We checked the ISNI database, which has discrete records for these names, with distinct ISNIs:

Universidad del Norte (Chile) 0000 0001 2179 0476
Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia) 0000 0004 0486 8632
Universidad del Norte (Asunción, Paraguay) 0000 0004 0368 7768
Universidad del Norte (Mexico) 0000 0004 0484 5991

ISNI of course also clusters by algorithm, and VIAF was a major, early source of metadata for ISNI. VIAF doesn't really provide persistent IDs, as it still has project status and is subject to continual re-clustering. ISNI is generally more stable, as it has new data coming in all the time from across the spectrum - libraries, publishers, rights organisations and online platforms - and is subject to rigorous sampling and quality control, by quality teams here, at the BnF and at other partner organisations around the world.

Regards
Richard
________________________
Richard Moore
Authority Control Team Manager
The British Library

Tel.: +44 (0)1937 546104
E-mail: [log in to unmask]




-----Original Message-----
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Hostage, John
Sent: 29 January 2019 16:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCCLIST] Clustering in Viaf of different corporate names

It's a machine algorithm.  Those institutions should be in different clusters.  Every VIAF page has a comment link at the bottom that you can use to report such issues, if you choose.

More information about the clustering is here: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july14/hickey/07hickey.html

------------------------------------------
John Hostage
Senior Continuing Resources Cataloger
Harvard Library--Information and Technical Services Langdell Hall 194 Harvard Law School Library Cambridge, MA 02138 [log in to unmask]
+(1)(617) 495-3974 (voice)
+(1)(617) 496-4409 (fax)
ISNI 0000 0000 4028 0917

-----Original Message-----
From: Program for Cooperative Cataloging [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ivan E Calimano
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2019 18:38
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PCCLIST] Clustering in Viaf of different corporate names

Hi all and to whom it may concern

I was checking a name in Viaf and found that they merge 3 different institutions under one cluster. As the list below shows, the Universidad del Norte from Paraguay, Chile, and the one in Colombia were merged into this cluster. I have no explanation as to why this is that way, or, this is just machine manipulation w/out human intervention? Should those 3 names should be on 3 different clusters? Just curious.

Ivan

This is the list on the cluster on Viaf:

110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Asunción, Paraguay)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Asunción)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia)‏
110 1 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colombia)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Colòmbia)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Barranquilla, Kolumbie)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Chili)‏
151 _ _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (Colombia)‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte (San Pedro de Atacama)‏
210 | | ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte‏ ‎‡c  Chili‏
110 2 _ ‎‡a  Universidad del Norte‏ ‎‡g  Barranquilla‏


--

---

==============================
Iván E Calimano, PhD
Head of Bibliographic Services
Digitalia Inc
[log in to unmask]
787 510 5010
===============================


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