Sorting Out The Web: Approaches to Subject Access

Citation

Chowdhury, G.G. (2002), "Sorting Out The Web: Approaches to Subject Access", The Electronic Library, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 58-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/el.2002.20.1.58.5

This introductory text discusses subject approaches to the organization and retrieval of information on the World Wide Web. The author is a well known academic and information professional with a long experience in the field. Within a span of 152 pages she has attempted to cover a number of issues, from traditional library tools for information organization to the features of Web search engines. Consequently, the information and discussions on each topic have been rather brief. There are six chapters in the book. The first chapter provides a very brief introduction to the developments in information technology and its impact on information services and users. Chapter two talks about metadata. Here the author provides a brief introduction to the concepts of metadata and metadata formats. Discussions on topics like HTML, XML, Dublin Core, etc., are very brief and are written in a manner, probably on purpose, suitable for beginners rather than expert information professionals and researchers. The same approach has been taken in other chapters. In chapter three, the author discusses the basic concepts of library classification and tools which follows a brief description of research and project works that have used classification schemes to organize Web information resources. The descriptions again are very brief and do not include any critical or analytical comments.

Chapter four begins with a basic introduction to the vocabulary control tools – subject heading lists and thesauri, and then it briefly describes some projects that have used vocabulary control tools for creating indexes to the Web information resources. Chapter five covers the most interesting and fast‐growing topic, namely the Web search engines. Beginning with a brief introduction to the background and growth of the Web, this chapter provides brief descriptions of the features of selected search engines and subject gateways. There is an appendix that provides general tips of Web searching, ranging from the general preparation for a Web search to the selection of search terms and formulation of queries. The last chapter briefly outline some recent trends in information handling and management including the issues of data mining and visualization of information.

This is a good introductory text most suitable for LIS students. It can also be a starting point for professionals and researchers who can get further information through the long and useful list of references that appears at the end of each chapter, as well as the Web page, maintained and promised to be updated by the author throughout her working life, which contains valuable information and further links.