:
Dimension: height
Measurement: 23
Measurement unit: cm
Measured part: figure excluding mount
Notes:
Definition:
The aspect of an object being measured.
Examples:
height
width
depth
weight
volume
circumference
Notes:
Move to beginning of Measurement
Alternate names:
Numeric value
Dimension value
Definition:
The numeric value of the Measurement of a dimension.
Examples:
23
14.5
Move to beginning of Measurement
Definition:
The unit of measurement used when measuring a dimension.
Examples:
cm
metres
inches
g
Notes:
Move to beginning of Measurement
Alternate names:
Dimension qualification
Measurement remarks
Definition:
The part of the object being measured.
Examples:
Plate area
Excluding frame
Wing fully extended
Move to beginning of Measurement
Move to outline of the Information Groups and Categories or the next section of the Guidelines, Object Association
file: guidemea.htm; author: CIDOC; updated June 1995