Page 198 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Unit 11: Indexing Language: Types and Characteristics

The class of indexed languages has practical importance in natural language processing as a Notes
computationally affordable generalization of context-free languages, since indexed grammars can
describe many of the non-local constraints occurring in natural languages.

11.1 Indexing Language
Indexing a Different Technique

Libraries and librarians strive to acquire and make available the information that exists to satisfy the
needs of all concerned. While doing so they take care that the users of information come across its
existence and lay hands on it easily. A number of tools and techniques have been developed over the
years and indexing is one such technique. It is a technique by which information available in the
documents is represented and organised to enable easy access and retrieval.
Of course, classification and cataloguing perform the similar function. Then the question arises as
to why indexing is necessary and how it is different from other techniques? The difference arises
due to the purpose and the types of information for retrieval which decides the functions to be
performed. The purpose of classification and cataloguing is basically to organize and provide access
to macro information, whereas indexing aims at providing access to micro-information. Function of
classification is to enable the users to browse the documents on shelves or in a catalogue whereas
that of indexing is to enable access to information contained in the document/literature through
subjects. Subject cataloguing more or less performs the same function.

Meaning
The word ‘Index’ comes from the Latin word ‘indicaire’, meaning ‘to point out or to guide’. The art or
technique to prepare such guides is indexing. According to British Standards (BS 3700:1964), index is
“a systematic guide to the text of any reading matter or to the contents of other collected documentary
material, comprising a series of entries, with headings arranged in alphabetical or other chosen order
and with references to show where each item indexed is located”.

Indexing is a process by which the information is organized to enable its easy retrieval
and access. Subject indexing “refers to the process of identifying and assigning labels,
descriptors, or subject headings to an item so that its subject contents are known and
the index, thus created, can help in retrieving specific items of information.”

Indexing and Classification

The purpose of indexing and classification are grouping and, thus, has resemblance to each other.
Both refer to processes that involve analysing the subject of the document to represent and organising
them for easy access later. We make use of different tools and techniques in the two processes. Indexing
makes use of an indexing language to represent the concepts and classification makes use of a
classificatory language. The result of indexing and classification is also different.

Indexing results in an index whereas classification results in a class number. Index
is a verbal representation of the subject contents of a document whereas the class
number is represented in numbers or any other may be having ordinal value.
Index provides access to information in an ISAR system through various surrogates
of the documents. Class number helps to arrange the documents on shelves
according to their subjects.

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