Class 4: Headings vs. Descriptors
| Headings | Descriptors |
|---|---|
| Many semantic notions possible | One semantic notion per descriptor |
| Precoordination of ideas into one term | Terms must be coordinated by searcher (post-coordination) |
| Ideal scheme for card catalogs and print indexes | Ideal scheme for online searching |
| Used predominately in OPACs | Used predominately in article databases Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors: Peak Record | Sample Page | Also available online
Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms: Peak Record | Sample Page | Also available online
Thesaurus of Sociological Indexing Terms: Peak Record | Sample Page | Also available online es |
Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of
Monolingual Thesauri
Document Number: ANSI/NISO
Z39.19-2005
Subject Headings: Show pre-coordination of semantically unrelated elements
Example: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Subject Descriptors: Contain only one semantic element. A post-coordination strategy on the part of the user is required to bring ideas together.
Example: NASA Thesaurus, INSPEC Thesaurus, ERIC Thesaurus
Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors: Peak Record | Sample Page | Also available online
For use with ERIC (ProQuest) or ERIC (via Dept. of Education)
Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms: Peak Record | Sample Page | Also available online
For use with PsycInfo (EbscoHost)
Thesaurus of Sociological Indexing Terms: Peak Record | Sample Page | Also available online
For use with Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest)