CIDOC Guidelines for Museum Object Information: The Information Groups and Categories

This page is part of the International Guidelines for Museum Object Information: The CIDOC Information Categories. Developed by the International Committee for Documentation (CIDOC) of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), this is a description of the Information Categories that can be used when developing records about the objects in museum collections. For more information about the Guidelines, turn to the initial page

Below is an alphabetical list of the 22 Information Groups, each containing one or more Information Category.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition method
Acquisition date
Acquisition source

Condition Information

Condition
Condition summary
Condition date

Deaccession and Disposal Information

Deaccession date
Disposal date
Disposal method
Disposal recipient

Description Information

Physical description
Specimen status

Image Information

Image type
Image reference number

Institution Information

Institution name
Institution sub body name
Institution address
Institution country

Location Information

Current location
Current location date
Current location type
Normal location

Mark and Inscription Information

Mark/inscription text
Mark/inscription type
Mark/inscription description
Mark/inscription technique
Mark/inscription position
Mark/inscription language
Mark/inscription translation

Material and Technique Information

Material
Technique
Part or component description

Measurement Information

Dimension
Measurement
Measurement unit
Measured part

Object Association Information

Associated place
Associated date
Associated group/person name
Association type
Original function

Object Collection Information

Collection place
Collection date
Collector
Collection method

Object Entry Information

Current owner
Depositor
Entry date
Entry number
Entry reason

Object Name Information

Object name
Object name type
Object name authority