Slideshow Transcript

1. Slide 1: Finding a Common Language: Bringing Complex and Disparate Vocabularies Together Paula R. McCoy Manager, Taxonomy Development ProQuest paula.mccoy@proquest.com
2. Slide 2: Part of Cambridge Information Group & CSA Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan Editorial offices in Louisville, Kentucky
3. Slide 3: Access to over 125 billion digital pages of content from magazine, trade, & scholarly publications, current & historical newspapers, original materials such as annual reports & civil war pamphlets, and daily wire feeds Subscription-based ProQuest® online information service available in academic and public libraries
4. Slide 4: Louisville editors abstract & index 4,000+ periodicals & newspapers ProQuest Controlled Vocabulary used to index subjects; Authority Files used to index company, geographic, personal, product names CV applied to non-periodical & third-party content via mapping, to allow cross-searching of multiple DBs with one vocabulary
5. Slide 5: Topics of Discussion Description of ProQuest Controlled Vocabulary & Authority Files Taxonomy Management -- Overview Life Before Synaptica Thesaurus Management System Purchase Implementing Synaptica Life With Synaptica Q&A
6. Slide 6: PQ CV ProQuest Controlled Vocabulary Natural language, hierarchical vocabulary complying with ANSI/NISO Standard Z39.19 (Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies) Created in 1970s for ABI/INFORM business database Based on Library of Congress Subject Headings
7. Slide 7: PQ CV ProQuest Controlled Vocabulary Merged with general reference vocabulary in 1980s Major development effort in past 4 years to boost science, education & medical terms Thesaurus subjects: Business, economics & trade – 4300 terms Science, math & technology – 1600 terms Medicine – 1150 terms Humanities – 960 terms Government & policy – 850 terms Education – 400 terms
8. Slide 8: PQ CV ProQuest CV: Statistics Preferred terms: 11,046 Non-preferred terms: 5631 Scope Notes: 3194 (29%) Cross-references (Broader, Narrower, Related terms): 67,700 Terms added in 2007: 77 Terms added in 2008: 58+
9. Slide 9: PQ CV Authority Files: Statistics Corporate/Organization Names: 438,098 Names added in 2008: 5489 Personal Names: 416,239 Names added in 2008: 1526 Geographic (Location) Names: 34,331 Names added in 2008: 144 Product Names: 38,210 Names added in 2008: 54
10. Slide 10: Taxonomy Management The Taxonomy Manager’s Job Add subject terms as dictated by new concepts & new content to index Maintain hierarchies & Scope Notes Load updated Thesaurus to ProQuest interface Manage authority files to maintain standards & control file size
11. Slide 11: Taxonomy Management The Taxonomy Manager’s Job OBJECTIVE: To ensure that indexers and searchers alike have access to a complete and accurate Thesaurus that they can use to maximize the discoverability of documents in ProQuest
12. Slide 12: Taxonomy Management Thesaurus on ProQuest®
13. Slide 13: Taxonomy Management Sample Subject Term Preferred, or main term Scope note defining term and how it is used Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease SN: Any lung disease, such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema, causing obstruction of bronchial airflow Non-preferred term: points UF COPD to term used to index BT Disease Terms broader in nature to BT Respiratory diseases main term: COPD is a NT Asthma disease, and specifically, a NT Bronchitis respiratory disease NT Emphysema Terms narrower in nature RT Airway management to main term: these are RT Lungs chronic lung diseases Terms related to main term that might be used to narrow the search
14. Slide 14: Before Synaptica Managing terms meant: Multiple files  Duplicate entries  Errors = less than ideal thesaurus management
15. Slide 15: Before Synaptica MS Word Document Version 2004 ProQuest Controlled Vocabulary of Subject Terms Page 3 Academic degrees Academic guidance counseling Academic underachievement SN: A title conferred on students upon UF: Guidance counseling SN: Student performance that is below graduating from a program of Student counseling standards or below potential study at a college or university BT: Counseling RT: Academic achievement UF: Associates degree Education Academic achievement gaps Bachelors degree RT: Career preparation Academic failure Doctoral degree Counselor client relationships Academic standards Masters degree Counselor education At risk students BT: Academic achievement School counseling Grade repetition RT: Colleges & universities Social promotion Graduate studies Academic libraries Graduation requirements UF: College libraries Academy awards Higher education School libraries UF: Oscars (Motion picture awards) MBA programs & graduates BT: Libraries BT: Awards & honors RT: Librarians Motion picture industry Academic failure Library resources RT: Actors SN: The failure of a student to meet academic standards, including Academic marketing Acadian culture failure to be promoted or to SN: Efforts of educational institutions UF: Cajuns graduate to attract students and funding BT: Minority & ethnic groups UF: Student failure BT: Marketing RT: Academic achievement NT: Student recruitment Accelerated cost recovery system Academic grading RT: Admissions policies CC: 4210 Academic probation College admissions UF: ACRS Academic underachievement College choice BT: Cost recovery At risk students Colleges & universities Depreciation Grade repetition Enrollment management Depreciation methods Graduation requirements Enrollments NT: Modified accelerated cost School dropouts recovery system Social promotion Academic probation RT: Capital cost recovery allowances RT: Academic failure Declining balance method Academic freedom Academic grading Depreciable assets SN: Educators’ freedom to teach and Academic underachievement Tax basis research what they choose BT: Education Academic standards Accelerated death benefits RT: Colleges & universities SN: Standards for performance in CC: 4220 Curricula defined academic areas set at the CC: 8210 Research local, state, or federal levels UF: Living benefits Teachers BT: Standards Viatical settlement Teaching RT: Academic achievement BT: Death benefits Academic achievement gaps RT: Estate planning Academic grading Academic underachievement Hardship distributions UF: Grading of students Achievement tests Insurance policies BT: Academic achievement Core curriculum Life insurance RT: Academic failure Education policy Riders Academic probation Educational evaluation Terminal illnesses Achievement tests No Child Left Behind Act 2001-US Cheating Quality of education Education portfolios School effectiveness Accelerated depreciation methods Educational evaluation Standardized tests USE: Depreciation methods Tests Ke y: S N=Sc o pe no te CC=Clas s ific atio n c o de UF=Us e fo r BT=Bro ade r te rm NT=Narro we r te rm RT=Re late d te rm
16. Slide 16: Before Synaptica Vocabulary Documents in Word ProQuest controlled vocabulary French-language controlled vocabulary German-language controlled vocabulary Spanish-language controlled vocabulary Combined PQ-CBCA controlled vocabulary Ethnic database vocabulary, English Ethnic database vocabulary, Spanish
17. Slide 17: Before Synaptica Oracle Database Forms
18. Slide 18: Before Synaptica Authority Files in Oracle Class codes (related to subjects) CORP names (391,665+ terms) NAIC codes (related to companies) GEOG names (32,000+ terms) PERS names (350,000+ terms) PROD names (38,000+ terms)
19. Slide 19: Before Synaptica Foreign-Language Vocabularies French German Spanish
20. Slide 20: Before Synaptica Adding New Terms 1. Enter full term hierarchy into new Word doc 2. Copy term into main Word-based vocabulary & enter reciprocal relationships 3. Enter term & relationships into Oracle 4. Review next-day report on Oracle activity 5. Send new term doc to editors via e-mail 6. Print new vocabulary (at least every two years)
21. Slide 21: TMS Purchase Thesaurus Management Systems
22. Slide 22: TMS Purchase Buying Criteria Buying Criteria Up to 40 admin & 100 read-only users in multiple locations Ability to load vocabs from multiple Word docs & Oracle authority files Ability to add new vocabularies Support for foreign language vocabularies Vendor onsite installation & training Software upgrades & tech support
23. Slide 23: TMS Purchase Buying Criteria 1. Ability to interact in real time with editorial system 2. Ability to accommodate authority files of 400,000+ names
24. Slide 24: Implementing Synaptica Implementing Synaptica Contract signed and work begun in August 2004 PQ sent to Synaptica all the Word & Oracle files for analysis Decision points: how to load & structure data; how to handle “suspect” or erroneous relationships
25. Slide 25: Implementing Synaptica Synaptica Data Analysis Relationship Validation Tests: Term Uniqueness Use Violations Self-Referencing Relationships One Relationship per Term Pair Relationship Unique Relationship Reciprocates Circular References Exception Reports delivered to PQ; Errors fixed before production
26. Slide 26: Implementing Synaptica Use Validation Error Marine resources Marine ecology SN: The ecology of the seas and oceans UF: Benthic ecology BT: Ecology RT: Marine conservation Marine pollution Marine resources Oceans Marine resources USE: Underwater resources Marine pollution BT: Pollution Water pollution RT: Marine conservation Underwater resources Marine ecology UF: Marine resources Ocean dumping BT: Natural resources Marine resources RT: Marine conservation Marine ecology Marine pollution
27. Slide 27: Implementing Synaptica Foreign-Language Errors Terms with no language equivalent (LEQ), e.g., no translation In all 3 languages, multiple English terms with the same translation, e.g.: English term French term French term-revised Purchasing Achats Shopping Achats Shopping Buyers Acheteurs Purchasing agents Acheteurs Agents d'achat
28. Slide 28: Implementing Synaptica Final Challenge Issue: Different editorial systems = 2x data entry: once for Synaptica, once for Oracle Solution: Overnight synchronization process to copy Synaptica work into Oracle every night Synch process discontinued April 2008
29. Slide 29: Implementing Synaptica Putting Synaptica Into Production Nov 2004 Train users — provide documentation & hands-on demonstrative training Deal with people resistant to change Encourage written feedback on system functionality Send feedback to Synaptica – many of our suggestions implemented in later versions
30. Slide 30: Life With Synaptica Life With Synaptica Word – Old, Bad  Synaptica – New, Good 
31. Slide 31: Life With Synaptica Adding Terms Today: 3 Easy Steps 1. Enter term and relationships into Synaptica “Item Details” window 2. Export report of new terms into Word 3. Send Word document to editors
32. Slide 32: Life With Synaptica Synaptica Updates Synaptica version 6.0 released in early 2006 Synaptica version 7.0 is being implemented now: • Enhanced user interface • Semantic Web standardization (RDF, OWL, SKOS) and Web Services integration • Expanded Reporting functionality • Enhanced adding and editing of term relationships including “rapid-fire” simple drag-and-drop editing • Improved global term editing • Online help and user guides
33. Slide 33: Life With Synaptica Benefits of Synaptica Greater awareness of thesaurus standards and terminology, e.g.: “preferred” and “non- preferred” instead of Use and Used For Long-needed updating and improvement in term hierarchies; ability to provide thesaurus statistics Increase in Company name NPTs — from 1935 to 8952 today Immediate responsiveness to indexer needs — real-time term additions, esp. NPTs and SNs Easier loading of updated Thesaurus on PQ interface