The new cataloging code Resource Description and Access (RDA) provides a system of instructions for recording relationships between related resources by means of a controlled vocabulary of relationship designators. The purpose of this two years master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies is to examine the construction of this system, as well as its theoretical foundation. One theoretical point of departure is the necessity of operational definitions for consistent identification of bibliographic relationships. Another such point of departure is that the theoretical model on which RDA is based (the FRBR model) is not a complete description of the biblio­graphic universe, but merely a limited representation of a set of assumptions about that universe. The thesis first examines Barbara B. Tillett's and Richard P. Smiraglia's theories and taxonomies of bibliographic relationships. The analysis shows that, in spite of their claims to provide a theoretical basis for consistent treatment of bibliographic relationships, neither Tillett nor Smiraglia offers operationally applicable definitions. The thesis then turns to RDA in order to examine the instructions and the list of relationship designators. After an introductory survey of RDA chapters 24 to 28, the possibility to record relationship designators at different entity levels is discussed. Remarkably, RDA neither provides instructions for how to choose between the entity levels, nor does it point out what this choice signifies. Finally, a selection of relationship designators representing content relationships is examined. The selected designators are analysed and compared to corresponding categories in literary theorist Gérard Genette's attempt to classify intertextual relationships. The analysis shows that though some of the selected designators are satisfactorily operationalized, most are not.

This mixed-method study explored cataloger’s judgment through the presence of text as entered by catalogers for the 11 electronic resource items during the National Libraries test for Resource Description and Access (RDA). Although the literature discusses cataloger’s judgment and suggests that cataloging practice based on new cataloging code RDA will more heavily rely on cataloger’s judgment, the topic of cataloger’s judgment in RDA cataloging was not formally studied. The purpose of this study was to study the differences and similarities in the MARC records created as a part of the RDA National Test and to determine if the theory of bounded rationality could explain cataloger’s judgment based on the constructs of cognitive and temporal limits. This goal was addressed through a content analysis of the MARC records and various statistical tests (Pearson’s Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact, and Cramer’s V). Analysis of 217 MARC records was performed on seven elements of the bibliographic record. This study found that there were both similarities and differences among the various groups of participants, and there are indications that both support and refute the assertion that catalogers make decisions based on the constructs of time and cognitive ability. Future research is needed to be able to determine if bounded rationality is able to explain cataloger’s judgment; however, there are indicators that both support and refute this assertion. The findings from this research have implications for the cataloging community through the provision of training opportunities for catalogers, evaluating workflows, ensuring the proper indexing of bibliographic records for discovery, and recommended edits to RDA.