Thesauri Used in Online Databases - by Lois Mai Chan & Richard Pollard Hardcover

About the Book

The rapid proliferation of online databases has been accompanied by an equally rapid increase in the number of thesauri, particularyly those used by bibliographic databases. This guide is designed to assist users of online databases identify the relevant indexing vocabularies. It identifies the indexing vocabularies used in specific online databases, the syndetic structures employed in specific thesauri, and the arrangement of descriptor displays. Selected for inclusion in this guide are thesauri used by databases that are widely available through the large commercial retrieval services and thesauri used by large databases. In general, the thesauri selected are in the English language. The 122 entries are arranged alphabetically by title. Five indexes, including title, personal name, organization, subject, and database, complete the work.

Book Synopsis

The rapid proliferation of online databases has been accompanied by an equally rapid increase in the number of thesauri, particularyly those used by bibliographic databases. This guide is designed to assist users of online databases identify the relevant indexing vocabularies. It identifies the indexing vocabularies used in specific online databases, the syndetic structures employed in specific thesauri, and the arrangement of descriptor displays. Selected for inclusion in this guide are thesauri used by databases that are widely available through the large commercial retrieval services and thesauri used by large databases. In general, the thesauri selected are in the English language. The 122 entries are arranged alphabetically by title. Five indexes, including title, personal name, organization, subject, and database, complete the work.

Review Quotes

?. . . The guide could prove helpful for a number of different groups of users: e.g., for online searchers as a guide to the indexing languages used by particular databases; for indexers as a reference tool for identifying various indexing vocabularies; for students and teachers of information storage and retrieval as an instructional tool for studying indexing languages; and for online database designers and creators as a means of identifying available indexing languages in particular fields of study and for determining the compatability between indexing languages.?-The Indexer

?. . . The sample descriptors from each thesauri are helpful. This is overall a useful guide to online thesauri. For those who need to search databases and for those who would like a compilation of information about 122 indexing vocabularies, this is a guide to consider acquiring.?-Insights

?In short, this is a nicely done work. . .?-Journal of The American Society for Information Science

." . . The sample descriptors from each thesauri are helpful. This is overall a useful guide to online thesauri. For those who need to search databases and for those who would like a compilation of information about 122 indexing vocabularies, this is a guide to consider acquiring."-Insights

"In short, this is a nicely done work. . ."-Journal of The American Society for Information Science

." . . The guide could prove helpful for a number of different groups of users: e.g., for online searchers as a guide to the indexing languages used by particular databases; for indexers as a reference tool for identifying various indexing vocabularies; for students and teachers of information storage and retrieval as an instructional tool for studying indexing languages; and for online database designers and creators as a means of identifying available indexing languages in particular fields of study and for determining the compatability between indexing languages."-The Indexer

About the Author

LOIS MAI CHAN is a Professor in the College of Library and Information Science, the University of Kentucky.

RICHARD POLLARD is Assistant Professor of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.