Introduction
Multiple records with status "assigned" for the same identity are considered duplicates in the ISNI database. Such records should be merged when encountered.
There may also be multiple records with status "provisional" for the same identity, either with or without a corresponding assigned-status record. These provisional records are not considered duplicates by the ISNI database because they are only visible to ISNI members and not in the public interface. (This is the meaning of the statement in section 2.2.1.3 of the ISNI Manual that "multiple records for the same identity can co-exist on the ISNI database.") However, these provisional records may also be merged by ISNI members.
Records may be merged in the web interface when they are suggested by the system. Otherwise, ISNI members must use the WinIBW client to merge duplicate records. Members can not determine in advance which record will be retained by the system when records are merged. This is especially important when more than one assigned-status record is merged. One must wait until after the merge is completed to see which ISNI is retained as the canonical ISNI number for the identity.
The merge program acts on the basis of field 77A in records. It is run on the database twice a day at 11:00 and 16:00 GMT.
