Resources: Past Presentations
Past Presentations on Taxonomies or Controlled Vocabularies given at ASI meetings.
Page Contents:
- Presentations at National Conferences of the American Society for Indexing
- Presentations at ASI Chapter Meetings
Presentations at National Conferences of the American Society for Indexing
ASI 44th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, April 19-21, 2011
Pre-conference Workshop: Taxonomy and Thesaurus Creation
Presenter: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
This workshop provides the information and practice needed to start working
on creating taxonomies and thesauri. Short practical exercises will be interspersed
among the topics. The workshop also includes demonstrations of thesaurus management
software: MultiTes, Synaptica, and Data Harmony. Outline: Introduction, Definitions,
Term relationships, Wording of terms and their variants, Facets and categories,
Sources for terms, Software, Project processes, Related topics, Types of work
available, and Resources.
Seminar 6: Indexing, Metadata, and Search: Creating a compass for
Technical Documentation Using Index Entries
Presenter: Ronnie Seagren, IBM
Creating a compass for technical documentation using index entries This case
study looks at IBM's experience of using indexes to make online technical
documentation easier to find.IBM uses both controlled and uncontrolled metadata:
a high-level taxonomy to classify content by subject, and detailed index entries
for what topics are about. The presentation will discuss the online indexing
guidelines,processes for authoring and editing index entries, and tools for
index editing. The index entries are also used to help improve searches.
ASI 43rd Annual Meeting, Providence, RI, April 28-30, 2011
Pre-conference Workshop: Taxonomy and Thesaurus Creation
Presenter: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
This workshop provides the information and practice needed to start working
on creating taxonomies and thesauri. Short practical exercises will be interspersed
among the topics. The workshop also includes demonstrations of thesaurus management
software: MultiTes, Synaptica, and Data Harmony. Outline: Introduction, Definitions,
Term relationships, Wording of terms and their variants, Facets and categories,
Sources for terms, Software, Project processes, Related topics, Types of work
available, and Resources.
Seminar 16: Controlled Vocabularies and Indexing in Large Operations
Panelists: Kristi Reilly, The New York Times; Mark Gauthier, H.W. Wilson;
Mark Hyer, ProQuest; James Whitfield, American Psychological Association
Moderator: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
This panel presents periodical/database indexing from the database vendor/publisher
side, comprising:
- An overview of the taxonomy and indexing operations at The New York Times
website
- The role of controlled vocabularies and metadata in enhancing delivery of
highly relevant results, taking into consideration indexing philosophy, grammar
and syntax of subject headings, relevance-ranking algorithms, and "more
like this" searching at H.W. wilson
- The "deep indexing" process of tables, figures, charts, graphs,
and maps to provide granular access to scientific, technical, and medical
(STM) article content at ProQuest
- APA's approach to tightly controlled vocabulary, the research that goes
into addition of terms, use of machine-aided indexing to bring about consistency,
and rigorous training for indexers.
Seminar 17: Shaking the Tree: Case Studies of Taxonomies in Action
Panelists: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management; Ceilyn Boyd;
Jan Wright, Wright Information Indexing Services; Christine Connors, TriviumRLG
Moderator: Seth Maislin, Potomac Indexing
Learn by example at this inside look at the work performed by taxonomists.
Using a series of short case studies, the members of the taxonomy panel will
demonstrate what in-use taxonomies really look like, how they're managed,
and what they do.
Poster: Thesauri & Taxonomies: A Comparison
Presenter: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
This poster compares and contrasts thesauri and hierarchical taxonomies,
with examples, comprising definitions, similarities and differences. Differences
include purpose, features, standards, uses, focus, and display formats.
ASI 42nd Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, May 13-15, 2010
Pre-conference Workshop: Taxonomy and Thesaurus Creation
Presenter: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
This workshop provides the information and practice needed to start working
on creating taxonomies and thesauri. Short practical exercises will be interspersed
among the topics. The workshop also includes demonstrations of thesaurus management
software: MultiTes, Synaptica, and Data Harmony. Outline: Introduction, Definitions,
Term relationships, Wording of terms and their variants, Facets and categories,
Sources for terms, Software, Project processes, Related topics, Types of work
available, and Resources.
Seminar 2: How Note to Taxonomize
Presenter: Alice Redmond-Neal, Access Innovations, Inc.
Individual style is great, but not in controlled vocabularies. Learn taxonomic
fundamentals - the classic must-haves that follow the standards of taxonomy
construction and never go out of style. Discover how to select terms and then
tailor them to create a taxonomy with balance and flair. See gaffes revealed
that a self-respecting taxonomist should never be caught in. Take the mystery
out of putting together a taxonomy that looks great, functions fabulously,
and flatters you as the taxonomist by following a short set of essential rules.
Poster: Thesaurus Creation vs. Index Creation
Presenter: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
As an introduction to the field of taxonomies and thesauri, this
poster presentation lists and gives examples of the similarities and difference
between creating thesauri and creating an index in three key areas:
1. Creating multiple points of entry: double-posts or See references in an
index and as non-preferred terms in a thesaurus.
2. Creating structure: main entry/subentry combinations in an index and hierarchical
(broader term/narrower term) relationship in a thesaurus.
3. Pointing out related concepts: See also references in an index and related
terms in a thesaurus. A few other topics of comparison will be listed as bullets.
ASI 41st Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, April 23-29, 2009
Pre-conference Workshop: Building Taxonomies from the Group
Up
Presenter: Alice Redmond-Neal, Access Innovations, Inc.
A well-built taxonomy is part of the foundation of the information architecture
underlying websites and corporate intranets, connecting search queries to
relevant content in databases. This session covers the rules for taxonomy
construction, explores terms and source materials, and explains each part
of the term record. We look at the internal relationships between terms in
a taxonomy and learn established standards for taxonomy and thesaurus construction.
We will work on multiple hands-on exercises demonstrating various aspects
of taxonomy construction and then build a mini-taxonomy. We will also look
briefly at taxonomy management software.
Seminar 7: Morphing Many Books into One Taxonomy
Presenter: Alice Redmond-Neal, Access Innovations, Inc.
As more traditional print publishers migrate their content online, they
seek alternative ways for searchers to find information. A taxonomy can
provide the basis for transitioning from "What page for a reference?" to
"What URL for a topic?" This session reviews our journey combining
numerous individual book indexes across diverse topic areas into one
comprehensive taxonomy to support online search. The transformation
required appreciation for how the book indexes function and solid skills
in taxonomy/thesaurus construction. We consider some of the unusual
challenges in the task and see how the final product draws upon
fundamental tenets in taxonomy construction.
Seminar 24: Taxonomies to Internet 2.0
Jenny Benevento, Controlled Vocabulary Developer, Associated Press
Library Science was quick to attempt indexing solutions on the early
Web, but cataloging the increasing amount of information in diverse
formats has become more difficult as time has gone on. User-generated
tagging prevailed on many websites until recently. Learn how some
websites are using traditional and faceted categorization online, and
how indexers can put their skills to work on Web 2.0.
Not specifically on taxonomy, but on the topic of sorting:
Seminar 6: A Is for Arbitrary
Presenter: Seth Maislin, managing partner of Potomac Indexing & independent consultant in information architecture and taxonomy
Alphabetical order, despite its illusory appearance of being easy to implement, is a terrible way to organize things. We don't think, talk, or act alphabetically, nor are we limited to the alphabet when we think, talk, and act. Let's take 45 minutes to explore all of the other, better sorting options, learn how to implement them practically, and find lots of good excuses to abandon the boring A to Zzzzz.
ASI 40th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, April 30 - May 3, 2008
Pre-conference Workshop: Taxonomy and Thesaurus Creation
Presenter: Heather Hedden, Hedden Information Management
This workshop provides the information and practice needed to start working
on creating taxonomies and thesauri. Short practical exercises will be interspersed
among the topics. The workshop also includes demonstrations of thesaurus management
software: MultiTes, Synaptica, and Data Harmony. Outline: Introduction, Definitions,
Term relationships, Wording of terms and their variants, Facets and categories,
Sources for terms, Software, Project processes, Related topics, Types of work
available, and Resources.
ASI 39th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, May 24-26, 2007
Pre-conference Workshop 2: Creating Taxonomies and Controlled Vocabularies
Presenter: Fred Leise, ContextualAnalysis, LLC
Users face many problems when trying to find information on a website
or Intranet. They are often overwhelmed with long lists of search results
or are stopped in their tracks when their searches produce no results
at all. This workshop will help you understand the importance of proper
taxonomy and controlled vocabulary (CV) development and will provide you
with methods and techniques for creating taxonomies. We will cover such
topics as: uses and roles of taxonomies; a user-centric methodology for
creating CVs; understanding business, user and content contexts; validation
techniques; and governance and maintenance issues.
Breakout Session 3: Matching Authorities and Presentation: Pre-
and Post-Coordinate Indexing
Presenter: Patricia B. Carlson, Alexander Street Press, LLC
Indexing term styles may be pre- or post-coordinate, but so may index
presentations. Significant issues can arise when terms are mismatched
to presentation, in both the print and online environments. This talk
examines the choice of authority/terminology and the presentation of terms
to enhance the usability of an index.
Breakout Session 6: Use of Indexes in Social Networking Applications
Presenter: Ilana Kingsley, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Social networking tools, such as blogs, wikis, bookmarking, and tagging
have become mainstream Web applications. This presentation will give an
overview of social networking tools that use indexes or index-like systems.
Breakout Session 9: Student Research Habits and the Future of Subject Indexing
Presenter: Mary L. Onorato, Thomson Gale
How do online database publishers investigate the research habits of students
in post-secondary institutions, and what have they discovered? What might
be the implications of these findings for the future of subject indexing?
A product manager from Thomson Gale reviews the results of a recent market
research project and discusses various ways these results can impact decisions
about subject indexing.
ASI 38th Annual Meeting and joint meeting with the Indexing and Abstracting Society fo Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 15-17, 2006
Pre-conference Workshop 5: Developing Enterprise Taxonomies
Presenter: Seth Earley, Earley & Associates
With their existing skills and experience, indexers can development taxonomies
that address a variety of challenges that organizations face when trying
to make intranet and web content more accessible to users. In this session,
you'll learn how to position yourself and your capabilities to take on
more consulting projects in the areas of content and knowledge management.
What are the ways that taxonomies can be applied to search and navigation
problems? What is the structure of a taxonomy project? Using hands-on
exercises and case examples, this session will deliver high-value, actionable,
and tangible tips on taxonomy development and application of metadata
to problems of content and concerns about document and knowledge management.
Specific topics include how to derive project requirements, auditing sources
for taxonomy terms, dealing with ambiguous terms, faceted classification,
best practices and rules of thumb for construction and validation of the
taxonomy, and how different taxonomies can be mapped through associative
term relationships.
Breakout Session 5: Indexing and Bilingual Thesaurus Construction
Presenter: Meral Alakus
Meral will explore the challenges that are unique to designing thesauri
in multilingual environments, as well as related challenges in book and
journal indexing, database indexing, and Web indexing. She will also explore
a special bilingual thesaurus project in both Turkish and English languages
on women's studies called the "Women's Thesaurus."
Breakout Session 12: The Process of Building Taxonomies
Presenter: Seth Earley, Earley & Associates
Taxonomy development involves an emphasis on user tasks and an understanding
of various audience perspectives, as well as their contexts and processes.
In this session, we'll go through the steps to deriving a taxonomy and
explore case examples in taxonomy development.
Breakout Session 14: Designing for Online Findability
Presenter: Fred Brown
In this hands-on workshop, we take a vacation from the high-pressure world
of book indexing to explore how indexing principles can assist website
and intranet users find information. We explore six proven strategies.
The focus is on tools for individual web and intranet sites using such
techniques as labeling, hypertext links, web indexing, taxonomies, metadata,
and topic maps. We begin by cruising websites in different countries before
having some "play time" by designing navigation aids ourselves.
ASI 37th Annual Meeting, Pasadena, CA, May 12-14, 2005
Pre-conference Workshop 3: Introduction to Metadata and Controlled
Vocabularies
Presenter: Fred Leise, ContextualAnalysis, LLC
Metadata and controlled vocabularies provide users with improved search
results. This basic workshop is an introduction to using the indexing
skills of content analysis and term selection to expand the indexer’s
expertise to encompass creating controlled vocabularies. Participants
will learn what metadata is and how it is used, as well as how controlled
vocabularies are developed in the context of content management systems.
The workshop includes a number of hands-on exercises.
Pre-conference Workshop 7: Practical Design of Controlled Vocabularies
Presenter: Fred Leise, ContextualAnalysis, LLC
This advanced workshop introduces a user-centered methodology for creating
controlled vocabularies. Through hands-on exercises, participants will
explore the specifics of the methodology (e.g., content analysis and initial
vocabulary development, including free-listing and card-sorting) and will
begin to actually build a controlled vocabulary based on a corpus of sample
content. This workshop can be taken as a stand-alone, but participants’
learning experience will be enriched if they also take Fred’s morning
workshop, which is a comprehensive introduction to the concepts and terminology
used in the afternoon workshop.
Word Association Testing and Thesaurus Construction
Presenter: Louise Spiteri, School of Library and Information Studies,
Dalhousie University
This presentation is targeted to an audience familiar with the principles
of thesaurus construction. It examines the use of word association tests
to generate user-derived descriptors, descriptor hierarchies, and categories
of inter-term relationships. Thirty Library and Information Science practitioners
were asked to provide response words for 15 stimulus terms and to describe
how the response and stimulus terms are inter-related. The word association
test successfully generated a set of user-derived descriptors. Participants
identified 20 types of inter-term relationships, the most commonly cited
of which are Type, Part, Synonym, Activity, and Tool. Word association
tests can be used to examine how users group and inter-relate terms they
commonly associate with any given concept.
ASI 36th Annual Meeting, Alexandria, VA, May 13-15, 2004
Pre-conference Workshop: Thesaurus Workshop
Presenter: Bella Haas Weinberg
Thesaurus Design for Semantic Information Management is a full-day workshop
that introduces the design of controlled vocabularies for indexing and
searching. Topics to be covered include semantic relationships, thesaurus
format, screen display, and the conversion of the cross-references of
frequently revised books to thesaurus structure. There will be a hands-on
exercise during the workshop. Computer-assisted techniques of thesaurus
development and natural language search strategies will be discussed (but
not demonstrated).
Poster Session 4:Indexing and Vocabulary Development
Presenter: Susan Kelsch
Indexing and thesaurus development are long-standing topics of discussion
in library and information science graduate programs. However, these have
taken on new importance with the emergence of document processing techniques
and the ongoing debate about the use of the Internet in retrieving and
delivering information. This poster will identify university researchers
and projects that focus on indexing and thesaurus construction.
Plenary Session: Enterprise-Wide Taxonomies
Presenter: Denise Bedford, World Bank
The World Bank will share its experience working with and harmonizing
different types of taxonomies to create an enterprise-wide logical and
physical taxonomy architecture. We’ll also look at how this approach
can help you to manage your content, while still maintaining the flexibility
you need to integrate future advances in information technology.
Presentations at ASI Chapter Meetings
"From Indexer to Accidental Taxonomist"
presented by Heather Hedden
October 16, 2010, Lexington, MA
New England Chapter
"The Freelance Taxonomy Business"
Presented by Heather Hedden
April 5, 2008, Chelmsford, MA
New England Chapter
"Everything Is Illuminated: the Mysteries of Controlled Vocabularies Explained"
presented by Linda Dunn
October 20, 2007, Richmond, IN
Heartland Chapter Chapter
"Introduction to Controlled Vocabularies" (four-hour workshop)
presented by Fred Leise
October 6, 2007, Denver, CO
Rocky Mountain Chapter
"Indexing for an Audience: Where You'll Find New Opportunities"
(Knowledge Management)
Presented by Lynda Moulton
March 24, 2007, Chelmsford, MA
New England Chapter
"Taxonomies, Indexing, Search and Navigation: Connecting the Dots"
presented by Seth Earley
"Indexers Evolve: Hands-on Learning Opportunities in Semantic Integration"
presented by Jean Graef
September 24, 2005, Worcester, MA
New England Chapter