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Validate bibliographic records

Discover how to validate bibliographic records from the MARC 21 editor in WorldShare Record Manager.

Overview

For MARC 21 bibliographic records:

  • Automatic validation occurs after you take certain actions on MARC 21 bibliographic records.
  • Manual validation occurs when you select Validate from the Record drop-down menu. Manual validation checks the quality of bibliographic records and prevents records with errors from being added to or replaced in WorldCat. You should validate a bibliographic record manually after you edit it.  

Validate a bibliographic record manually

 Note:

  • After you validate a record manually, you cannot undo your changes.
  1. From the MARC 21 editor, select Validate from the Record drop-down menu.
    • If no errors are found, you will receive the following confirmation message: Validated the record.
    • If errors are found, you will receive the following error message: Unable to validate record. Found # validation error(s). See details below.
      • If the record contains invalid elements (e.g., tags, indicators, or subfield codes) or invalid data (e.g., fixed-field codes), the system lists any error messages (e.g., Invalid code in 2nd $b in 040.) that identify the problems directly below the fields/elements to which they refer. You can use the MARC 21 field help for further information on how to resolve the error if needed.
      • If the record contains an invalid character, the character will be highlighted to more easily identify it. If the record contains multiple invalid characters, only the first invalid character will be highlighted. After you remove the first invalid character and revalidate, the next invalid character will be highlighted.
  2. If there are multiple invalid character errors in a field, correct the first in the field and repeat step one.