Subject analysis extravaganza!
Now that we’ve determined that it’s impossible to know with certainty what constitutes a subject,
we’re going to thumb our noses at pesky reality and try assigning subject terms to documents.
Can everyone be right? Can some people be wrong? We shall see what happens.
We’ll take two different approaches to assigning subject terms to two different documents. In
between, we’ll come together as a group and compare our results.
Round 1
Consider article #1, “Researchers Create Artificial Memories in the Brain of a Fruitfly.”
Following the subject analysis process described in ISO 5963, determine the subject of the
document:
1. Write a narrative description of the subject.
2. Extract 3-5 concepts that represent the narrative.
3. Select the 3-5 terms from the following vocabulary that best express the identified
concepts.
For this article, only consider the article itself, not any potential uses or users of the document.
Narrative description of subject:
Your own concepts that represent the subject conveyed in the narrative:
Vocabulary terms that best express the identified concepts:
INF 384C, Fall 2009
Vocabulary for article #1
Select no more than five of the following concepts to index the article:
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artificial memories
associative condition pathways
biology
biology of learning
biology of memory
brains
chemical messengers
dopamine
electric shocks
fruit flies
fruitfly brains
gene manipulation
genetic engineering
Kenyon cells
learning
learning from trauma
learning processes of fruit flies
mapping neural circuitry
memory
memory associations
memory traces
mental models
neural circuitry
neurobiology
neurobiology of memory
neurobiology of learning
neurology
neurons
nightmares
trauma
INF 384C, Fall 2009
Round 2
Consider article #2., “Nudging recycling from less waste to none.”
As for article #1, determine its subject.
1. Write a narrative description of the subject.
2. Extract 3-5 concepts from the narrative.
3. Select the 3-5 terms from the following vocabulary that best express the identified
concepts.
This time, however, determine the subject by thinking about how it might be used. The article in
question is part of a collection about all aspects of local government, and its users are members of
the Austin city council and their staffs, who use it for research regarding current and potential city
initiatives.
Narrative description of subject:
Your own concepts that represent the subject conveyed in the narrative:
Vocabulary terms that best express the identified concepts:
INF 384C, Fall 2009
Vocabulary for article #2
Select no more than five of the following concepts to index the article:
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antigarbage strategy
benefits of composting
bioplastics
biodegradable materials
compost
composting
curbside compost collection
Environmental Protection Agency
food waste
food waste in landfills
garbage
garbage policy
global warming
global warming initiatives
green living
green initiatives
landfills
methane from landfills
municipal recycling services
municipal recycling infrastructure
Nantucket
organic waste
recycling
reducing organic waste
reducing waste
reusing
sustainability
sustainability initiatives
urban planning
waste
yard waste
zero waste
zero-waste movement
zero=waste targets
INF 384C, Fall 2009