INDEXING OF DOCUMENTS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
FOR
EFFECTIVE MONITORING AND RETIEVAL
BY
MILAGROS SANTOS-ONG
Director, Supreme Court Library Services
Senate of the Philippines, Human Resources Management Service Joint SeminarWorkshop for Officers of the Legislative Bills and Index Services of the Senate
and House of Representatives, Anne Racquel’s Hillside Resort, Miguel L. Santos
Village, Calaban, Olongapo City. April 2004.
An index is a “systematic guide, an indicator or pointer of a location of an
information contained in or concepts derived from a collection of data, reading matter or
materials.” It has also been defined as “any ordered list of terms which guides a user in
locating recorded information.” Indexing is a procedure for organizing the contents of
recorded information for the purpose of easy retrieval and dissemination. In other
words, indexing is the system of creating or producing an index. Indexing procedure can
be done manually or electronically with the use of the latest technology, computers.
There are standard indexing procedures which have been formulated by
organizations like UNESCO. However, these available standards should just be used as
guide in formulating one’s own policies and procedure. The policies and procedure one
institution or class group of institutions must take into primary consideration its users
or clients. There are policies for Law in General. However, there are more specific legal
applications for the Academe, Executive, Judiciary and the Legislative. Let us compare
Courts and the Legislature (GIVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES). Know your users’ needs
through a “User study” for effective information dissemination and retrieval. After these
policies and procedures have been set, they must be religiously followed.
Computers and the latest information technology has facilitated indexing from
the organization or the production of an “index” such as “Index to Bills and Resolutions
of the House of Representatives/Senate” until its retrieval. Even with the use of fulltext, indexing will still be used to facilitate retrieval. Keywords or “ subject indexing”
are still used effective and faster retrieval. Existing full-text systems like the locally
available Lex Libris databases on CD Asia use keywords in their syllabi. Look at the
Lex Libris Jurisprudence. Aside from the full-text of the Supreme Court decisions, they
have the Key Words and the Abstract. This can be retrieve by using the “Template
Search.” For LAWS, there is a button with the Flag sign. Click this button and you will
get the History for a law and other related laws. More advanced Online information
systems such as WESTLAW, LEXIS and other foreign system have two types of search
engines, the Natural Language or the Boolean search for the retrieval of full text.
Indexing process involves the analyzing of information content of records of
knowledge and expressing the said information content in the language or
established/defined standard in indexing system. Yes, computers may be able to analyze
but only to a limited extent. Computers can easily be used to retrieve information found
in the text of the document or records. They will not be able to determine whether a
word in the text or record of knowledge is relevant or material unless a program
devised to provide what we librarians call cross reference or keywords that is used by
Lex Libris. Take for example the words: Quasi delict, torts and negligence. They are at
times used interchangeably. So using only the full-text of all Supreme Court decisions
and you are searching for all quasi delict cases, you will not be able to get those cases
who used negligence or torts. So, the Keywords/Template can be used to assure that all
cases may be included. Manually, it is with the use of CROSS REFERENCE.
Another problem if search is purely those found in the full text is the fact that
“standard” citation provided for in Uniform Manual of Citation by the Harvard
University and locally the Philippine Manual of Legal Citations by University of the
Philippines Law Center are being used. Take Republic Acts for example. Some cite is
as
R.A. No.
Rep. Act No.
Republic Act No.
So if you use in your search Rep. Act No., your search will not include those
which used R.A. No. or Republic Act No.
A. Quality of the Index
In indexing, one basic ingredient that is needed is to produce a quality index.
How can this be done? In every stage of the indexing process, the following virtues
must be
one’s guide: COMPREHENSION, CONSISTENCY
and GOOD
JUDGEMENT.
For consistency and uniformity, specific indexing tools may be utilized
depending upon the type of indexes. One example of uniformity is “PUBLIC
OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES” OR “GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND
EMPLOYEES.” They have the same meaning ang may be used interchangeably. So if
you started using the first, for uniformity, DO NOT USE the second in your indexes.
For the subject index, there are standard foreign tools such as: a) Library of Congress
Subject Headings b). Ellinger’s Subject Headings for Literature of Law and
International and even those locally produced indexes. For computerized application,
there are some software which allows one to develop his own indexing structure or build
your own thesaurus. Whether it be manual and/or computerized application, the
decision on the choice of subject headings lies in the indexer’s good judgment. There
should be flexibility, uniformity and consistency in the choice of subject headings.
(Even for Librarians, INDEXING, Cataloging and Reference are
library
functions that cannot be performed effectively by all librarians. These special
qualities makes librarians secure that computers can never replace them)
The index should be able to accommodate new developments in terminology
essential to the user needs and should also allow frequent updating. In this bio-age, there
are new terminologies not used in the past such as cloning, biotechnology, GMO and
DNA. Take for example DNA. Indexing rules for librarians provide that we should
spell out DNA and use that as its subject.
However, who can memorize
Deoxyribonucleic acid for DNA
The other rule is use a SEE ALSO reference.
Wouldn’t it be easier two just immediately provide for two subject headings? One the
standard subject heading for Deoxyribonucleic acid and another for DNA or what we
call the “popular name.”
If you use a subject heading which you yourself do not
understand or is not at ease in using, then your index is bound to fail for it may not
serve its primary function, retrieval.
The locally produced indexes may be used as alternate tools to standardize terms
your own index. Example of locally published indexes are: a) Myrna S. Feliciano’s
Subject Index to Presidential Decrees and Other Issuance; b.) Supreme Court’s two
volumes Index to the Official Gazette, 1945-1985; c). Title Index to Supreme Court
Decisions, d). Index to Philippine Periodicals; e). Keyword Index to Supreme Court
Decisions , and others. These indexes use Philippine terms which are not used in foreign
published subject index, standard foreign subject heading tools or even the thesaurus of
computer software. Even for the software like WORD, you can see a red line when
used. This means that as far as their application is concerned, there is something wrong
with this local term used. Example of these terms are: abaca, bangus, balikbayan
program and even the now famous balikatan, and jueteng.
Local application also may affect “foreign subject headings” such as
SEQUESTRATION. If you are indexing
Sen. Jovito Salonga’s article at the
Kilosbayan entitled “ What PCGG Chairman Elma can do now,” the first subject that
will come to your mind is SEQUESTRATION. However, if you will consult the Library
of Congress Subject Headings you will see the following:
Sequestration (Attachment and garnishment)
USE Attachment and Garnishment
Sequestration (Chemistry)
BT Masking (Chemistry)
Separation (Technology)
Solution (Chemistry)
NT Carbon sequestration
Sequestration (Public Finance)
BT Government spending policy
From the above list of Sequestration, the first is the “Sequestration which is
relevant to the article that we are indexing. In this regard, the rule provides that we must
use Attachment and Garnishment. However the LC entry provides as follows
Attachment and Garnishment
BT Civil procedure
Commercial law
Debtor and creditor
Execution (Law)
Provisional remedies
NT Arrest of aircraft
Arrest of ships
Seals (Law)
Wages—Exemption
If we follow this rule, our indexing is correct. However, is it effective? It might
be to a certain extent only , for retrieval will be slow. Imagine that you have to go
through all the articles that are listed on “Attachment and Garnishment” in order to get
only those that refers to SEQUESTRATION. In addition to that, after EDSA 1, there
have been a lot of articles, newspaper clippings, court decisions on this topic. The
Kilosbayan Magazine has even a section devoted to it. So, if a researcher is looking for
the article of Senator Salonga or a list of all sequestration cases, he has to search through
all of the above subject headings on Attachment and Garnishment, both the broader term
(BT) or narrower term (NT). So, it is advisable to use the popular term
“Sequestration” and add all the subject headings on Attachment and Garnishment, both
the broader term (BT) or narrower term (NT). Our subject entries will thus be as
follows:
ATTACHMENT AND GARNISHMENT
Salonga, Jovito
What PCGG Chairman Elma can do now.
7 Kilosbayan 6 (July 2000)
CIVIL PROCEDURE
Salonga, Jovito
What PCGG Chairman Elma can do now.
7 Kilosbayan 6 (July 2000)
EXECUTIONS (LAW)
Salonga, Jovito
What PCGG Chairman Elma can do now.
7 Kilosbayan 6 (July 2000)
PROVISIONAL REMEDIES
Salonga, Jovito
What PCGG Chairman Elma can do now.
7 Kilosbayan 6 (July 2000)
SEQUESTRATION
Salonga, Jovito
What PCGG Chairman Elma can do now.
7 Kilosbayan 6 (July 2000)
As I have previously stated the most important ingredient needed for a in
embarking in a Good Quality Index Project is the USERIt is not what we want or how
we use the system. We have to consider . “for whom is the index that is being
formulated.” The following questions need to be answered:
a.
b.
c.
d.
What information do they need?
How do they request for it? - Personally, phone, email, text or the web
When do they request for it? - During office hour or any time of the day
In what form can this information be given? - Printed/Xerox/Soft copy/email
In short you have to determine not only who your users are but what are their
needs. Close contact or being sensitive to the needs of the users can help determine
their needs. These two criteria USER and NEEDS will further determine what
information will be included in the index. And the type of index.
Even for law libraries, they do not have the same index because each library has
its own particular needs. Court, academic, legal office, business, congressional or other
law libraries have their own unique indexes. For the Court libraries, we have the Title
Index to Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and other court decisions and the Subject
Index to said decisions. There are even three types of Subject Index:
1. plain Keyword Index
2. Subject Index with digest/abstract and
3. Keywords from the full-text like Lex Libris
- Keyword in Context
For the both houses of Congress, who are your users:
1. Members of both Congress are the primary users
2. Public as its secondary users.
After determining your users, the next to consider are the information that are
Necessary or frequently requested. With this, you will be able to define the specific filed
that will comprise your index. As a member of Congress, you will have specific fields
needed. The following the key fields that may be important from one representing the
public:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Title
Senate/House Bill No.
Congress & Session No.
Sponsor/s
Date Introduced
Status
“Deliberation Dates”
Republic Act No.
Date approved
Source & Date of publication
SUBJECTS
k.1. Subject headings/s
k.2 Popular name
Introduced not only in 1 Congress
Same title
Bills & Index
Archives
Library
Library
When it is effective - Library
Saguisag law
Lina Law – Squatting
Maceda Law
Mail Order Bride
Battered Women Law
Oil Deregulation Law
Saguisag Law – Rep. Act No. 6713 - Code of Conduct & Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees
Lina Law – Squatting – Rep. Act No. 7279 – An Act to Provide For a Comprehensive &
Continuing Urban Development and Housing Program, Establish
the Mechanism for Its Implementation and for other purposes
Maceda Law – Re. Act No. 6552 – An Act to Provide Protection to Buyers of Real Estate
on Installment. “Realty Installment Buyer Protection Act” – REAL
PROPERTY
Mail Order Bride - Rep. Act No. 6955 – An Act to Declare Unlawful the Practice of
Matching Women For Marriage to Foreign Nationals on a MailOrder Basis and Other Similar Practices, Including the
Advertisement, Publication, Printing or Distribution of Brochures,
Fliers and Other Propaganda Materials in Furtherance Thereof and
Providing Penalty therefore.
Battered Women Law - Rep. Act No. 9262 – An Act Defining Violence Against
Women and Their Children, Providing for Protective Measures for
Victims, Prescribing Penalties Therefor, and for Other Purposes.
“Anti-Violence Against Women & Their Children of 2004”
There is a reason why each field is includes. Let us take the Congress & Session
No. I thought of including this because there is a Bill which is filed in every Congress
until it finally becomes a law or which may never become a law. Take for example the
Senate Bill revising Rep. Act No. 6966 or the professionalization of librarians. It took I
think two Congresses before it was finally signed into Rep. Act No. 9246 this February
2, 2004. For each Congress where it is filed, it bears a different number. You may have
other fields that I was not able to include, please do so.
The Status field is important for those in search for legislation which bears a great
publicity like the “Battered Women Law.” Although this law was approved just this
2004, there have been insistent claims in the past years that it was already approved. In
fact a Supreme Court decision on this matter have been promulgated before its approval.
Specially for those who have hard copy of the Journals and Records of
both house, the “Deliberation Dates” field is important if one is searching for the
deliberations of a law. At present in order to avail of this materials, we have to go to
the archives of both houses even though some libraries have a copy of the
journals/records for there are no indexes. The House had the History of Bills and Indexes
before Martial Law while there is none for the Senate.
Republic Act - Source and date of publication are important to know if a bill
becomes a law. The Publication is for the date of effectivity and to verify problems in the
publication in the Official Gazette. One two occasions, the Official Gazette made
interchanged the numbers of two Republic Acts.
These fields are important to define the retrieval of information, whether
manually or computerized form. So one is looking for a bill and he does not know the
number but he know who sponsored it, they could search by the family name of the
member of Congress. If he knows only the subject, he can search by the subject. I know
that both Houses of Congress have their own websites. Correct me if I am wrong.
Retrieval is by the House or Senate Bill No. only. If the above information are found in
your own web, then there is not need to go from one office to another to get the
information. This will facilitate research as to the BILLS that are being filed. For the
public, there is no need to go to either the House and the Senate in order to get the
information.
Once the type of index is determined and the index is produced, a user orientation
would be ideal so that the users will be aware of how useful the index is for their legal
research. Orientation is needed also for new members of the staff who will continue the
implementation of the indexing system. User orientation is a must to computerized
indexes.
There is no standard indexing procedure or indexing standard that may be
recommended. It is true that there is the UNESCO Guide for Indexing Principles (1975),
National Information Standard Organization (NISO) and the British Standards Institution.
It is the institution/organization/librarian/MISO who will be able to determine the
indexing system to develop or adopt. No Indexing System, specially A Computerized
Indexing System may effectively developed unless there exist a team composed of the
following: Lawyers or legal staff representing the institution/organization; the Director
of the Library or his/her representative (person in charge of indexing) and the MISO
(computer applications). I would like to emphasize that the inputs of each category are
needed in order to be able to formulate the standards of an effective indexing system of
information from either houses of congress. If you will look at the fields defined above,
they are not found in only one office of either house of congress. May I know if I am
right?
Guide in Indexing
A.1. The initial rule in indexing is reading and understanding the material
being indexed. There should be a full comprehension of the document so that the indexer
may be able to determine the extent/scope of said material. There should thus be an
extensive reading of the whole text specially for documents such as laws, rules and
regulations, court decisions and book indexing. Take the case of Republic Act No. 9262.
the title of the law does not include the word ”battered women.”
Let us take a specific case, the Senate Bill Introduced by Senator Teresa Aquino
Oreta. The Explanatory Note does not reflect to the subject matter of the bill.
Explanatory note speaks of the teaching profession but the bill involves specifically
publis and private school teachers.
l. Title: An Act Providing For Scholarships and Other Benefits for Public and
Private School Teachers and Appropriating Funds therefor
2. Senate/House Bill No. 858
3. Congress & Session No. 12th Congress, !st Regular Session
4. Sponsor/s: Teresa Aquino Oreta
5. Date Introduced: June 30, 2001
6. Status
7. “Deliberation Dates”
8. Republic Act No.
9. Date approved
10. Source & Date of publication
11. SUBJECTS
k.1. Subject headings/s - TEACHERS—SCHOLARSHIPS
TEACHERS--BENEFITS
x
SCHOOL TEACHERS –SCHOLARSHIPS
v
v
EX
NT
LONGIVITY PAY—TEACHERS
SCHOLARSHIPS—TEACHERS
COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS,
DEPARTMENT OF
STUDY LEAVE—TEACHERS
COLLEGE TEACHERS (Explanatory Note)
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS
k.2 Popular name
For periodicals and other types of materials, extensive reading can be
eliminated as long as the indexer will not overlook useful information. UNISIST
suggested important parts of the text that should be particularly and carefully
considered, namely:
1.title
2.introduction, and opening phrases of chapters or paragraphs
3.illustrations, tables, diagrams, charts and captions
4.conclusions
5.abstracts (if any)
6.words or group of words which are underlined or printed in an unusual
type
All of the above should be taken collectively for each of the above has
their own role in the text. The introduction reveal the author’s intentions or purpose
while the illustrations, tables, etc. reflect the justification of ideas in the text. The final
section or conclusion states how far the aims are achieved. It is not advisable to index
solely based on the title, for at times they are inadequate and a worst scenario is when
the title used by the author do not reflect the subject matter. Example:
a. Neil, Martha. Drawing the Line. 88 ABAJ 38-43,64 (May 2002)
b. Chanen, Jill S. At First Sight. 88 ABAJ 53 (May 2002)
c. Kunzke, Katja and Susan Anderson. They Crash and You Burn. 88 ABAJ 52
(May 2002)
Can you give the subject of these articles based on the titles alone? Can you give
me a guess? The answer is as follows:
a.
b.
c.
Neil’s article is on
LABOR LAW; EMPLOYER--EMPLOYEE
RELATIONSHIP
Chanes’s article is on
LAWYER-CLIENT RELATIONSHP; LAW
PRACTICE
Kunzke’s article is on STOCK MARKET and MALPRACTICE CLAIMS
For law and medicine, the whole document must be read to extract all the concepts
derived therein.
A.2. The next rule to follow is Exhaustive and specific. All descriptors/concepts
that are of value in a documents must be identified, included and manipulated according
to its usefulness. The following suggestions are recommended in order to be able to
adhere to this rule:
1. The selection or rejection of descriptors should be related to the purpose and
the users.
2. In cases where a document covers different subjects, they should be treated
separately
3. Modify both indexing tools and procedures as a result of the feedback from
inquiries. Use a specific Republic Act or law cited as one subject
4. If modification is made, inform everybody about in, amend the standard or
policies set but including this modification
5. As much as possible, there should not be a limit as to the amount of
descriptors for a document so that there are less chance of loosing data that
may be of value. In computerized application, depending on the software
used, there are times that there are limitation with regards to length of field
allowed. Example:
Azarraga, Juliana DC. Appreciation of Testimony of Rape Victim in the
Crime of Rape. 158 SCRA 438-444 (1988)
Subject Index:
Rape—Appreciation of Testimony of Victim
RAPE—TESTIMONIES--VICTIM
The second subject entry is recommended because although few words are
used , it can already describe what the article is all about.
B. Indexing Language
Language used for naming or identifying the subjects to be used in a document
refer to words to be used such as whether to use nouns, adjectives, propositions or plural
or singular. It could even involve the use of syntax where words can be put together to
form an index term.
b.1. Language can extend to a string of hierarchical relationship. Are you going to
include all? For example you are indexing an article about milkfish. Will you be
satisfied is using only the subject heading “milkfish”. Hierarchical relationship will
include subjects as “Fishes”, “Freshwater Fishes” and to be more specific ,“Bangus”
Environmental law has a hierarchical structure too. It also covers other subjects such
as pollution, air pollution, noise pollution and water pollution
b.2. Semantic Relationship can be categorized into sub-relationships
such as:
b.2.1 Equivalence relationship which implies that there are more
than one word denoting the same , synonymous
(Women’s lib with feminism; underdeveloped countries with
third word countries)
b.3 Controlled Vocabulary or natural language
Controlled vocabulary uses an authority list such as the Library of Congress
Subject Headings, to establish a standard description.
Natural language uses index terms/words occurring in the printed text.
b.4 Thesaurus Construction
A controlled vocabulary with synonymous, hierarchical, and associative
relationships among terms are clearly displayed and identified by standardized
relationship indicators which must be employed reciprocally. Its purposes are to achieve
consistency in the indexing documents, predominantly for post coordinated information
storage and retrieval systems and to facilitate searching by linking entry terms with
descriptors.
Thesaurus construction, I feel, needs one whole lecture in itself and which I do
not intend to discuss now. Besides, there are available software which have the
capability of constructing a thesaurus for a specific application.
At this point, what language will you choose? For law, the language to choose must
be a blend of the legal terms and laymen’s terms for legal research is generally not
undertaken by members of the legal profession. Majority use the services of librarians
and other researchers. In the lower court, not all legal researchers are lawyers. Some
may not even be law students. Other professionals may also be used in indexing as long
as they have the qualities previously mentioned plus Common sense, Patience and the
willingness to the work and not COMPELLED TO Do IT” (EXPLAIN)
Citing statutes, court decisions and legal publications are unique in law. To make
the librarian’s citation consistent with that of the legal profession, one should follow the
Philippine Manual of Legal Citations by Myrna S. Feliciano. We are distributing this
Manual to all Court Libraries. This Manual is important also for request for information
by our clientle. At times they give you citations of sources. In case of doubt, use this
manual as guide.
Example: Black’s Law Dictionary’s definition of “Reverse Discrimination” cited
cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265; 98 S. Ct.
2733; 57 L. Ed. 2d 750. What are the sources cited? The answer can be taken from M.
Feliciano’s legal citations which is volume 438 United States Supreme Court Reports
265; volume 98 Supreme Court Reports page 2733, and volume 57 United States
Supreme Court Reports (Lawyers edition) page 750.
C. SUGGESTED STANDARDS FOR EASY RETRIEVAL:
1. Put the date after the Title
Example: The 1972 Dangerous Drugs Law
1974 Corporation law
1979 Dangerous Drugs laws
Amendments to the 1972 Dangerous Drugs Act
2003 Indigenous peoples Law
2003 Revised Dangerous Drugs Act
Revised 2004 Dangerous Drugs Act
Suggested Entry usually followed by Librarians/Indexers:
Corporation Law, 1974
Dangerous Drugs, 1972
Dangerous Drugs, 1979
Dangerous Drugs, 1985 – Amendments
Dangerous Drugs, 2003 – Amendments
Dangerous Drugs, 2004
Indigenous Peoples Law, 2003
Manual:
1.a. For lawyers or other indexers, they will consider the word before it or
adjectives before it.
1974 Corporation law
1972 Dangerous Drugs Law
1979 Dangerous Drugs laws
2003 Revised Dangerous Drugs Act
Amendments to the 1972 Dangerous Drugs Act
Revised 2004 Dangerous Drugs Act
2003 Indigenous peoples Law
1.b. For some Librarians, They will filed the date by spelling out the date
1985 Dangerous Drugs Act
1974 Corporation law
1979 Dangerous Drugs laws
1972 Dangerous Drugs Law
2004 Dangerous Drugs Act
2003 Indigenous peoples Law
2003 Revised Dangerous Drugs Act
1.c. For computers applications, the arrangement is numerically.
1972 Dangerous Drugs Law
1974 Corporation law
1979 Dangerous Drugs laws
2003 Indigenous peoples Law
2003 Revised Dangerous Drugs Act
Amendments to the 1972 Dangerous Drugs Act
Revised 2004 Dangerous Drugs Act
2. For those with Series such as Books and Congresses, put the number of the series
at the end. Decide on whether to use the number or not
Example:
First Congress on the Protection of the Child or
2nd Congress on the Protection of the Child
D. Types of Index
1. Index by Form
1.1.
Subject Index – An Index to the subject matter of works, books, documents
or various works being indexed.
PRECIS (Preserved Context Index System) – This indexing system was
developed by D. Austin for the production of printed alphabetical subject
index of the British National Bibliography
Things that are important to remember:
1.1.a. Analyze the concepts and topics in a document
1.1.b. Use words that are relevant to the needs of the user
1.1.c. Ensure that the words, terms or subject used are appropriate to
the research needs of the users
1.1.d. Combine headings and subheadings into coherent entries
primary user and the librarian or indexer. This may be
reconciled by the use of “See” or” See also” references
1.1.e. Words, terms or subject used should be user friendly to both the
indexer and the user.
Subject Indexes in Law:
a. Subject Index to Statutes, Rules and Regulations of Administrative/
Government, Government Owned and Controlled Corporations
This includes subject index to your respective local ordinances.
Example are the Index of M.S. Feliciano and the SC Subject Index to the
Official Gazette
b. Subject Index to Court Decisions
1. In house Indexes
2. Printed Indexes such as the SCRA Quick Index, Republic of the
Philippine Digest, Philippine Digest, Velayos’s Digest
3. Index from Newspaper Digest such as those taken from the column of
Atty. Sison, Atty. Vera or Points of Law
c. Subject Index to Legal Opinions
1.2.
Author Index – An index to the authors of works, books, documents or
various works being indexed
a. Statutes – Republic Act – The sponsors and authors of the Bills are not
known after the Bill becomes a Law.
Budget & Management, Dept. of
Corporate Compensation Circular No. 10 s. 1999
Rules and regulation for the Implementation of the Revised
Compensation and Position Classification System prescribed under
Republic Act No. 6758 for government owned and/or controlled
corporations and financial institutions.
Diokno
95 OG no. 9, 1 (supp) (March 1, 1999)
b. Books, Periodicals
Goco, Raul I.
The Prevention and Supression of International Terrorism: Its Legal
Framework and Structure.
XVI (16) Lawyers Rev. no.4, 77-79 (May 31, 2002)
c. Court Decisions
The authors of Court Decisions can be the ponente of the cases. However,
there is no published or separate index on this. In the Supreme Court
Library, we have indicated in the ponente as an additional field in the
Subject or Keyword Index to Advanced Supreme Court decisions for
there are queries where they know the topic and ponente but they do not
know the title of the case, the GR No. This is due to the practice of
newspapers in coming up with articles about recent Supreme Court
decisions but they do not give the parties of the case, just the subject and
the ponente.
Example of such query is a decision on Annulment of
marriage decided by Justice Vitug, etc. Thus, the Keyword Index of the
SC Library has the following fields : SUBJECT, TITLE, GR NO., DATE
AND PONENTE.
In the Lex Libris or other computerized index like that of the SC Library,
the researcher can key in the name of the ponente and they could get all the
cases decided by the justice.
1.3.
Title Index - An index to the title of works, books, documents or various
works being indexed
a. Statutes – Rep. Act No. 9262 – Use also the Other title mentioned in the
law such as “Anti-Violence Against Women & Children Act of 2004.”
Republic Act No. 6955
An Act to Declare Unlawful the Practice of Matching Filipino Women for
Marriage to Foreign Nationals on a Mail-Order Basis and Other Similar
Practices, Including the Advertisement, Publication, Printing or
Distribution of Brochures, Fliers and other Propaganda Materials in
Furtherance Thereof and Providing Penalty Therefor.
b. Court Decision
b.1 Estrada v. Desierto, GR No. 146710-15, March 2, 2001
Estrada v. Macapagal-Arroyo, G.R. No. 146738, March 2, 2001
353 SCRA 452 (2001)
b.2 Desierto - Estrada v., GR No. 146710-15, March 2, 2001
353 SCRA 452 (2001)
b.3 Macapagal-Arroyo – Estrada v. , G.R. No. 146738,
March 2, 2001
353 SCRA 452 (2001)
Arroyo, Gloria SEE Macapagal-Arroyo
1.4.
Chronological Index – An index arranged chronologically like numerically or
by dates of works, books, documents or various works being indexed Example :
Republic Act No. 8120
Republic Act No. 8123
Republic Act No. 8132
Republic Act No. 8140
1.5.
Citation Index - An index which is guided by the citation of an article.
Example in law we have the Shepards Citation.
41 L.ED 2d 452
25 Phil. 656
5 SCRA 56
117 SCRA 194
181 SCRA 452
1.6.
Word Index – Index to words used by the author but not necessarily the
subjects covered by the work. There are two types: those described in the title
and those derived from the full-text. The word index is one type of index
which can be fully computer generated.
Keyword in Context (KWIC), a concept introduced by H.P. Luhn in 1959 is
used in the Word Index. In retrieving the needed information electronically
using the two types of word index, the outputs or “hits” are highlighted
1.7.
2.
Combination of the above
Written Document Index
2.1.
Book Index – Majority of local (Philippine) law books do not have subject
index which makes it difficult to use specially for non-lawyers. Example in
what book of the Revised Penal Code can you find ESTAFA.
3.1.21.
3.1.22.
3.1.23.
3.1.24.
Subject Index
Index to Abbreviations/Acronyms Used
Index to Laws Cited
Index to Cases Cited
2.2 Periodical, newspaper, etc, index
2.2.1
2.2.2
Author/Title Index
Subject Index
Example: LOCAL
SC Index to Legal Periodicals
SC Index to Newspapers Clippings
In House Indexes of Libraries
FOREIGN
Index to Legal Periodicals by H. W.. Wilson (Printed & CD
ROM)(OVID)
LEXIS/NEXIS
WESTLAW
3.
Mechanized, Computerized Indexes
Philippines : LEX LIBRIS databases
ACCESS Law
Foreign: LEXIS/ NEXIS
WESTLAW
When using the Internet, go to FINDLAW.com website