What terms are used to describe elements in the BISAC Subject Headings list?
The following terms are generally used in describing various aspects of the Headings: • Code – refers to the nine-character element attached to each subject listing. The code begins with a three-character alpha segment which is usually mnemonic (e.g., HIS is used for the HISTORY subject terms) and is followed by a six-character numeric segment. In Version 1 of the BSHL, the codes had hierarchical meaning but this is no longer the case. They should be treated simply as surrogate codes. • Heading – the English language description attached to each code, i.e. the subject heading itself. The heading description is constructed in two, three, or four parts, with each part (or level) separated by a forward slash (/). A two-part heading would consist of the section name (e.g., HISTORY) and a subheading presenting a major aspect of the section, such as “Medieval”. Such a term would read “HISTORY / Medieval”. Many headings consist of only two levels; however, for more detail in some subject area
