- "In information science, authority control is a process that organizes information, for example in library catalogs, by using a single, distinct spelling of a name (heading) or a numeric identifier for each topic."
The process of maintaining consistent headings and other access points for authors, titles, and subjects across multiple bibliographic records.
- "The word authority in authority control derives from the idea that the names of people, places, things, and concepts are authorized, i.e., they are established in one particular form."
- "Each controlled entry is described in an authority record in terms of its scope and usage, and this organization helps the library staff maintain the catalog and make it user-friendly for researchers."
- "Catalogers assign each subject—such as author, topic, series, or corporation—a particular unique identifier or heading term which is then used consistently, uniquely, and unambiguously for all references to that same subject, which removes variations from different spellings, transliterations, pen names, or aliases."
- "The unique header can guide users to all relevant information including related or collocated subjects."
- "Authority records can be combined into a database and called an authority file, and maintaining and updating these files as well as 'logical linkages' to other files within them is the work of librarians and other information catalogers."
- "While in theory any piece of information is amenable to authority control such as personal and corporate names, uniform titles, series names, and subjects, library catalogers typically focus on author names and titles of works."
- "Today, two of the most commonly used authority files globally are: the subject headings from the Library of Congress and, more recently, article and category links to the English Wikipedia."
- "As time passes, information changes, prompting needs for reorganization."
- "According to one view, authority control is not about creating a perfect seamless system but rather it is an ongoing effort to keep up with these changes and try to bring 'structure and order' to the task of helping users find information."