SV: [Sigcr-l] Cataloging/classification : how long does it take?

[Hjørland Birger]

Dear Kora (an all of you)
I have no specific answer to your question. It is clear, however, that the
answer is correlated to the quality of the indexing done.  Very little
research is done about the quality of indexing and the nature, kinds and
number of errors made by librarians/information specialist during indexing.
Below a few important sources that adress this problem:


Bade (2002) categorizes errors in library catalogs into six types: 
(1) Typographical, 
(2) ISBD formatting and punctuation, 
(3) MARC tagging, 
(4) Misapplication of cataloging rules, 
(5) Linguistic errors, and 
(6) Intellectual errors. 

Bade provides no statistical data about the extent of the problems. The
evidence he cites is selected case studies, and we are left to wonder how
pervasive the problem is. Nobody have, as far as I know, provided
quantitative studies of different kind of errors in databases. Chan &
Vizine-Goetz (1997) report errors in subject heading assignment, but these
focus mainly on whether assigned headings match current LC authorities,
whether they are constructed properly, and so on, not on whether they
accurately reflect the content of the work in question. Although statistical
data is missing experienced librarians who regularly use these databases
know that the problem is real. Bade makes it clear, however, after these
errors are created in the bibliographic utilities, they propagate through
local catalogs as librarians and library database managers too often
blithely load records without adequate quality control at the local level.
	Bade's real concern is with linguistic errors, which he understands
as cataloging errors that result from an inadequate understanding of the
language in which the work is written, and intellectual errors, which he
understands as errors that occur because of a lack of subject knowledge on
the part of the cataloger. He recommends recognizing the intellectual nature
of cataloging.
	One might whish it is possible to differentiate the concept of
"intellectual errors" because the intellectual background for KO is what
courses in information science and knowledge organization (including, of
course domain specific courses) are designed for. 

Lancaster (2003, pp. 86-87) lists the following kinds of error in indexing:
1.	The indexer contravenes policy, especially policy relating to the
exhaustivity of indexing
2.	The indexer fails to use the vocabulary elements in the way in which
they should be used (e.g. an incorrect main heading/subheading combination).
3.	The indexer fails to use a term at the correct level of specificity.
In most cases this will mean that the term selected is not the most specific
available.
4.	The indexer uses an obviously incorrect term, perhaps through lack
of subject knowledge (e.g., liquid rocket fuels when it is gaseous fuels
that are discussed).
5.	The indexer omits an important term.

Literature: 
Bade, D. W. (2002). The Creation and Persistence of Misinformation in Shared
Library Catalogs: Language and Subject Knowledge in a Technological Era.
Champaign-Urbana, Ill.: Graduate School of Library and Information Science,
Univ. of Illinois (Occasional Papers, no. 211). 
Bade, D. W. (2003). Misinformation and Meaning in Library Catalogs. Chicago:
The author.
Bade, D. W. (2004). Theory and practice of bibliographic failure or
misinformation in the information society. Ulaanbaatar: Chuluunbat. 
Boserup, I. & Krarup, K. (1982). Reader-Oriented Indexing. An invetsigation
into the extent to which subject specialists should be used for the indexing
of documents by and for professional readers, based on a sample of
sociological documents indexed with the help of the PRECIS indexing system.
Copenhagen: The Royal Library.
Chan, Lois Mai & Vizine-Goetz, Diane (1997). Errors and Obsolete Elements in
Assigned Library of Congress Subject Headings: Implications for Subject
Cataloging and Subject Authority Control. Library Resources & Technical
Services, 41(4), 295-322. 
Lancaster, F. W. (2003). Indexing and Abstracting in Theory and Practice. 3.
ed. London: Library Association Publishing. 




with kind regards, 

Birger





-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: Koraljka Golub [mailto:Kora at it.lth.se]
Sendt: 11. oktober 2004 17:07
Til: sigcr-l at asis.org
Emne: [Sigcr-l] Cataloging/classification : how long does it take?


 

Dear all,

Would you maybe have some data on how long it takes librarians to
catalog/classify/index different types of Internet resources?

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Kora

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Koraljka Golub, PhD Student	=09
E-mail: koraljka.golub at it.lth.se=09
URL: http://www.it.lth.se/koraljka/Lund/=09

KnowLib, Dept. of IT, Lund University=09 P.O. Box 118, SE-221 00 Lund,
Sweden=09
Tel: +46 (0)46 222 75 76		=09
Fax: +46 (0)46 222 4714		=09
URL: http://www.it.lth.se/knowlib/	=09
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



_______________________________________________
Sigcr-l mailing list
Sigcr-l at asis.org
http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigcr-l