International Standard for Describing Functions (ISDF)

Developed by the International Council on Archives (ICA).

The International Standard for Describing Functions (ISDF) is a content model and a companion standard to International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families (ISAAR(CPF)) and General International Standard Archival Description (ISAD(G)). ISDF provides guidelines for creating descriptions of record-generating functions, extending the ISAD(G)-ISAAR(CPF) model for describing and contextualizing archival materials. ISDF defines 23 elements in four areas of a function record (Identity, Context, Relationships, and Control), and includes general content guidelines. The standard also includes information on linking these records to archival descriptive and authority records.