Evaluation of factoring ratio in descriptors of thesauri of ASFA and Islamic science: a quantitative approach to analysis of precoordination level

Document Type : Research ŮŽ Article

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Abstract

International standard of ISO 2788 and British Standard 8723 emphasize on the application
of individual descriptors and the analysis of multiword or complex descriptors
to separate semantic elements. These standards nominate "factoring" as a way
for analyzing multiword terms. Factoring rules are laid down in order to decrease
the usage of multiword descriptors and move towards the compilation of individual
descriptors. Therefore there should always be a defined relation between the number
of descriptors and the number of words used in their structure. In the factoring ratio
it is supposed that the number of one-word descriptors should always be more than
two-word descriptors and the number of two-word descriptors should always be more
than three-word descriptors etc. The way of calculating the factoring ratio is based on
analyzing the ratio of descriptors to the number of different words. In this research
the descriptors of the thesauri of ASFA(trilingual cultural thesaurus: English, Persian,
Arabic), principles of jurisprudence, logic, philosophy, Qur'anic sciences and theology
have been analyzed and evaluated to determine the factoring ratio of descriptors to
the number of different words. For quantitative analysis of factoring the methodology
used in the research is content analysis. The study population is descriptors chosen through stratified random sampling. The results showed that the number of one-word
descriptors have always been less than two-word multiword descriptors in the thesauri
evaluated. One-word descriptors were mostly applied in thesauri of ASFA, logic and
theology. The best results in reducing the level of pre-coordination belonged to the
thesauri of ASFA, principles of jurisprudence and philosophy in sequence.

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Librarianship and Information Organization Studies
Volume 20, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
December 2009
Pages 75-98

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 May 2015
  • Accept Date: 28 January 2008

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