All instructions are mapped to RDA elements. As RDA elements are more granular than areas of description in AACR2, this often leads to finer distinctions in the presentation of DCRMR instructions. For example, in DCRM(B), local notes were limited to general notes (7B19.1), provenance (7B19.2), and bindings (7B19.3). In DCRMR, notes on items are expanded to include custodial history, extent of item, and others.

RDA terminology is generally used throughout, replacing terms such as “the publication” with “the resource” or “the manifestation,” or changing “copy” to “item” or “exemplar of manifestation.” DCRMR follows RDA’s practice of replacing “i.e.” with its English equivalent, “that is.” Reflecting the RDA principle of common usage, the Latin loan word “sic” is retained, as it is commonly used in the rare materials community.

DCRMR departs slightly from the DCRM practice of structuring the manuals according to the ISBD areas of description by splitting title and statement of responsibility into two chapters. Notes pertaining to a specific element (e.g., Note on title) will now be found in the chapter for that element instead of the Additional notes chapter. Information on Prescribed punctuation has been removed from individual chapters and collocated in the introduction.

A new introductory section on “Data Provenance” has been added, which corresponds to General rules 0C (Chief Source of Information) and 0D (Prescribed Sources of Information) in DCRM(B).

Some appendices have been removed. Appendix F (Title Access Points) has been integrated with the main text. Appendix G (Early Letterforms and Symbols) has been incorporated in Transcription. Appendix H (Individual and Special Issues of Serials) will be incorporated in a future iteration. Catalogers should continue to consult Appendix H of DCRM(B) for the time being.

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