INFO 6340 Indexing in the Digital Age

The basis for the MARC (Machine Readable Catalog) record, this standard specifies the requirements for a generalized interchange format that can be used for the communication of records in any media.

This standard provides guidelines for the content, organization, and presentation of indexes used for the retrieval of documents and parts of documents. It deals with the principles of indexing regardless of the type of material indexed, the indexing method used, the medium of the index, or the method of presentation for searching. It emphasizes three processes essential for all indexes: comprehensive design, vocabulary management, and syntax.

Guidance is presented for authors and editors preparing abstracts that represent the content of texts reporting on the results of experimental work or descriptive or discursive studies. Suggestions for the placement of abstracts within publications or other media are given, along with recommendations for abstracting specific documents. Types of abstracts and their content are described. Also included are suggestions on the style of abstracts and a list of selected readings on the subject of abstracting. Examples of abstracts are appended.

Presents guidelines and conventions for the contents, display, construction, testing, maintenance, and management of monolingual controlled vocabularies. It focuses on controlled vocabularies that are used for the representation of content objects in knowledge organization systems including lists, synonym rings, taxonomies, and thesauri.

Defines fifteen metadata elements for resource discovery in a cross-disciplinary information environment.

Audio and video assets are growing in popularity and volume in the information arena. This Recommended Practice, targeted to producers and consumers of audiovisual content, establishes a vocabulary and guidelines for exchange of metadata about these assets. The document identifies essential elements of information exchange and aims to reduce transactional ambiguity between parties who may rely on different metadata models in their own work.