"Why isn't my search term in the result?"
A far too technical answer for an end user:
RedLightGreen depends on the cataloging expertise of librarians at major libraries throughout the English speaking world. A librarian catalogs a book or other item by noting important features (the author, title, publisher) and assigning subject headings. Other features may also be noted: a synopsis of a plot, chapter headings, or related books. RLG selects one of many records to represent an edition and collects many editions together to create a result in RedLightGreen. Your search term may be in one of the other records for the edition, or in records for another edition.
Most librarians use subject headings defined by the Library of Congress in the US. The subject heading is chosen to fit a pattern that can be applied to a wide range of topics. If two possible terms describe the subject, the one that fits the established pattern best is chosen. Librarians use a guide to determine which heading is the established heading. We've linked alternative headings to the records so that if your search term is not in the established heading, you can find the items with the synonymous established heading.
Finally, we use the power of the Recommind MindServer to examine patterns in word use, looking for contexts that are similar to the context in which your search term appears. It's possible a chapter may be devoted to your topic or that it addresses your topic from another field or point of view.
Posted by judielaine at August 8, 2003 02:16 PM | TrackBack