While lacking kind of experience and credentials many on this list
have in the domains of cataloging and indexing, I incline to the
feeling that it's better to have both SUBJECT and DESCRIPTION in
the spec, rather than simply the latter. I have seen some similar
designs that work: some users will have the motivation and discipline
to use SUBJECT correctly (and will reap the appropriate rewards), while
others will be unable to justify the cost (they will use DESCRIPTION
and hope for the best). By allowing both in the specification,
diverse goals can be accommodated.
Personally, I think it's asking too much of users and software to
look for controlled vocabulary (based upon some range of
sublanguages) inside DESCRIPTION, where we know free-form
descriptive prose will be stored.
Thanks to all of you who have labored so hard on this for so long.
Robin
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