Page 166 - DLIS405_INFORMATION_STORAGE_AND_RETRIEVAL

Unit 13: Subject Headings

Self Assessment Notes

Fill in the blanks:
4. ...... a term allows the information requestor to search a term and all levels of its narrower
terms.
5. The descriptors or subject headings are arranged in a ...... .
6. Most subject headings come with a short definition or ...... .
7. In addition to the descriptors, MeSH also contains some ...... supplementary concept records.
8. Medical subject Headings is a list of keywords or descriptors that describe articles in index
medicus and ...... .

13.5 Summary

• Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary for the purpose
of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences; it can also serve as a thesaurus that
facilitates searching.
• The Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) comprises a thesaurus (in the information
technology sense) of subject headings, maintained by the United States Library of Congress,
for use in bibliographic records.
• Online Public Access Catalogues, or OPACs, allow users to hyperlink to a list of similar items
displayed by LCSH once one item of interest is located.
• Joseph Miller and Barbara Bristow maintain the primary mission of Sears by using simplified
vocabulary specifically geared for the school and small public library setting.
• The 19th edition of the Sears List of Subject Headings melds the traditional with the new.
• Several notable 19th edition features include over 440 completely new subject headings and
two totally new categories — “Islam” and “Graphic Novels.” Expanded coverage of headings
in the science/technology, lifestyle/entertainment, politics/world affairs, and literature/arts
categories are also noteworthy additions.

13.6 Keywords

MeSH : Medical Subject Headings also serves as a thesaurus that facilitates searching.
OPAC : Online Public Access Catalogue, allows users to hyperlink to a list of similar items
displayed by LCSH once one time of interest is located.

13.7 Review Questions

1. Write the principles of the sears list.
2. What comprises Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)?
3. Mention the structure of MeSH.

Answers: Self Assessment

1. (c)
2. (b)

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