Resource Map Data Standards

This page documents the editorial and record-management conventions used by Resource Map maintainers. Most readers can use the map without these details.

Core fields

Field	Purpose
Resource ID	Stable identifier used for tracking, deduplication, and updates
Resource	Resource, program, or facility name
Owner unit	Canonical administrative owner
Sub-unit	Department, office, or program under the owner unit
Content type	infrastructure, laboratory, center, clinic, curriculum, program, service, or partnership
Campus/location	Loop, Lincoln Park, Cinespace, off-campus, or multi-campus
Description and capabilities	What the resource does and the capabilities it offers
Contacts	Public resource-level contact information
Equipment and facilities	Searchable categories and specific items or spaces
Access status	Access classification, rationale, contact information, and source links
Operational status	Whether a listed resource is a staffed, maintained user service (assessed resources only)
Verification	Review status, confidence, supporting sources, and rationale
URL	Official public page
Last verified	Date the record was last reviewed
Documented relationships	Source-supported connections to other records
Notes	Distinctions, caveats, and review flags

Content type definitions

Use the narrowest type supported by the documentation:

Content type	Use for
laboratory	A faculty-led or research-group lab
center	A broader organizational unit, institute, or multi-project hub
clinic	A service-learning, public-service, or client-facing applied unit
infrastructure	A shared facility, space, instrument platform, or access resource
curriculum	An academic program or coursework grouping
program	A standing initiative that is not primarily a physical facility
service	A support service offered to users
partnership	An external or cross-institutional partnership

Earlier records may use broader classifications than these definitions suggest. Maintainers should not silently reclassify them during unrelated edits; reclassification should be reviewed and documented.

Naming and contacts

• Use unit and role names for administrative ownership.
• Named individuals may appear as public contacts, principal investigators, directors, or documented collaborators when operationally useful.
• Prefer office or unit contact channels for routine access when both a unit contact and an individual contact are available.
• Place interdisciplinary centers and institutes under the most appropriate administrative owner, with cross-references to participating units.
• Identify external organizations as partners rather than DePaul-owned resources.

Stable identifiers

Public records use a permanent prefix and number:

• CDM, CSH, COM, MUS, TTS, ART, UNI, and EXT identify ownership groupings.
• CUR identifies catalog courses.
• PER identifies people.
• GRA identifies grants maintained in the internal registry.

Identifiers follow the form <PREFIX>-<3 digit number>, such as CSH-008. Once assigned, an identifier is not reused. A retired resource retains its identifier in project history.

New-entry checklist

1. Determine the administrative owner.
2. Assign the next available identifier for that prefix.
3. Complete the core fields, especially the official URL, review date, access information, and documented relationships.
4. Apply the naming and contact policy.
5. Add cross-references using canonical identifiers.
6. Submit the record and its public sources for review before publication.

For the reasoning behind this approach, see How the Resource Map Is Maintained.