- Both are related to the subject analysis of resources.
- Subject cataloging is a term used for the subject analysis operations in library cataloging.
- Indexing is a term generally used for the subject analysis operations in various other resource organization contexts, including periodical databases and search engines.
Brief History of Periodical Indexes
- Around the turn of the 20th century, the library community decided not to add article citations to the catalog.
- This development led to the growth of the commercial indexing industry.
- The result of this has been:
- Split files
- Fees for licensing database content
- Difficulty fulfilling Cutter's 2nd objective
Analytical Cataloging
- Analytical cataloging techniques are needed in order to provide access to the component parts of composite information resources, most commonly:
- Book chapters
- Proceedings articles (usually of academic meetings)
- Journal articles
- Definition from AARC2: Analysis is the process of preparing a bibliographic record that describes a part (or parts) of an item for which a comprehensive entry is made.
Analytical Cataloging Techniques
- Complex entries made within the record of composite work [cheap]:
- Analytical added entries:
- Use 740 tag for second of two works mentioned in title of item
- Note area for comprehensive entry of larger work:
- Use 505 tag for structured display of table of contents.
- Separate records created for the component parts of composite works ("In" Analytics)[expensive]:
- Use 773 to trace the component part record to parent record
Analytical Access to Journal Content
- Decision to not provide analytical access to journal content (i.e. directly to articles) was because of the expense:
- Excessive number of records would have to be created.
- Additional authority work would need to be done.
- As a result, through the 20th century, cataloging and periodical indexing/bibliography creation techniques evolved separate approaches.
Overview Comparison
- Catalog
- Authority work
- Cataloging records represents the holdings of a library
- Periodical indexes:
- Subject indexes are extensive topical bibliographies (often include books and book chapters, too), usually covering large swaths of "territory"
- Domain-wide indexes (e.g. Index Medicus) attempt to capture an entire discipline (may include book chapters, too)
- No single library could ever own all items referred to in exhaustive bibliographies/indexes, thus leading to ILL (inter-Library Loan) services
- Authority work nonexistent (except controlled vocabularies)
Surrogate Records in Periodical Databases
- As is the case with library catalogs, periodical databases contain structured surrogate records.
- This structuring is fairly consistent across periodical databases, both in terms of stored records (two part metadata model holds) and how records are displayed
- There is some authority control at work, but not in ways that you might think.
Collocation in Periodical Databases
- By subject - what about vocabulary control?
- By author - what about authority control?
- By journal - what about authority control?
- By language
- By publication type
- By date
- Etc., etc., etc.
In all Collocation Contexts: MATCH!
- EXAMPLES:
- Indexers → author name → match ← author name ← users
- Indexers → journal name → match ← journal name ← users
- Indexers → vocabulary → match ←vocabulary ← users
Inverted File Structures
- How surrogate records are physically stored in the index of a database.
- Each surrogate record has a unique identifies (also called a pointer)
- Each word and phrase of the index has a record in the index; each record contains the UI for each surrogate record that contains that word or phrase:
- Dog: 235, 527; 5,345,672; 117,127,923
- Cat: 127; 2,753; 917,538; 327,543,238
How is Surrogate Information Stored?
- Print periodical indexes and bibliographies.
- Online periodical databases:
- Examine sample database record for left side metadata elements
- Examine advanced search interface
- EXAMPLES:
- ALWAYS KNOW THE START DATE OF YOUR ONLINE PERIODICAL DATABASE!
- Manual search of the literature is often needed for exhaustive searches
- Retrospective conversion of print indexes to online is not generally undertaken by database providers due to expense.
Periodical Database Characteristics
- They usually hold more records than a library catalog.
- Information resources (i.e. journal articles) contain less information than the info resources in library catalogs and there are no detailed secondary navigation aids such as book indexes.
- More fields (i.e. left side elements) available for search word qualification.
- Important to distinguish database producing companies/organizations from database interface companies:
- Some companies/organizations provide both (e.g. PubMed MEDLINE)
- Other companies provide interface services, such as Dialog or EBSCO.
User Interfaces (UI) in Periodical Databases
- Common UIs employed in periodical databases:
- ISSN - uniquely numerical identification for individual serial publications
- Internal numbering systems within a periodical database, such as the PMID in MEDLINE (for known item searches)
- The most important UI is pre-Web and that is the "Address" of an article in the bibliographic universe (also known as the citation data) - also good for known item searches:
- Journal name
- Volume number (in some journals, the issue number also)
- First page number of article.
Authority Control in Periodical Databases
- Titles - not controlled
- Authors - somewhat controlled:
- Indexers generally enter author name from the information resource
- Control rests with periodical editors, who often have policies on author names that may be different than other periodical editors
- Subjects - controlled:
- Controlled vocabularies are imposed across periodical and over time by indexers
- However, subject searching is still subject to the problems associated with the "Great Pop vs. Soda Controversy"
Author Indexes in Periodical Databases
- Examine how author data is entered into surrogate records:
- Generally taken from the information resource in hand
- PubMed MEDLINE is an exception
- Some databases will provide lists of author names from which to choose:
- Indicator of authority work?
- Library Literature is an example
- Subject Indexing in Periodical Databases
- Indexing approach is "information access," therefore depth indexing is the general rule.
- Indexers index to the most specific, therefore, hierarchies remain important in controlled vocabularies.
- Pre-coordination and post-coordination are important concepts.
Subject Indexes in Periodical Databases
- Depth Indexing:
- General goal is to provide subject access to the information contained in an article.
- However, this practice is not universal across database producers; therefore, determine the depth of indexing of the database you are searching by examining existing records
- Be aware of the lag time related to subject indexing of articles
Management of Controlled Vocabularies
- Homonymy:
- Addressed by domain specificity of most periodical databases
- Various forms of qualification are used, including parenthetical, hierarchy, and scope notes.
- New concepts:
- Literary warrant is generally not employed in periodical database vocabularies
- New terms are added after new concepts have established themselves in the literature
- This poses a challenge if you are searching at a "research front" (may need to perform a keyword search strategy of the abstract field)
Some Vocabularies for Periodical Databases
- MeSH
- NLM MeSH Browser
- PubMed MeSH Database
- Library Literature
- EBSCO interface
Other Controlled Vocabulary Contexts
- Getty Museum (the folks who created ULAN)
- Subject Terms (search "cubist")
- Thesaurus of Geographic Names (compare "Soviet Union" and "Russia")
- Dublin Core permits various subject vocabularies:
- Specification of subject element
- DC Vocabulary Qualifiers
Web Content for Human Indexing
- A-Z Web Indexes:
- MEDLINEPlus Topics A-Z (organizes access to Web-based information for patients)
Indexing in Context
- Obtain information resource
- Describe information resource in surrogate record
- Subject analyze information resource in surrogate record:
- Verbal
- Classification
Article Indexing Process
- Two steps:
- Analyze information resource to generate list of candidate concepts that describe its subject content
- Translate those concepts into the controlled vocabulary of the database
- ISO Standard for article indexing - special attention should be paid to certain sources of information:
- Title
- Abstract (when provided)
- Introduction; opening and concluding paragraphs
- Illustrations, diagrams, etc and their captions
- Words or groups of words that are underlined, bold, etc.
