CHAIN INDEXING

Presented by

Ezhilan

Introduction

• Indexing has to specify exactly the content of documents. This needs a language by which the contents could be described precisely (i.e. Indexing Language).

• Indexing includes :

a) Conceptual Analysis, and

b) Representation (of the Contents)

Types of Indexing Techniques :

There are broadly two types of Indexing Techniques or Indexing Methods. They are :

a) Pre-Coordinate Indexing, andb) Post-Coordinate Indexing.

Pre-Coordinate Indexing Systems : It means the key works are Co ordinated at the time of indexing. ( PRECIS, POPSI and chain indexing)

Post-Coordinate Indexing Systems:It means the key works are Co ordinated at the time

of searching. Ex. Uniterm indexing.

Chain Indexing

• Dr. S. R. Ranganathan developed a method of indexing, called chain procedure of subject indexing or simply Chain Indexing. It is a method of deriving alphabetical subject entries from the chain of successive subdivisions of subjects needed to be indexed leading from general to specific level.

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Definition

• According to Ranganathan,chain indexing is a “procedure for deriving class index entry (i.e. subject indexentry) which refers from a class to its class number in a more or less mechanical way.”

The basic steps in chain indexing are enumeratedbelow:

• a).Classify the subject of a document by following a preferred classification scheme.

• b) Represent the class number in the form of a chain in which each link consists of two parts: class number and its verbal translation in standard term or phrase used in the preferred classification scheme.

Cont….

• c) Determine different kinds of links: sought, unsought, false and missing links.

• d) Derive specific subject heading for the specific subject entry from the last sought link and moving upwards by taking the necessary and sufficient sought links in a reverse rendering or backward rendering process.

Cont…

• e) Derive subject reference heading for the subject reference from each of the upper sought links.

• g) Prepare ‘see’ references for each alternative and synonymous term used in the specific as well as subject reference headings.

Cont…

• h) Merge specific subject entries, subject references (i.e. ‘See also’ references) and ‘See’ references and arrange them in single alphabetical sequence.

Thank you.