========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1992 09:10:15 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: STEVE JOHNSON Subject: Low cost software ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- A local scholar, unsatisfied with the indexing function of his wordprocessing package, asked me for recommendations, assuming that "librarians know about these things." I don't think I have a good picture of currently available software, particularly lower priced programs which have satisfied professional indexers. Are these two conditions mutually exclusive? I have seen versions of PC-Index on MS/DOS shareware collections and bulletin boards, but have not tried it. Has the American Society of Indexers published a software directory recently? Is it available to non-members? --Steve Johnson, New York Zoological Society, Bxzoo@manvax.bitnet ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1992 09:53:27 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Jessica Milstead <76440.2356@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Availaility of standards ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- This replies particularly to Linda Hill's 25 and Kate McCain's messages of 11/25 about the need for access to standards. NISO's Standards Development Committee, of which I'm a member is actively considering means of making standards more readily available. A factor which we must consider is that printing and distribution are not the only costs of "publishing" a standard. The editorial costs of producing a finished product are not much affected by whether distribution is free/electronic or paid/print. At the initiative of the committee chair, the drafts of the new index standard are being made available over the Internet, and I think you will see more such activity in the future. Meanwhile, I am taking your two messages to the SDC at its next meeting as examples of needs perceived in the field. ========================================================================= Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1992 14:32:20 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Linda Hill Subject: Re: Availaility of standards In-Reply-To: <9212011517.AA21853@nova.Sti.NASA.GOV> from "Jessica Milstead" at Dec 1, 92 09:53:27 am > A further suggestion for NISO, and other standards organizations: That they establish an anonymous ftp site that would hold electronic copies of the available standards, both those in final form as they come from the committees and those in draft form. This would provide access to standards through Internet in ASCII form. The final, edited versions in multiple fonts, with illustrations, nicely printed, etc. could be available also but only for a price. It may be that the market for the printed versions will be small; if there is not enough of a market, then perhaps the printed version shouldn't even be prepared. ========================================================================= Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1992 12:12:09 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Carolyn Embach Subject: Re: Susanne Humphrey article on Indexing In-Reply-To: <9211252203.AA02798@TUblue.pa.utulsa.edu>; from "Carolyn Kidder" at Nov 25, 92 1:24 pm ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Petroleum Abstracts is using these tools of automatic indexing at the present time: 1. hierarchical and autoposting thesaurus vocabulary 2. free term searching capability Tools being considered include: 1. scanning text for machine-aided indexing (MAI) 2. longer abstracts and/or full-text searching capability Problem areas identified include: 1. virtual concept not in natural language of text, so direct input of terminology needed 2. natural language contains terminology which is ambiguous or has multiple meanings, e.g., horizontal drilling, column, precipitation, etc. 3. logistics of dealing with MAI list from which appropriate terminology would be selected and supplemented 4. expert subject knowledge needed to enhance meaningful content of documents and to make interpretive connections ========================================================================= Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1992 14:20:10 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: PAULA PRESLEY Subject: Low cost software In-Reply-To: In reply to your message of TUE 01 DEC 1992 08:11:51 EST ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Steve: Your inquirier is right... those word processing programs CANNOT produce the kind of index an indexer needs to prepare. I was recently appalled by a $150 scholarly monograph with a "computer generated" set of indexes (which should have been all one index). Maybe the publisher saved money up front, but I'll bet it will be lost in sales. I believe that dollar for dollar the best bets are Cindex and Macrex. Like any decent software, you only get what you pay for. For these programs, you get more than your money's worth...they work, and the documentation is clear and to the point (and well indexed!) > ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- > A local scholar, unsatisfied with the indexing function of his wordprocessing > package, asked me for recommendations, assuming that "librarians know about > these things." > I don't think I have a good picture of currently available software, > particularly lower priced programs which have satisfied professional > indexers. Are these two conditions mutually exclusive? > I have seen versions of PC-Index on MS/DOS shareware collections and > bulletin boards, but have not tried it. > Has the American Society of Indexers published a software directory > recently? Is it available to non-members? > --Steve Johnson, New York Zoological Society, Bxzoo@manvax.bitnet ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1992 09:34:35 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Carol Roberts Subject: Software ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Software Since we're talking about software again (or still, depending on how you count), I recall some mention a while back about KWIC and KWOC. There's a program I just learned of that produces KWIC or KWOC indexes from ASCII files. It's called KWIK15.ZIP, which you can get via anonymous ftp to HYDRA.UWO.CA. The file extension suggests it's a zipped file, so you have to know how to unzip. (I don't remember.) I obviously haven't tried this yet, but I post this info for souls braver than me. Your mileage may vary. Carol Roberts PUBS, Cornell ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1992 09:35:04 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: Janice Woo Subject: Re: Low cost software ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Although I am loath to admit it, I have been compiling indexes using the $5.00 Norton index shareware program. It is _very_ primitive, requiring lots of massaging on the output side, but if you're on a limited income or don't plan to do indexes very often, its extreme cheapness may offset its drawbacks. -- Janice Woo, UCB SLIS ========================================================================= Date: Mon, 7 Dec 1992 09:35:30 ECT Reply-To: Indexer's Discussion Group Sender: Indexer's Discussion Group From: JANDERSON@ZODIAC.BITNET Subject: New Indexing Standard press release ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Press Release, 3 December 1992 Discussion of Displayed Versus Non-displayed Indexes Dominates Third Meeting of NISO Committee on Standards for Indexing; Second Draft Critiqued at ASIS Annual Meeting Can indexes that are displayed for searching by visual inspection share standards with "non-displayed" indexes that are searched by means of electronic comparison and matching? This question dominated the first half of the third meeting of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) committee on standards for indexes (Z39.4-199x), held at the headquarters of the Special Library Association in Washington, DC, on November 6, 1992. The majority of the committee concluded that it must continue its effort to cover both of these fundamental types of indexes in a single standard, but at the same time, it resolved to clarify differences and to specify which recommendations apply to one category of indexes and not the other. A concerted effort will also be made to eliminate made-up jargon, such as "hidden" or "implicit" indexes. For the time being, at least, the standard will refer to "displayed" and "non- displayed" indexes. Since many electronic indexes are displayed for browsing and searching, this distinction is not based on index medium (e.g., print versus electronic) but rather the type of search interface provided to the user. In other decisions, the committee decided to move most of its large and ever growing glossary to an appendix, keeping only the most essential definitions as a formal part of the standard. Efforts will continue to make its definitions conform as much as possible to those of the *NISO Standard Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Thesauri*, now nearing completion. Committee chairperson James D. Anderson of Rutgers University will now prepare draft number 3, to be considered at a fourth meeting, to held in May of 1993. Other members of the committee include Barbara Anderson, DIALOG Information Services, Catherine Grissom, U. S. Department of Energy, Nancy Mulvany, Bayside Indexing Service, Barbara Preschel, Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS), Deborah Swain, IBM, and Hans Wellisch, emeritus professor, University of Maryland. The current standard, Z39.4- 1984, was published in 1984 under the title "Basic Criteria for Indexes." A week before the committee meeting, panelists discussed the draft standard before a capacity crowd during an 8 a.m. session at the annual meeting of the American Society for Information Science in Pittsburgh, PA. Chairperson Anderson introduced the draft by describing the goal of the committee to include all kinds of indexes used for information retrieval. Three invited speakers critiqued the draft. Marcia Bates of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) urged more comprehensive treatment of non-displayed indexes, including not only the terms that may be searched, but also the search interface and the procedures by which such indexes are searched. Raya Fidel of the University of Washington said that so far, the committee had achieved a good balance between prescriptive and descriptive standards. Because the indexing field has such a long tradition but so little theory, it is especially difficult to reach a consensus on standards. However, the draft is still too heavily slanted toward print media indexes and indexes for books. Bella Hass Weinberg of St. John's University compared the draft standard for indexes to that for the construction, format, and management of thesauri. She discussed problems with alphanumeric ordering, urged more attention to processes, such as the control of cross references, and suggested that the committee address desirable features of indexing software. Committee chair Anderson expressed appreciation for the widespread interest in the committee's work and welcomed the many suggestions that came from the panel, the audience, and many other members of the indexing community who had reviewed the second draft. Persons who would like to receive copies of the 3rd draft in late Spring 1993 may contact Anderson at the School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, 4 Huntington St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, 908/932- 7501, Internet: IN%"janderson@zodiac.rutgers.edu" =========================================================================