Aaaarrrgh! And not in the POTC way.
Jul. 11th, 2006 10:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luciabYep, I'm back in school all right, and getting frustrated as hell.
The most frustrating assignments I've had so far in school (this time) have involved somebody trying to teach me how to search databases effectively. The main thing I've learned from both projects is how bad I hate doing these things. Speaking as an information seeker, I absolutely detest the whole concept of "controlled vocabulary." You have to think of the exact words that the indexer used, or you're simply SOL. It always makes me feel like there's a magic word, and I want to yell "PLEASE, dammit!" at the screen; I guess my brain figures if "please" is the magic word, as our mamas always taught us.... Yeah. I wish it worked like that.
As a person who might theoretically someday be the one doing the indexing, I understand that no one can think of every possible combination of words. Still, Google seems to do a fine job. Librarians are apparently supposed to hate Google, but I'll tell you what-- they are a hell of a lot more effective than these damn databases. I think it's at least partly because the people who code the pages put in a LOT more... dunno what the computer speak is for "keyword" but that's what I mean-- words that will catch the attention of the search engine. They are also better at ranking hits, apparently by inferring meaning from your search statement. The databases I've used-- well, if the word appears once, in a completely different context, in an article that has nothing to do with your desired topic, it might appear at the top of the page. Yeah, I know they can show up in Google, too, but it sure doesn't seem to happen as often, and I don't think I've ever seen it at the top of the page.
Further confounding the issue are questions like "What kinds or types of words won't be in a CV (Controlled Vocabulary) and thus would make a search on uncontrolled fields the thing to do?" Uh, you got me. No clue whatever. She goes on to elaborate parenthetically, "I don't mean title words or author's names; think about the kinds of words we have been experimenting with in the labs and lectures." I feel like an idiot, but I still have no idea what "kinds" of words she means. Nouns? Verbs? Verbing nouns? Shit, I am irritated. "For what types or kinds of words might it be particularly important to search on fields that have controlled subject vocabulary in them?" (Her emphasis.)
To add insult to injury, one of the final questions is, "How can we (librarians) help searchers to use the added-value of CV subject expressions?" Hell, if I could figure out how to use them myself, I might be able to help someone else with 'em.
Her final question is"What did you learn from this assignment?" I'm going to be as polite as I can, but I somehow don't think my answer will be what she's looking for. She seems to like me, though, so I don't think she'll chuck me out on my ear.
I called in to work and said I'd be coming in late today; it worked out because the computer network is down and my supervisor can't process ILL. That means that half my job isn't ready to do. Heh. Anyway, I'd better get back to this damn thing and try to finish it. When I get home from work tonight I have another lit crit to do. Sigh.
The most frustrating assignments I've had so far in school (this time) have involved somebody trying to teach me how to search databases effectively. The main thing I've learned from both projects is how bad I hate doing these things. Speaking as an information seeker, I absolutely detest the whole concept of "controlled vocabulary." You have to think of the exact words that the indexer used, or you're simply SOL. It always makes me feel like there's a magic word, and I want to yell "PLEASE, dammit!" at the screen; I guess my brain figures if "please" is the magic word, as our mamas always taught us.... Yeah. I wish it worked like that.
As a person who might theoretically someday be the one doing the indexing, I understand that no one can think of every possible combination of words. Still, Google seems to do a fine job. Librarians are apparently supposed to hate Google, but I'll tell you what-- they are a hell of a lot more effective than these damn databases. I think it's at least partly because the people who code the pages put in a LOT more... dunno what the computer speak is for "keyword" but that's what I mean-- words that will catch the attention of the search engine. They are also better at ranking hits, apparently by inferring meaning from your search statement. The databases I've used-- well, if the word appears once, in a completely different context, in an article that has nothing to do with your desired topic, it might appear at the top of the page. Yeah, I know they can show up in Google, too, but it sure doesn't seem to happen as often, and I don't think I've ever seen it at the top of the page.
Further confounding the issue are questions like "What kinds or types of words won't be in a CV (Controlled Vocabulary) and thus would make a search on uncontrolled fields the thing to do?" Uh, you got me. No clue whatever. She goes on to elaborate parenthetically, "I don't mean title words or author's names; think about the kinds of words we have been experimenting with in the labs and lectures." I feel like an idiot, but I still have no idea what "kinds" of words she means. Nouns? Verbs? Verbing nouns? Shit, I am irritated. "For what types or kinds of words might it be particularly important to search on fields that have controlled subject vocabulary in them?" (Her emphasis.)
To add insult to injury, one of the final questions is, "How can we (librarians) help searchers to use the added-value of CV subject expressions?" Hell, if I could figure out how to use them myself, I might be able to help someone else with 'em.
Her final question is"What did you learn from this assignment?" I'm going to be as polite as I can, but I somehow don't think my answer will be what she's looking for. She seems to like me, though, so I don't think she'll chuck me out on my ear.
I called in to work and said I'd be coming in late today; it worked out because the computer network is down and my supervisor can't process ILL. That means that half my job isn't ready to do. Heh. Anyway, I'd better get back to this damn thing and try to finish it. When I get home from work tonight I have another lit crit to do. Sigh.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-07-11 03:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-11 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-11 05:20 pm (UTC)what are the words that are controlled vocabulary? Proper nouns? normal nouns?
Non-controlled vocabulary - homonyms, synonyms, adverbs, improper nouns, ?
B.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-11 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-07-11 06:04 pm (UTC)