In the four-name set involving Dudley Wood Finishing and related entries, which sequence is correct?

• A. 3, 1, 4, 2
• B. 2, 3, 1, 4
• C. 2, 1, 4, 3
• D. 2, 3, 4, 1

Answer: (D)

In name authority work, you arrange a four-name set so that the most appropriate or primary form anchors the entry, with variants and related forms following in a defined order. The aim is to make retrieval straightforward: users start from the primary heading and then see the alternate forms cross-referenced in a predictable sequence.

For this set, the established ordering places the second item as the primary heading, then presents the third and fourth items as closely related forms, and finally ends with the first item as the least central form. This sequence keeps the main identity clear at the start and builds out the relationship to other forms in a logical, searchable way. If you were to start with a non-preferred form or disrupt the order of related entries, it would blur which form is the main reference and complicate cross-referencing.

So, the correct ordering is to begin with the second entry, followed by the third, then the fourth, and finish with the first.