INDEXER CONSISTENCY UNDER MINIMAL CONDITIONS

Abstract

In a project of improving the quality of library indexing, a measure of the consistency with which indexers tend to choose the same terms as being descriptive of the same documents was assessed. Under artificial indexing conditions which excluded the use of indexing tools, communication, and post-indexing editing, six indexers (three experienced, three beginners) using a Uniterm system of coordinate indexing were found to differ significantly in the number of terms used to index a group of 75 randomly selected chemical patents, as well as in the percent of matched terms any one indexer had with any other. The experienced indexers have attained a significantly higher degree of inter-indexer consistency, with less internal variation, than their inexperienced colleagues. Results of the intraindexer reliability experiment show that, on the whole, each indexer tends to be consistent with himself when re-indexing ''equated'' documents and using a vocabulary of ''general'' (shared) terms. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0288087

Entities

People

  • J. Jacoby
  • V. Slamecka

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Consistency
  • Dictionaries
  • Reliability
  • Thesauri
  • Vocabulary

Readers

  • Gender and Food Studies
  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
  • Library and Information Science/ Studies, Southeast Asia Studies, Bibliography of Vietnam and Lao Studies.