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Building Puzzles And Growing Pearls: AQualitative Exploration Of DeterminingAboutness

Joudrey, Daniel N. (2006) Building Puzzles And Growing Pearls: AQualitative Exploration Of DeterminingAboutness. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Despite centuries of organizing information in libraries and other information institutions, little is known about how a document is analyzed to determine its subject matter. This case study is a qualitative exploration to better understand the processes involved in the conceptual analysis of documents. Conceptual analysis, an essential step in the subject analysis process, is the attempt by a cataloger or indexer to determine the subject matter, or the aboutness, of a document. The purpose of this research is to examine how interested yet untrained participants perform the tasks of conceptual analysis when no process is suggested. The study uses observation, think-aloud procedures, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews to understand the participants' subject determination processes. Transcripts of the analysis sessions and interviews were examined for underlying patterns of analysis. The aims of this research are to understand how individuals approach the process of determining aboutness, what bibliographic, content, or visual cues they use to find key aboutness data, and what patterns emerge during the subject determination process. This research begins an attempt to develop a model of conceptual analysis to be used in teaching, research, and praxis.


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Details

Item Type: University of Pittsburgh ETD
Status: Unpublished
Creators/Authors:
CreatorsEmailPitt UsernameORCID
Joudrey, Daniel N.joudrey@simmons.edu
ETD Committee:
TitleMemberEmail AddressPitt UsernameORCID
Committee ChairTaylor, Arlene Gataylor@mail.sis.pitt.eduAGTAYLOR
Committee MemberDetlefsen, Ellen Gdetlefseneg@upmc.edu
Committee MemberSaye, Jerry Dsaye@email.unc.edu
Committee MemberGracy, Karen Fkgracy@pitt.eduKGRACY
Date: 31 January 2006
Date Type: Completion
Defense Date: 21 November 2005
Approval Date: 31 January 2006
Submission Date: 13 December 2005
Access Restriction: No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs: School of Information Sciences > Library and Information Science
Degree: PhD - Doctor of Philosophy
Thesis Type: Doctoral Dissertation
Refereed: Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords: Subject cataloging--United States--Case Studies; Subject determination; Aboutness; Subject analysis
Other ID: http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12132005-155713/, etd-12132005-155713
Date Deposited: 10 Nov 2011 20:10
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2016 13:54
URI: http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/10357

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