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English
Noun
index term (plural index terms)
- (information science) A term associated with particular documents in an index used for document retrieval; typically, a term that captures the essential meaning of a document.
1988, Gerard Salton, “Computer-Based Text Retrieval”, in Allen Kent, James G. Williams, editors, Encyclopedia of Microcomputers, volume 3, →ISBN, page 89:This includes a term dictionary that provides for each allowable index term a pointer giving the addresses of the document lists in the term index for the corresponding term;
1997, Gerald J. Kowalski, Information Retrieval Systems: Theory and Implementation, →ISBN, pages 55–56:If the indexing is being performed automatically, by an algorithm, there is consistency in the index term selection process.
2003, James D. Anderson, “Organization of Knowledge”, in John Feather, Peter Sturges, editors, International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science, 2nd edition, →ISBN, page 481:If a message discusses Labrador retrievers but the index term is ‘dogs’, the term is generic rather than specific. This will mean that a person desiring documents on Labrador retrievers must search for ‘dogs’ and then examine many irrelevant documents or document surrogates.
Synonyms
Holonyms
Translations
term associated with documents in an index
— see descriptor
See also
References
- Svenonius, Elaine (2000) The Intellectual Foundation of Information Organization, The MIT Press, →ISBN, page 55: “A vocabulary is a “list or collection of terms or codes available for use (as in an indexing system).” The terms or codes of a bibliographic language are called by various names. In subject languages they are called keywords, descriptors, index terms, or classification numbers.”