View entity details
From the search results screen, click on the Entity Label of a desired entity to open it in the View screen. Sections of the viewer are explained in greater detail below. For more details about which properties you can expect to see for an entity, see the WorldCat ontology guidelines and standards.
Note: It is not currently possible to edit WorldCat Entity Data.
1. Left navigation
Click Back to search to return to the list of all entity results returned by the most recent search.
To navigate quickly between the available sections of an entity, click on any of the linked headers in the left navigation bar. You can also scroll down the screen to see all of the sections and properties.
2. Switch between tabs
Click on the tabs to change your entity view:
| Tab title | Description |
|---|---|
| View | A read-only display of all of the information that has been added to the entity. |
| References | View a list of citations for the entity, providing evidence for specific pieces of information that have been added. You must be signed in to WorldCat Entities to see this tab. See Sign in to WorldCat Entities. |
| History | Opens the history screen to display a list of all changes made to the entity in chronological order. See View the history of an entity and Sign in to WorldCat Entities. |
3. Download .JSON file
Click the download icon (
) to save a .JSON file containing the entity's information and associated properties to your computer. For more information, see Download entity details.
4. Copy URI
Click the copy URI icon (
) to automatically copy the entity's unique Universal Resource Identifier to your clipboard.
Note: When linking to a WorldCat Entity, you should use the Copy URI feature instead of copying the URL in your web browser.
5. Authoritative Entity badge
A badge will display after the URI of a qualifying entity, designating it as authoritative data. A WorldCat Entity is considered authoritative when it has been matched to an authority heading in a WorldCat record. URIs are automatically added to WorldCat records by an ongoing daily process that controls authority headings in WorldCat bibliographic records and inserts or updates the relevant URI link, and when authority headings are controlled by a cataloger in WorldShare Record Manager. Matching URIs can also be added to authority headings manually by catalogers in WorldShare Record Manager. For more details, see Insert a WorldCat Entity identifier in a bibliographic record.
Note: Entities that have been newly matched to an authority heading may not immediately display the Authoritative Entity badge.
6. Entity details
This section displays the Entity Label, URI, Entity Type, and Description.
7. Section title
Scroll down to view all information added to each section of an entity, beginning with Key Information. The sections and columns available will differ depending on the entity type and the individual section.
8. Scroll entries
When a section or property has more than five entries, use the right and left arrow buttons (
) to scroll through entries.
9. View entry details
Use the View icon (
) next to an entry to see more information about it.