Subject Indexes
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What is a Subject Index? A subject index (also known as a subject directory, web directory or just a directory) is the online equivalent of an organized file cabinet. Subject Index information has been thoughtfully organized by human editors into top-level subject areas. Subdirectories of related information are created by professional editors. The selection, classification, and evaluation of information is done by human beings who are content area experts. Contrast this with general results developed by search engine robots and you will see that Subject Indexes are an efficient way to find quality resources. . |
How do Subject Index's Work?
Subject indexes follow a file within a file strategy. Human editors organize information by subject categories and create a hypertext linked format that structures a path from general to specific information. Patrons can use menus to browse their way into more specific subject indexes. Descriptive topic headings are briefly described on a main page, allowing the user to understand the contents of a subject category without clicking into it. In most subject indexes, you can also key word search the entire directory or from within a subcategory. Using a keyword search in a subject index does not search the entire web; instead your search is focused on just the files compiled by the editors of the subject index. Some subject indexes provide cross-referencing between categories that broadens your search.
What are the potential drawbacks associated with a Subject Index?
Infrequent Updates: The information in a subject index may not be reviewed and updated as frequently as the results retrieved from a search engine. Editors may not be able to stay on top of changes quickly simply because they are humans rather than robots.
Fewer Records: The number of records in a subject index database will be much smaller than the total number of pages available to a search engine. Humans add subject index records to the database. Search engines rely on robotic software that can index thousands of pages a minute.
Inconsistent Quality: Since human editors craft subject indexes, the quality of the information is tied to the editor's expertise and abilities. You should expect a variation in the quality of the resources.
Bias: When you depend on another person to select materials, the possibility of bias increases. This is particularly true in controversial subject areas such as the middle-east or presidential politics. One way to test the quality of information in a subject index is to browse a topic you are very familiar with and judge the quality of the links in the category.
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Authored by Dennis O'Connor 2003-2004