CollectionSpace Data Type Definitions

Field categoryField typeData accepted via UI

Data accepted for migration

(if different)

ExampleScreenshot
Alphanumeric fieldsTextAlphanumeric values
The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog on January 1st, 1994.


Number: floatWhole or decimal numeric values
12.34


Number: integerWhole numeric values
-45

Date fieldsCalendar date

Any single date

In the default configuration, dates entered ##/##/#### are assumed to be US-style, i.e. MM/DD/YYYY; organizations may configure an alternate default


1/1/2000

1999/12/31


Structured date

May be entered in a wide variety of forms, CollectionSpace will parse out into earliest/latest dates where appropriate

A list detailing acceptable date forms and how dates are parsed is available in the program's Github repository


1950

1/1/1945

1930-1950

ca. 1925

...

Identification numbersControlled number

Alphanumeric values, or may be filled by the ID number generator.

Values created by the generator may be over-written or edited by a user

Patterns in the generator are set by the implementing institution


2001.001.0001a-d

VocabulariesAuthority

Alphanumeric values

Field pulls data from one or more hierarchical vocabularies

User may add new terms to a vocabulary via the UI

We recommend data validation before migration, e.g. to standardize names, add delimiters between multi-valued field contents, etc.

Brown, Eleanor

point, projectile

United States of America


Controlled list: static

Any alphanumeric (scalar or string) values

Field is linked to a non-hierarchical controlled list

User may not add new terms to a static list via the UI

All terms in a controlled list must be provided to data migration services team before migration.

We recommend data validation before migration, e.g. to standardize names, add delimiters between multi-valued field contents, etc.

red

female

Kroner


Controlled list: dynamic

Any alphanumeric (scalar or string) values

Field is linked to a non-hierarchical controlled list

User may add new terms to a dynamic list via the UI

All terms in a controlled list must be provided to data migration services team before migration

We recommend data validation before migration, e.g. to standardize names, add delimiters between multi-valued field contents, etc.

exhibition

donation

permanent collection

Other field notesGroup fieldsMade up of two or more fields, each of which has its own field type. Terms in a group are migrated separately, all fields in a group do not have to have data to be migrated properly


Repeatable fieldsFields may be repeatable individually, as a group, or as a subset of a groupIf migrating via Excel, use a semicolon to separate values in repeatable / multi-valued fields, e.g. red; blue