Peircean semiotics and subject indexing: Contributions of speculative grammar and pure logic

The semiotics of C S. Peirce presents fundamental concepts to discover aspects of the indexing process, including representation and classes of signs. However, we still know little of its theoretical potential for subject indexing. We believe that the main difficulty in the proposals to understand the process of subject indexing based on Peircean semiotics stems from an incomplete interpretation of his semiotic system. This paper attempts to describe the contributions of Peircean semiotics to subject indexing. First, we analyze some of the concepts of the branches of semiotics, after which, we discuss strategies for conceptual approximation. Secondly, and aiming to raise the level of interlocution between the areas, we intend to argue that subject indexing is an inferential process, as explained by the second branch of semiotics. Thus, we seek to go beyond the level of speculative grammar, the first branch of semiotics, to forge a closer link with pure or critical logic, the second branch. We conclude that the indexer's work does not produce a mere reflection of what already exists in documents, but involves an instigating action to discover, through the inferential matrix, the meaning of a text in order to find the subject and the most appropriate subject added entry to the information system.

Consistência na indexação em bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the consistency indexes among 30 Brazilian university libraries from the south and south-east regions through a specific mathematical formula. It was selected a sample of 30 university libraries that, according to the information in their official sites, have a collection consisted of more than 100.000 copies and allow the search into the on-line catalog. Searches were carried out in every university by means of their sites, requesting books that contained a certain word in its title and were printed in a certain year. The response was a list of available titles in the library, from which we chose at random a title and asked to visualize the complete record to verify the existence of a given subject. This procedure was repeated until we found the same title in five libraries with the chosen subjects. The result is 10 trials, each one consisting of one figure and one table showing the selected libraries, the subjects, the documentary languages ( tools) and the consistency indexes relaxed and rigid. These trials show great discrepancy between the values of consistency indexes with intervals between 73,3% to 34,4% in the relaxed index, and between 60% and 9,6% in the rigid one. It was revealed that the coincidence in determining the subjects is not too high remaining below 39%. It is concluded that the difference between the consistency indexes may be due to factors as: incompatibility among documentary languages; lack of updating of these languages so as to follow the knowledge evolution; absence of a well-defined indexing policy with guidelines clearly established. Procedures of indexing followed by indexers could contribute to the consistency index to be bigger in percentage, since there would be parameters for the indexing process.

Um olhar semiótico sobre o processo de indexação: a questão da representação e do referente

The indexing process is determined the subject of the document and its relation with the representation information. To cultivate the interdisciplinary contributions is essential, especially when the relationship allows substantial additions to the area of research. Rehearse some contributions in this article of Semiotics of Charles Sanders Peirce in the field of study of the indexing process, in particular, the notions of representation and referent. It is concluded that the tripartite division of the sign provides basis for to understanding the process of thematic representation, discussing the relationship of the sign with the object and the phenomenon presented, in the indexer sees the documentary language as referent.

Estudo de vocabulário controlado na indexação automática: aplicação no processo de indexação do Sistema de Indización Semiautomática (SISA)

Pós-graduação em Ciência da Informação - FFC

A indexação em catálogo on-line em bibliotecas universitárias na percepção de usuários integrantes de grupos de pesquisa: uma contribuição ao desenvolvimento de política de indexação na rede de biblioteca da UNESP

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Política de indexação para construção de catálogos coletivos em bibliotecas universitárias

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O processo de análise de assunto na catalogação de livros em bibliotecas universitárias: aplicação do protocolo verbal

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Consistência na indexação em bibliotecas universitárias brasileiras

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A prática de indexação: análise da evolução de tendências teóricas e metodológicas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estudio observacional del contexto sociocognitivo de la catalogación de matérias em bibliotecas universitárias

A study of the subject indexing process in university libraries is presented, using a socio-cognitive approach to analyze the procedures, difficulties and perceptions of the librarians, users, and managers that take part in the process. Individual and group verbal protocols were applied in the real environment of the cataloguers, the university libraries. The results were the absence of systematic procedures for book subject analysis and representation, the incompatibility of the indexing language, and problems in subject retrieval from the catalog. It is concluded that there is a tendency in catalogs to act as databases. Therefore, the cataloguer should present a level of commitment in his task similar to that of an indexer who works in the production of bibliographic databases.

O contexto de indexação para catalogação de livros usando uma abordagem sociognitiva

We evaluated study of the indexing process in the cataloging at university libraries, using a socio-cognitive approach to analyze procedures, difficulties and perceptions of librarians, users, and managers. The methodology consisted of the Individual and Group Verbal Protocols applied in university libraries. The results were the absence of procedures for book subject analysis and representation, incompatibility of indexing language, and problems of subject retrieval from the catalog. We have concluded that is tendency of catalogs to act as databases. Therefore, the cataloguer should present a posture of commitment similar to that of an indexer who works in the production of these bases.

Sobre o pensamento de Peirce e a organização da informação e do conhecimento

Incomplete glimpses of the philosophy of Charles Peirce (1839-1914) can frequently be found in studies about Semiotics and Information Science. Therefore, we sought to discover the theoretical and applied interrelationships between knowledge and information organization and Peirce's Semiotics and Philosophy. The aim was to discover and evaluate the contributions of Peirce's Semiotics and Philosophy to the knowledge and information organization field. The method of this study was bibliographical research. The main results were: indexing process semiotic model, semiotic knowledge organization, interaction between documentary semiotics and documentary languages, kinds of inference to the indexing process, as well as the collaboration of Peirce's pragmatism to terminology theory. Finally, we listed issues for future research.

A análise de assunto no processo de indexação: um percurso entre teoria e norma

Considered the step that constitutes the intellectual work of the indexer, the approach runs the focus of the initial phase of the indexing process - the subject analysis. Among the various denominations that can be achieved, the subject analysis reaches its dimension applied when observed the rules that underlie the indexing process. The release of the documentary information requires the development of contributions to aid in the procedures of analysis, synthesis and representation of the contents documentary, seeking contributions to both the theoretical sedimentation, and for fostering the professional practice of the librarian. Through bibliographic exploratory research, this article aims to contribute to the relevance of subject analysis, concluding that there is a gap in the use of NBR 12676/1992, as well as the need for its updating.

Um Método para a Utilização de Ontologias na Indexação Automática

The indexing process aims to represent synthetically the informational content of documents by a set of terms whose meanings indicate the themes or subjects treated by them. With the emergence of the Web, research in automatic indexing received major boost with the necessity of retrieving documents from this huge collection. The traditional indexing languages, used to translate the thematic content of documents in standardized terms, always proved efficient in manual indexing. Ontologies open new perspectives for research in automatic indexing, offering a computer-process able language restricted to a particular domain. The use of ontologies in the automatic indexing process allows using a specific domain language and a logical and conceptual framework to make inferences, and whose relations allow an expansion of the terms extracted directly from the text of the document. This paper presents techniques for the construction and use of ontologies in the automatic indexing process. We conclude that the use of ontologies in the indexing process allows to add not only new feature to the indexing process, but also allows us to think in new and advanced features in an information retrieval system.

A indexação nas perspectivas das concepções de análise de assunto em bibliotecas universitárias

We evaluated the indexing process, to identify the conceptions of subject analysis used in the procedures adopted by catalogers in university libraries. It was concluded that more attention should be given to adoption of approaches content-oriented and requirementsoriented conceptions of subject analysis and use of indexing language compatible with the needs of representation and information of indexers and users of collective catalogues of academic libraries.