A C T I V I T Y S H E E T
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Activity Title : Record Management
Learning Target : Describe the alphabetic filing rules and apply basic alphabetic rules.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
RULE 1 – Simple Personal Names
Use the last name as first filing unit
The first name or initial is the second unit
Use the middle name or initials as the third unit
Abbreviated and shortened names were indexed as written
Ex. Irvin V. Potes
1st Unit 2nd Unit 3rd Unit
Potes, Irvin V.
Rule 2 – Nothing Comes Before Something
A name consisting of one word will be filed before a name which consists of the same name a plus a first or initial. Nesas John Lester Nesas
1st Unit 2nd Unit 3rd Unit
Nesas
Nesas, John Lester
A name consisting of the same first and last names will be filed before the same name which also has a middle name or initial
Jennifer Sanders Jennifer M. Sander
Ex. Sanders, Jennifer Sanders, Jennifer M.
Nothing comes before something
George Kell
George Kelly
Ex. Kell, George Kelly, George
Rule 3 – Personal Names with Prefixes
Surnames which include a prefix are filed as one until whether the prefix is followed by a space or not.
Dolores Anne De Marco Robin A. Mac Arthur Robert A. St. Claire
1st Unit 2nd Unit 3rd Unit
De Marco, Dolores Anne
Mac Arthur, Robin A.
St. Claire, Robert A.
Rule 4—Personal Names with Personal, Professional, Royal or Religious Titles
When a personal, professional, royal or religious title is used in a FULL personal name, the title will be the last filing unit.
Dr. James Adams
Chas J. Burke, DDS 1st Unit 2nd Unit 3rd Unit 4th Unit Adams, James Dr. Burke, Chas J. DDS
Rule 4 - When a title is NOT part of a full personal name, the title will be indexed as written Brother Henry Sister Mary Father Joseph Mr. Ed
As File: Brother Henry Father Joseph Mr. Ed Sister Mary
Rule 4 – When a personal name contains a seniority title, the title will be the last filing unit.
Ex. William Garner William Garner II William Garner III William Garner Jr. William Garner Sr.
1st Unit 2nd Unit 3rd Unit Garner, William Garner, William II Garner, William III Garner, William Jr. Garner, William Sr.
Rule 5 – Names of Married Women
The names of married women will be indexed and file in the same way that any other personal name is indexed and filed.
Mrs. Anna Caldwell Mrs. Sue Caldwell
1st Unit 2nd Unit 3rd Unit Caldwell, Anna Mrs. Caldwell, Sue Mrs.
Rule 6 – Personal Names Containing a Hypen
Ignore the hypen and index the hypenated name as one unit.
Ex. Mr. Harold Porter – Smith would be filed as: PorterSmith, Harold Mr.
Ralph R. Porter-Jones PorterJones, Ralph R.
Rule 7 – Foreign Personal Names
When it is difficult to determine the last name of individual, consider the last name to be written as the surname.
Ex. Cheng Huan – would be filed as: Huan, Cheng
Shien Hu – would be filed as: Hu, Shien
Rule 8 – Pseudonyms and Nicknames A pseudonym (fictious name, pen name, alias) is indexed and filed as any other personal name. Mark Twain – would be filed as: Twain, Mark
Babe Herman – would be filed as: Herman, Babe
Rule 9—Personal Names that are Identical When personal names are identical, the address is used to determine the correct filing unit.
1. City
2. State
3. Street
4. House No.
John Lester Nesas Rockwell Bldg. Quezon Ave. Lucena City, Quezon
Ex. Nesas, John Lester Lucena City Quezon, Ave Rockwell
John Lester Nesas 24 MH Del Pilar St. Gumaca, Quezon
as filed: Nesas, John Lester Gumaca Quezon MH Del Pilar St. No. 24
Rule 10 – Business Names
Index the names of businesses as they are written: Barton and Barton Ltd. Barton/and/Barton/Ltd.
Rule 10 – When the word “The” is the first word of a business name, it is indexed as the last filing unit.
The New York Times News/York/Times/The
Rule 10 – When a full personal name is part of a business name, do not reverse the personal name. The name is indexed as written.
Georgette Valentine Cosmetics as filed: Georgette/Valentine/Cosmetics
Rule 10
When a symbol ($, Php) business name, spell it out and index the spelled out symbol as separate filing unit.
A hypen is ignored and treated as one unit.
$ Saver Discount Php. Per Minute
as filed: Dollar/Saver/Discount Peso/Per/Minute
Rule 10
When business names are identical, the address is used to determine the correct filing order.
ABE International Business College
Lucena City, Quezon
ABE International Business College Cainta, Rizal
as filed: ABE International Business College/Cainta/Rizal ABE International Business College/Lucena City/Quezon
Rule 11 – Business Names Containing Compass Terms
When a compass term (North, South, Southwest or North East) is part of a business name each word, as it is written is considered a separate indexing unit.
South East Lumber Co. as filed: South/East/Lumber/Co.
Southeast Transportation Inc. Southeast/Transportation/Inc.
Rule 12 – Business Names Containing Numbers
When a business name contains a number that is spelled out.
The name is indexed and filed as written.
Third Avenue Deli
as filed: Third Avenue Deli
When the name contains a written number that is NOT the first indexing unit, the name will be filled in the alphabetic section.
Cloud Nine Gallery
Cloud 9 Gallery as file: Cloud/9/Gallery Cloud/Nine/Gallery
The written number (9) will come first because numbers precede alphabetic characteristic (nine).
Arabic numbers will be filed in front of Roman Numerals in the numeric section the file drawer. For example.
24th Market Cafe XXI Electronics
|24th |Market |Cafe |1st |
|XXI |Electronics | |2nd |
Rule 13—Business and Organization Names
An acronym is a word formed from letters of several words.
Acronyms, abbreviations, radio and television call letters are indexed as one unit, disregarding spacing, hyphens, and punctuation.
|NAME |AS INDEXED |
|FBI |BID |
|DILG |DILG |
|BID |FBI |
|SEC |SEC |
Rule 13 -
When single letters are part of a business name, spacing between the letters will determine the indexing unit.
When the letters are not separated by a space, the letters are considered as one indexing unit.
|Name |As Indexed |
|A B C Manufacturing |ABC/Construction |
|ABC Construction |A /B/ C/ Manufacturing |
Rule 14 – Government Names
When indexing the name of a government agency, the first three units will be Republic of the Philippines. Department of Agriculture.
As indexed: Republic/ of /the / Philippines/ Agriculture / of
The fourth unit will be most distinctive word.
Rule 14 – Province and Local Government
The first indexing unit will be the name (Country, Province, City or Municipality) of the governing agency.
Quezon, Mauban, Department of Agriculture
as indexed: Quezon/Mauban/Agriculture/ Department of
Rule 14 – Foreign Government
The name of the country will be the first indexing unit.
The next indexing unit will be the most distinctive name in the department, branch, or division of the government.
South Korea Government Department of Defense
as indexed: South/Korea/Defense/Department of 