Step 1: Define Normative Principles.Normative principles are guidelines that establish standards for procedures. In cataloguing, they offer a consistent theoretical basis for describing documents.
Step 2: Analyze Individual Contributions.\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{Antony Panizzi: Created 91 rules for the British Museum catalogue. These rules were foundational but primarily practical, lacking a comprehensive theory.} \\ \bullet & \text{Charles Ami Cutter: Developed "Rules for a Dictionary Catalog" and catalog objectives. These were influential but focused on practical catalog construction.} \\ \bullet & \text{S.R. Ranganathan: Developed a systematic, theory-based approach to library science. He created fundamental laws and canons (normative principles) for library tasks, including classification and cataloguing (e.g., Canon of Ascertainability). His approach prioritized a scientific and theoretical foundation.} \\ \bullet & \text{IFLA: Develops standards like ISBD, building on theoretical work by figures such as Ranganathan.} \\ \end{array}\]
Step 3: Conclusion.S.R. Ranganathan is most closely associated with establishing a comprehensive, scientific, and theoretical framework of normative principles for library science, including bibliographic description.