The MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) thesaurus produced by the US National
Library of Medicine has a full hierarchical structure which defines the broader
narrower term references. Shalini's distinction is not quite accurate because
this tree structure uses an alphanumeric notation. Unlike in most classification
schemes, however, a subject concept can be repeated in more than one place in
the tree structure. The tree structure enables a very powerful search function,
the explode search, in databases like Medline.
Regards, Prue
Prue Deacon
HealthInsite Editorial Team
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care (Australia)
[log in to unmask]
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au
Shalini <[log in to unmask]> on 23/11/2000 08:29:21
To: Bernhard Eversberg <[log in to unmask]>,
[log in to unmask]
cc: (bcc: Prue Deacon/HIID/Health)
Subject: Re: Thesaurus suggestion
In the Library and Information Science Commuity, we distinguish between a
thesaurus and a classification system on the basis of prsence or absence of
a 'notation system'. A thesaurus is also structured but has no notation but
a classification has a notation( some numbering system)..
The functions are almost similar..But in a physical Library world
Classification system serve the pupose of shelf arrangement and thus act as
a location symbol as well.Both are used for structuring information.Both
help retrieve relevant items...
Regards,
Shalini
Dr.Shalini R. Urs
Visiting scholar
Professor & Chairperson
Digital Library Research Laboratory
Dept. of Library and Information Science Dept. of
Computer Science
University of Mysore.Mysore.570002 Virginia
Tech,Blacksburg, VA 24061
USA
INDIA.
Email: [log in to unmask]
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernhard Eversberg" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 22, 2000 10:13 AM
Subject: RE: Thesaurus suggestion
>
> Tom Wason writes:
>
> > From these [Merriam-Webster's] definitions it appears that a
> > thesaurus implies cross-references of some sort, e.g., among
> > languages and synonyms.
> > A classification does not imply any cross-references, and is
> > typically a taxonomy.
>
> That is not plausible and certainly not true for classifications in
> general use in libraries, LC and Dewey both have extensive cross-
> references.
>
> IMO one very important difference is that classifications are
> language-independent: the notations are typically combinations of
> letters and digits.
> And classifications have no problem with synonyms or preferred terms
> and such: all relevant terms can be listed under one class descriptor.
>
> Regards, B.E.
>
> Bernhard Eversberg
> Universitaetsbibliothek, Postf. 3329,
> D-38023 Braunschweig, Germany
> Tel. +49 531 391-5026 , -5011 , FAX -5836
> e-mail [log in to unmask]
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