An authority record describes a specific entity in a rule-based manner. In the GND (Integrated Authority File), there are authority records for various types of entities: persons, corporate bodies, conferences, geographic locations, subject headings, and works that are related to cultural and scientific collections in various fields. Depending on the entity, an authority data record contains additional information, besides the defined name, that characterizes the entity. A network of relationships is established through connections to other authority data records.

The authority data in the GND are collaboratively created and managed. They are shaped by their origin and application in the library field. Here, they serve for the consistent creation of metadata, providing clear entry points for searches. Authority data is used for the secure identification of the entities they describe, ensuring the disambiguation of entities with the same name, for example. Additionally, authority data offers a controlled vocabulary that allows for various possibilities of connecting different information resources. Therefore, they are of particular interest to archives, museums, cultural and scientific institutions, as well as researchers in research projects. Currently, there are ten million data records in the GND.

to the top

Authority data facilitates indexing and provides unique access points while connecting different information resources. In the library world, GND (Integrated Authority File) records are created and used for descriptive and subject cataloging  to uniquely reference recurring entities. Their usage aims to standardize and, allowing for targeted research through distinct search entry points and filtering in library catalogs, cultural portals, and research databases.

In the era of the internet, the greatest potential of authority data lies in forming the backbone of a machine-readable, semantic network of culture and science. It allows for the identification and machine-readable representation of content connections between listed cultural assets, associated individuals, institutions, locations, events, projects, research data, and more. These connections would otherwise remain hidden. These possibilities to evaluate content-related connections between collections from various cultural institutions and databases are particularly attractive for aggregating cultural portals like the German Digital Library (DDB) and for research projects.

Moreover, each participating cultural and scientific institution benefits from these opportunities. Their own collections, projects, and results are placed within a broader context, enabling the provision of new thematic approaches. Authority files, therefore, play a crucial role in facilitating efficient access to information, fostering contextualization, and enhancing the understanding of cultural and scientific heritage.

to the top

The task of the GND is to identify entities uniquely and reliably. However, certain properties of an entity that require up-to-date information, such as population figures for place names or the quantity of a collection, are not suitable for inclusion in the GND. On the other hand, Wikidata also describes the world in structured terms, but it does not have a normative claim and, as a volunteer-driven project, only guarantees limited accuracy and reliability of the data.

Wikipedia, being an online encyclopedia, uses data from Wikidata to keep encyclopedia entries up-to-date across all language versions. The German Wikipedia entries, for example, are linked to the authority records in the GND of the respective entities. Additionally, Wikidata lists GND IDs along with other authority data like GeoNames, VIAF or Rameau. The GND, in turn, links to Wikipedia and Wikidata entries. In this way, these resources complement each other. Moreover, the GND links to controlled vocabularies such as the Getty-Vocabularies, GeoNames, VIAF, Rameau and ORCID, further enhancing its capabilities.

to the top

The Integrated Authority File (GND) is a service that allows authority files to be collaboratively managed and utilized. The employees of the institutions involved in the GND create and update authority records based on common rules and an agreed-upon editorial concept. The GND was established in 2012 by merging several individual authority files that had been used for decades. It is jointly managed by the German National Library in cooperation with all German-speaking library networks, the German Union Catalogue of Serials (ZDB), and numerous other institutions. Museums, archives, media libraries, research institutions, and other organizations are also increasingly participating in this process. They actively contribute to shaping the GND (in German) and introduce new aspects from various domains, thereby enriching the diversity of the GND.

to the top

You can find authority records in the GND for the following subject areas and entities:

• Personalities of public interest, authors, individuals from the cultural sphere, historical and fictional characters.
• Geographical names of countries, places, and natural geographic units, with a focus on the German-speaking region.
• Corporate bodies that primarily operate or have operated in the German-speaking region.
• Subject terms or general concepts from the fields of culture and humanities, and beyond.
• Literary and musical works, works of cultural heritage, and architectural structures.
• Conferences and meetings that regularly publish series of writings or are otherwise of public interest.

You can find a diagram illustrating the distribution of entity types here.

to the top

The use of GND brings several advantages to an institution:

• GND provides a foundation for improving the visibility of an institution's data on the web.
• GND offers normative information about the entity described in the GND record.
• GND serves as a controlled vocabulary, enhancing the quality of an institution's metadata.
• GND can streamline work processes by standardizing spellings and terms.
• GND enables the disambiguation of entities with the same name.
• GND contributes to improving indexing quality, retrieval capability, and data exchange.
• GND aligns with the FAIR Data Principles, supporting compliance with these principles by providing identifiers.
• GND becomes a prerequisite for project funding when research data becomes more findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable following the FAIR Data Principles through the use of GND.
• GND can also be utilized for indexing digital collections. By using authority records, work processes can be expedited while ensuring high quality.

Detailed information is available in the "About GND" section.

to the top

All entity types in the GND can be researched using the GND Explorer. The GND Explorer provides various result views, such as fact sheets, a timeline, a map view, hierarchy and relation visualizations, as well as different filtering options during searches. Further comprehensive research options and interfaces are offered by our partner services. For more detailed information, please refer to the "Discover" section (in German).

to the top

The use of the GND is free of charge. The authority file is available for free, both as individual records and as the entire dataset, under the "Creative Commons Zero" terms (CCO 1.0) for unrestricted use. Information on downloading the data is provided by the metadata services of the German National Library.

to the top

The creation of GND records is demand-oriented. So far, GND records have mainly been created when libraries catalog their media and require names of authors or thematic keywords, for example. The GND editorial teams use various sources of information, including media works themselves, universal and specialized reference works. Additional information may also be researched on the internet. In general, only as much information about an entity is captured as needed to uniquely identify it. Any further specific information is better suited to be stored in respective specialized databases. With the opening of the GND, the canon of reference works is also expanded. This list of specialized reference works is continuously maintained by the members of the GND Cooperative. The fundamental rules for capturing authority data are laid out in the GND's rulebook. As the GND becomes more accessible, more institutions are using it and wish to contribute their own data based on their needs. Hence, it is essential to clarify and make transparent the prerequisites, framework, and processes for integrating new data into the GND. To address this, the GND Cooperative has established eligibility criteria that outline what needs to be considered before importing or creating new records. The right to contribute includes the obligation to maintain the data. See here for the eligibility criteria for new records.

to the top

The GND does not claim to be comprehensive. It is a reflection of reality as manifested in media works and cultural assets. Therefore, it is not a suitable tool, for instance, to represent the results of genealogical research. Each individual GND record serves the purpose of unambiguously describing an entity. The description itself does not constitute an encyclopedia entry. The crucial aspect is the need for the authority record for referencing purposes and cross-linking.

to the top

Since July 1, 2015, all data from the Integrated Authority File (GND) are available for free reuse under the "Creative Commons Zero" terms (CC0 1.0). The data dumps can be used for data analysis, cross-referencing with corresponding statements in your own data, and enriching your data with the appropriate GND identifiers.

The data can be downloaded either as a complete dataset (full dump) or for specific entity types as files. Full dumps are available in various data formats. Upon request, full dumps from previous years can also be provided. Further details can be found on the page of the metadata services of the German National Library.

Additionally, interfaces such as the SRU (Search/Retrieve via URL) or OAI (Open Archives Initiative) interfaces provide live access to the GND data. The SRU interface can be embedded into existing systems to make data queries to the GND.

For more detailed information about all the available options, please refer to this page.

to the top

Generally, only institutions can edit GND records and create new records as needed. All institutions are always supervised by a GND agency (see partners) or a GND editorial team. The data entry rules of the GND are based on the international RDA standard (Resource Description and Access) and the rules for subject cataloging (RSWK).
An introduction to the rule framework can be found on this page: Information page about the GND.

How can larger datasets be integrated into the GND?

• The first requirement is to be connected to a GND agency. An appropriate agency can be found through partner profiles or through the GND central office at the German National Library.
• The agency assesses the fulfillment of eligibility criteria and, if necessary, takes responsibility for maintaining the new datasets.
• Together with the agency or the GND central office, the data provider completes a profile for the dataset describing the project and specifying responsibilities.

The workflow is described in more detail here.

to the top

Correction requests for a person's entry in the Integrated Authority File (GND) can be directly submitted to the GND Persons Editorial Team as change proposals using the "Correction Request" link in the respective dataset. For more information, please see https://www.dnb.de/EN/Professionell/Standardisierung/GND/gndPersonenkorrektur.html. All other correction requests can be submitted via our contact form.

to the top

Duplicates of authority records can occur in the GND. These duplicates should generally be merged. Existing relations to other GND records are preserved. The merging of these authority records is done by the respective GND editorial teams. To report duplicates, please follow the instructions described in question 13.

to the top

There is no reporting service for missing GND records. Participation in the GND is linked to membership in the community. Enrichment of the GND is managed through the agencies. To ensure the consistency of the database, new authority records must meet the eligibility criteria for GND records. Those who regularly require new records for the cataloging or referencing of their data should consider getting involved in the GND themselves. This requires being connected to a GND agency or a GND editorial team. If in doubt, the GND central office can provide advice. You can use the contact form for this purpose.

to the top

The GND.network is a competence network that connects all stakeholders actively involved in the GND. These include the Committee for Library Standards (STA) with its committees, working groups, and international connections, the GND central office, GND agencies, and GND editors. The GND Cooperative is the main contractual community of the GND, and it makes relevant decisions within the GND Committee. A co-operation agreement (only available in German) provides the organizational framework for this purpose.

For more information about the GND competence network, please click here.

If you wish to actively participate in the GND.network, you can contact the GND central office at the German National Library for consultation via the contact form. They will be happy to provide you with specific agency partners and working groups in your field and for your topic.

Further information can be found under "Participate".

to the top

Yes, all institutions participating in the GND should generally be affiliated to an agency.

to the top

The data in the GND is open and available under the most permissive license for non-public domain content: Creative Commons Zero. This means that the data can be freely used and even downloaded in its entirety to one's own server. However, unlike other structured data describing the world, such as Wikidata, the GND is not freely editable. One of the main reasons for this is the reliability that is expected from authority data, unlike other structured data. This reliability is ensured in the case of the GND by the editorial teams in the GND agencies. These agencies are primarily libraries, and over 1000 libraries in the German-speaking region collaborate in the GND Cooperative. They create new GND records, correct existing ones, and make decisions on the rules governing the processes. The standards are based on rules, as without rules, the data would not have normative character. Non-library institutions are also increasingly forming GND agencies. They contribute significantly to the richness, diversity, and variety of the GND and, at the same time, ensure the reliability of the authority records they contribute.

to the top

The range of tasks of a GND agency can be quite comprehensive. It advises and informs its specific professional community. The central task of GND agencies is the editorial work. They take over or coordinate the editorial work for their client base. This includes creating new authority records, adding information to existing records, revising and correcting them. The agency also provides technical support to its client base for data reconciliation and actively participates in the further development of the GND in specialized committees. Not all GND agencies offer the full range of services. Some partners of the GND Cooperative may provide additional services, such as training, technical support, and others. However, a GND agency must always ensure that the new authority records they deliver meet the quality standards - for example, through training of GND editors and quality control. After examining the eligibility criteria and, if necessary, in coordination with the GND Committee, the agency coordinates the import of larger datasets into the GND to meet the needs of their community. At the beginning of the activities of a new GND agency, larger tasks may arise, such as the bulk import of new authority records for the GND. In such cases, independent project funding may be required.

to the top

To manage the work of providing reliable and diverse authority data for the cultural and research sectors, many institutions in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany have joined the GND Cooperative. Each partner has a specific profile that characterizes their client base. Existing GND agencies present themselves on the partner page with their respective profiles and portfolios.

You may directly contact the appropriate GND agency for a consultation or reach out to the GND central office through the contact form. They will be happy to provide you with specific agency partners and working groups in your field and for your topic. The "partner" page lists the GND agencies. If you are interested in any of the GND agencies, please contact the respective contact person listed there.

to the top

Until now, authority records have been mainly used by libraries in their cataloging work. In order to meet the specific needs of museums, archives, and other research institutions in the cultural and research sectors for authority data, some of the rules governing the modeling of authority data need to be redefined. Without the expertise from different communities and without the professionals from the new institutions, the GND could not provide reliable authority data for subjects in museum collections, performing arts venues, historical corporate bodies in archives, and other required entities. Therefore, the new GND agencies specialize in certain users, specific topics, or specific sectors. They take on the quality assurance of the new datasets and actively contribute to the opening of the GND.

to the top

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to the personal data in the GND. The rights to data protection and data erasure are preserved. If you have any doubts or questions, please contact gnd-info@dnb.de.

to the top

The data of the GND are published under a free license. They are available for free use both as individual datasets and as the entire dataset under "Creative Commons Zero" conditions (CCO 1.0). However, they cannot be self-edited. To be able to edit datasets, one must be affiliated with a GND agency or GND editorial team. See also Question 18.

to the top