A standard procedure for generating personal classifications and indexes

Abstract

A standard procedure for generating classifications to index personal collections of reprints and references is des cribed. Keywords are selected from all the documents in the collection. These keywords are used both to construct a personal classification for the user (or user group) and to index the documents, using a sequence of operations carried out in a required order. Frequency of keywords and related meanings are used to group keywords under subject headings. Classifications are normally maintained on Peekaboo cards permitting new subject headings to be added and new docu ments indexed at will.

The method has been used since 1966, and 25 indexes have been constructed. Up to 1970 all the work was manual; since then the computer has been used as an aid.

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