Dissertation Information for Jessica Lee Harris NAME: - Jessica Lee Harris
DEGREE:
- Ph.D.
DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science
SCHOOL:
- Columbia University (USA) (1969)
ADVISORS: - None COMMITTEE MEMBERS: - None
MPACT Status: Incomplete - Ambiguous
Title: Subject headings: Factors influencing formation and choice; with special reference to Library of Congress and H.W. Wilson practice
Abstract: In this study the influence of several administrative factors on selected types of subject headings was investigated. Most of the study was based on analyses of a 10per cent sample of the seventh edition of the library of Congress subject heading list. The headings, subdivisions, and see references were keypunched as they appeared in the list and expanded by computer program to the full form of the heading. Another program then produced listings of inversions, words in series, subdivisions of all levels, parenthetical expressions, prepositional phrases, connectives, see references, and instruction for geographic subdivision. This sample was used for most of the study: exceptions are noted below.
The findings were as follows: based on a determination of the number of subdivisions and the number of titles (excluding form and geographical subdivisions) entered in the Library of Congress official catalog under a 5 per cent random sample of the Library of Congress list of subject headings, there is a positive correlation of .675 between the number of subdivisions and the number of titles entered under a given heading, indicating that part of the reason for introduction of aspect subdivisions is to reduce the length of undifferentiated files. Certain kinds of subdivisions are introduced whenever they are applicable, regardless of the length of the file.
Using word frequency in natural language as a criterion of degree of specification, the choice between inversions and direct entry of adjectival phrases in which the adjective denotes a national, linguistic, ethnic, or geographic distinction is strongly influenced by which of the two words in the phrase better specifies the subject. The evidence is not so clear with regard to other types of adjectival phrases; there is some indication of a tendency to invert them, bringing the noun forward, unless the noun is of much greater frequency than the adjective.
It was found that, in general, inversions and subdivisions of headings are used to produce a classified subarrangement.
A comparison of the subject headings actually applied to the same books by the Library of Congress and the H.W. Wilson Company showed that the size of the library for which cataloging is designed does not affect the relative scope of the headings used. The Library of Congress does use more, and narrower, subdivisions than Wilson, while the latter applies more form and class headings.
Except for the very broadest ones, most headings that could be applied to forms of material are. Headings for literary forms, however, are applied only to collections by more than one author.
A simple set of styling rules, dealing primarily with punctuation and using the filing code of Hines and Harris as a basis, was devised and applied to determine if a reasonable computer arrangement could be produced, using only the characters actually appearing in the entry. The test was in general successful, although determining the purpose of certain parenthetical expressions gave considerable trouble; and numerous long files, formerly broken into several alphabetical subarrangements, were interfiled by the procedure.
For certain types of headings a general policy of cross referencing from some point other than the entry word is perfectly conceivable. A policy is plainly followed by the Library of Congress for references from the direct form of inverted headings, subdivisions of place names as main headings, and parenthetical expressions indicating a system of law. However, the policy is not followed as consistently as it might be in the first two of these cases. From other parenthetical expressions and from words following and, there is a tendency to make, but not a clear-cut policy of making, cross references.
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MPACT Scores for Jessica Lee Harris A = 0
C = 1
A+C = 1
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-04-07 20:55:07
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