Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-27T11:46:26.624Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Use and Construction of Thesauri for Legal Documentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2010

Vanda Broughton
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Vanda Broughton describes the methodology of constructing a thesaurus from a faceted classification for law (Bliss Bibliographic Classification 2nd ed. Class S). The structure of the classification is described, and the way in which the thesaural relationships are derived from this is demonstrated. Recent work to automate the process, using the encoded classification data used for the schedule display and alphabetical index, is explained. Examples of the way in which this functions are included, and an analysis of the output shows where editorial work will help to improve the resulting thesaurus.

Keywords

thesauriclassification schemeslegal information
Type
Cat, Class and Metadata
Information
Legal Information Management , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , March 2010 , pp. 35 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © The British and Irish Association of Law Librarians 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aitchison, Jean. (1985) DHSS-data thesaurus. London, Department of Health and Social Security.Google Scholar
Aitchison, Jean. (1986) A classification as a source for a thesaurus: the Bibliographic Classification of H. E. Bliss as a source of thesaurus terms and structure. Journal of Documentation 42(3), 160–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Aitchison, Jean. (2004) Thesauri from BC2: problems and possibilities revealed in an experimental thesaurus derived from the Bliss Music schedule. Bliss Classification Bulletin 46, 20–26.Google Scholar
Aitchison, Jean, et al. (1969) Thesaurofacet: a thesaurus and faceted classification for engineering and related subjects. Whetstone, Leicester, English Electric Company.Google Scholar
Aitchison, Jean, et al. (1992) Royal Institute of International Affairs Library Thesaurus. 2 vols. London, RIIA.Google Scholar
Aitchison, Jean, et al. (2000) Thesaurus construction: a practical manual 4th ed.London, Aslib.Google Scholar
Broughton, Vanda. (2005) Essential thesaurus construction. Facet, London.Google Scholar
Broughton, Vanda. (2006) The need for a faceted classification as the basis of all information retrieval. Aslib Proceedings 58(1/2), 49–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broughton, Vanda. (2008) A faceted classification as the basis of a faceted terminology. Axiomathes 18(2), 193–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BS 8723–2: 2005. (2005) Structured vocabularies for information retrieval. Part 2: Thesauri. London, British Standards Institution. Section 9.Google Scholar
Burton, William. (2007) Burton's legal thesaurus 4th ed.New York, McGraw-Hill. Also available online from Google books at: http://books.google.com/ (Accessed 28.11.2009).Google Scholar
Gilchrist, Alan. (2003) Thesauri, taxonomies and ontologies: an etymological note. Journal of Documentation 59(1), 7–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Global legal information network http://www.glin.gov/ (Accessed 28.11.2009).Google Scholar
Hjorland, Birger. (2002) “The method of constructing classification schemes: a discussion of the state-of-the-art” in López-Huertas, María J. (Ed. with the assistance of Francisco J. Muñoz-Fernández) Challenges in knowledge representation and organisation for the 21st century. Integration of knowledge across boundaries. Proceedings of the the Seventh International ISKO Conference, 10–13 July 2002, Granada, Spain Würzburg: Ergon Verlag, 2002. (Advances in Knowledge Organisation; Vol 8) 451.Google Scholar
La Barre, Kathryn. (2005) The use of faceted analytico-synthetic theory as revealed in the practice of website construction and design. (Ph.D. Thesis) available at https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/klabarre/www/LaBarre_FAST.pdfGoogle Scholar
LexisNexis database http://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/ (Accessed 28.11.2009).Google Scholar
Mills, J. and Broughton, Vanda. (1977 –) Bliss Bibliographic Classification 2nd ed.London, Munich, Butterworths, Bowker-Saur, K.G. Saur.Google Scholar
Mills, J. and Broughton, Vanda. (1996) Bliss Bibliographic Classification 2nd ed. Class S Law London, Bowker-Saur.Google Scholar
Moys, Elizabeth. (2001) Moys classification and thesaurus for legal materials. 4th ed.Munich, K.G. Saur.Google Scholar
Shearer, James. (2004) A practical exercise in building a thesaurus. Cataloging and Classification Quarterly 37(3/4), 35–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taxonomy warehouse http://www.taxonomywarehouse.com/cat_include.asp (Accessed 28.11.2009).Google Scholar
WebLaw thesaurus http://www.weblaw.edu.au/info_thesaurus.phtml (Accessed 28.11.2009).Google Scholar