Indexing
From SLNSW
Indexes are guides to the resources in your library and other libraries.
Contents |
Finding tools
You can think of indexes as finding tools. They help you locate books themselves. They help you find information within books, databases and websites.
Some indexes help you locate information within magazines or journals.
Examples:
- Your library catalogue is an example of an index which helps you find library resources.
- There are indexes which help you locate parts of works such as magazine articles (ANZ Reference Centre, MasterFILE Premier) novels (Novelist), or poems. Note: often full text of titles will be available in the same database as the index. Most of the above are full text.
- There are also indexes to individual works. The index to the World Book Encyclopedia is an example.
Many sources you use are arranged alphabetically by subject and it is common to bypass the index altogether. For example, the Encyclopedia is frequently consulted by turning directly to an article rather than using the index. It is important however, not to overlook the index. Although there is an article in the World Book Encyclopedia on x-rays in the 'X' volume, more information can be found in 24 other articles. Indexes also will help you locate information when there is no separate article on the topic. For example, you can find a picture of a sea anemone in World Book only by using the index-specific terms, synonyms, broader terms.
To use any index effectively, including the catalogue, follow these steps.
- Try looking up the most specific term first. Example, 'daylight saving time' - try 'daylight saving'.
- Then try a synonym, example, whose picture is on a $20 note? If there is no entry under 'money' try 'currency'.
- Then try to broaden the search term. Example, if you are looking for the speed of a lion and find nothing under 'lion', broaden to 'animals'.
Coping with poor indexes
Sometimes you will have to use an index which is very poorly constructed. One common problem with indexes is very broad subject headings. With too many items under each subject heading, you face an inefficient search because you can't go directly to the most specific heading. Some indexes don't follow the usual conventions and will put items beginning with 'the' in the 'T' indexes. Some older books use outdated or misleading terms. Sometimes you may want to use the table of contents or browsing.
Who indexes the web?
The web has many search engines but few indexes; no quality control; and an increasing number of users who remain confident that anyone can find anything with one quick search.
Major point: Indexes are finding tools that help you find whole works, parts within works, topics within an individual work, or quality web sites
Exercise
Using the five reference tools from the exercise on the Client sources page do the following:
- Examine the subject headings or index terms used in the tools.
- Are the tools arranged by subject heading and is this reflected in the table of contents?
- Do they have indexes?
- Are the indexes easy to understand and use?
- How similar or different are the index terms or subject headings among the books? ie. Do they use the same terms for the same topics?
- Do you think that the terms used would be the terms your patrons would expect to find? Give and example from one of the tools.
Throughout this module you will be working more with these tools so keep them handy.
