Page 222 - DLIS402_INFORMATION_ANALYSIS_AND_REPACKAGING

Unit 11: Indexing Language: Types and Characteristics

Structure of the Indexing Language Notes
Suitability for the Cheese Shop Environment
Terms have been kept fairly simple to make the thesaurus accessible to new employees and a broad
range of the general public, both at the store and online. Literary warrant has been the main criterion
in the determination of preferred terms. In addition to forming the integrated index to the online
database, the thesaurus will be available in a printed format. The number of cheese varieties to be
indexed is not expected to be excessive. Initially, the indexing will be restricted to the nineteen
varieties of cheese that the store currently carries in its inventory.
This range may expand to several dozen - or perhaps slightly over one hundred - if the store’s plans
for expansion do in fact eventuate. Many of the terms will also be used in the store on posters, in
graphic displays and as the basis for the arrangement of the cheeses on display shelves. Whilst
TELL has been hired to develop the initial thesaurus, the store manager or assistant manager will
likely do the actual indexing of the cheese varieties. Furthermore, TELL will likely be retained on a
contract to maintain and update the thesaurus as the store expands its inventory of cheese varieties
and the need for new terms is warranted.

Form of Terms
Single and Multi-word Descriptors
Both single words and multi-word terms are used in the thesaurus. The criteria for the use of multi-
word terms [4.2 - 4.3] have been followed in most cases. The general test “part of-type of” was
employed to determine whether compound terms should stay together or be split. For example,
“soft” is a type of cheese, so the noun phrase soft cheeses is used as the preferred term. [4.3] The
terms to show the animal of origin for milk posed certain problems.
Using the terms cows, goats and sheep, for example, did not seem specific enough, and although
goat milk is a term in common use, the terms sheep milk and cow milk do not have any literary
warrant. The more commonly used terms are the ones we selected as preferred terms cow’s milk,
goat’s milk and sheep’s milk - but these terms do not properly meet the guidelines for the use of
terms showing the possessive case [3.7.2.3.1].

The apostrophe poses a potential retrieval problem, but the structured searching
employed in the stores online database, by means of pop-up boxes of terms to be selected
by the user, should obviate any problem in searching the database.

Singular and Plural Forms

The use of singular or plural forms of terms has followed the usage recommended in the standard
[3.5]. For example, count nouns, such as “cheeses”, and uncountable nouns, such as “milk”, have
been utilized.

Hyphens
The use of hyphens has been avoided throughout [3.7.2.2]. The terms semihard and semisoft are
more commonly seen as hyphenated words, but we adhered to the guidelines in this case to maintain
a consistent use of non-hyphenated terms.

Grammatical Form of Terms
Since many of the terms in the thesaurus are intended to describe the various characteristics of
cheeses, several decisions had to be made with respect to the use of adjectives [3.4.2] or adjectival

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