Check-list approach to indexing
An approach to indexing in which the indexer has a check-list to consider during indexing. It may be a checktag as used in MEDLINE or a list of facets to consider as applied in facet analysis (see also discussion by Hjørland, 1988).
"A check tag is defined simply as a concept of a 'tag' which must be considered routinely for every article indexed. The check tags are printed on the data form as both a convenience and reminder. The indexer must examine every article to account for each of the check tag concepts." MEDLARS Indexing Manual, 18.1. http://library.med.cornell.edu/Library/MeSH/checktags.html
Literature:
Downs, S. H. & Black, N. (1998). The feasibility of
creating a checklist for the assessment of the methodological quality both of
randomised and non-randomised studies of health care interventions. Journal
of Epidemology and Community Health, 52(6), 377-84.
Funk, M. E. & McGoogan, L. S. (1983). Indexing consistency in MEDLINE.
Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 71(2), 176-183.
Abstract: The quality of indexing of
periodicals in bibliographic data
base cannot be measured directly, as there is no one 'correct' way to index
an item. However, consistency can be used to measure the
reliability of
indexing. To measure consistency in MEDLINE, 760 twice-index articles from
42 periodical issues were identified in the database, and their
indexing
compared. Consistency, expressed as a percentage,
was measured using
Hooper's equation. Overall, checktags had the highest consistency.
Hjørland, B. (1988). Information Retrieval in Psychology. Behavioral and Social Sciences Librarian, 6(3/4), 39‑64. Click for full-text IR in psychol_1988.PDF
See also: Indexing; Indexing theory
Birger Hjørland
Last edited: 19-03-2007