ORGANIZATION OF ELEMENTS OF INFORMATION

The Thesaurus

ThesaurusFrom Greek, meaning “treasure”A compilation of words and phrases showing synonymous, hierarchical, and other relationships and dependences, the function of which is to provide a standard vocabulary for information storage and retrieval--ANSI

Relation toClassification Scheme

Alphabetical and hierarchicalNumber of locations for a termFacets

PurposePromote consistent representation of subject matterLink terms related either permanently or transitorily

HistoryPeter Mark Roget Society for the Diffusion

of Knowledge Thesaurus of English Words

and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition (1852)

HistoryInformation retrieval thesaurus, 1960s-

Structure

Structure

Structure

Structure

Hierarchical RelationshipsBroader Term (BT): ScienceNarrower Term (NT): Physics

Hierarchical relationshipsGenus-species Partitive

Hierarchical relationshipsExamples

Affinitive/Associative Relationship “RT”

Affinitive/Associative Relationship “RT”

DescriptorsNouns, phrases Gravity Specific gravity Center of gravity

DescriptorsSplit Multiple classes

Children’s books

Retain compound Take more than

one way Plate glass/glass

plate

Scope note “SN”Define or clarify the term

Preferential relationshipEquivalent of “see” reference in index “Use” and “Use for”

Use: stamp collectingUse for: Philately

Preferential relationshipExample

DisplayAlphabetical

DisplayHierarchical

ConstructionConsolidationOriginal indexingMaintenance

http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/z39-19a.pdf

EvaluationBreadth of coverageHandling of structural relationshipEffectiveness of display

Thesaurus - ERIChttp://www.ericfacility.net/extra/pub/

thessearch.cfm

ThesaurusExamples online:

NASA: http://www.sti.nasa.gov/thesfrm1.htm

UNESCO:http://www.ulcc.ac.uk/unesco/

Solution