Page 186 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Unit 10: Pre-coordinate, Post-coordinate and Citation Indexing

(i) Lead: ‘Lead’ position serves as the users’ approach term, by which a user may search Notes
the index.
(ii) Qualifier: It represent the term or set of terms which qualifies the lead term to bring
it into its proper context. It provides wider context to the lead term.
(iii) Display: It is the remaining part of the string which helps to preserve the context.
All the terms in the string are prepared using the PRECIS table, are then rotated according to a
process known as ‘Shunting’. The structure adopted for the process is as follows:
Display Lead Term Qualifier
The approach term is placed one by one in the lead term section, with the succeeding terms (if any)
as qualifier and the preceding terms (if any) in the display section, displaying the context of the
terms.
Example: Computerisation of libraries in India
(0) Indian
(1) Libraries
(2) Computerisation
1. INDIA
Libraries. Computerisation
2. LIBRARIES India
Computerisation
3. COMPUTERISATION Libraries. India
2. Predicate Transformation Format: The Predicate Transformation Format is used when the
teem representing an agent appears as a lead term pro-fixed by one of the operators 2 or s
or t. When such a situation arises, 2 or s or t is shifted to Display position from the Qualifier
position.
3. Inverted Format: PRECIS makes the use of inverted format when any term is provided the
role operators (4), (5) or (6) and these terms appear as Lead terms. When it happens so, the
dependant elements are presented in italics (or underlined if handwritten) after a hyphen
and the terms in the Qualifier position are printed in Display position.
Filing Order
PRECIS follows a two-line format for the display of its entries, as a result it follows a distinct filing
order, within broad alphabetisation. When a number of entries appear under similar lead terms,
they are further arranged by the qualifiers as follows.
LIBRARIES Bangladesh
Personnel. Recruitment
LIBRARIES India
Inter-Library Loans
Conclusion
PRECIS was first adopted by BNB, later on a number of agencies went to accept the system. Among
the other national bibliographies that adopted PRECIS are Australia, Malaysia and South Africa.
Besides these, a number of libraries in Britain are practicing it.

A number of pilot projects are also practicing and for creating indexes to statistical,
public and other records.

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