Terminology Control

Terminology Control

Introduction

This fact sheet provides a very brief first-stop introduction to terminology and syntax control.
Terminology is a broad subject but it is essential to get to grips with it for cataloguing museum objects.

What is Terminology Control?

Terminology control is about standardising the terms we use when cataloguing objects. For example, a three dimensional representation of a person or animal which is considerably smaller than life size may be referred to as a statuette. It might also be called a figurine. Both words have the same meaning. However, if both words are used indiscriminately as index headings, it will be difficult to find all the objects of this type. Some examples will be filed under 'F' for figurine and others under 'S' for statuette. Some might also be filed under model figure, Staffordshire figure, etc. If the records were computerised then a search on just one of these terms would yield and an incomplete search result. It would obviously be most helpful all round if the cataloguer could use the same term for everything that fits the same general definition.

What is Syntax Control?

Syntax control is about standardising the format or order in which those terms are recorded. When recording personal and corporate names, place names, dates etc., the actual words to be used are well defined but the sequence in which they can be expressed can be inconsistent. For example, the alternatives 'Mr F. Bloggs' and 'Fred Bloggs' are both acceptable in normal usage but would be filed in different places in an alphabetical index. To ensure accurate indexing and retrieval, consistent syntactical rules must be adopted.

Why do it?

Standardised terminology and syntax lead to consistent records which give reliable answers when information is sought. There is no point in recording information about an object if that information cannot be retrieved and used.

What should I control?

There are detailed recording guidelines in the Units of Information section of SPECTRUM that give advice on how to record information in each unit. There is also guidance inCataloguing Made Easyby Stuart Holm.

Terminology control can be applied to data in any field that you want to index. You can use any words you like in free-text fields that you will not be creating indexes for. If you are still using a manual cataloguing and indexing system you can take a more pragmatic approach as there is a limit to the number of individual indexes which can be manually maintained. However, it is important to remember that today's index cards are tomorrow's computer records.

If you use a collections management database, syntax must be very precise for comparable data to be retrieved. You will need to follow some basic rules about syntax control which particularly apply to:

· Personal names

· Corporate names

· Place names

· Dates

Terminology sources

What is a term list?

A term list is a list of approved words or terms for use in the recording of specific units of data. For example, object names, roles, materials, activities etc. Many museums create their own term lists to meet their own particular needs, while others like the Hertfordshire Simple Name List have been published. A term list will include all the possible names under which a concept is known and express which terms are 'preferred' as opposed to 'non-preferred' terms.

paperback / USE / book
book / USE FOR / paperback

What is a thesaurus?

A thesaurus is a more highly structured form of word list which is able to represent more complex relationships between terms. It has a hierarchical structure, each branch of the tree developing into increasingly specific terms.

costume
footwear
boot
riding boot
walking boot
wellington boot
patten
shoe
carpet slipper
overshoe
plimsoll
sandal
walking shoe

For any given term there can be a Broader Term (BT) or a Narrower Term (NT). When using a thesaurus you should select the narrowest possible term which describes the concept you are trying to express. To help you to do this, many thesauri have a Scope Note (SN) for each term. These help to describe the concept expressed in the term.

SN / Outer foot covering not reaching above the ankle. Includes additional footwear worn over normal outer foot covering such as overshoe. For devices to raise the foot clear of mud, etc. see 'patten'.
BT / footwear
NT / carpet slipper; gym shoe; overshoe; plimsoll; sandal; walking shoe

Sometimes terms will be related to each other, although they will not necessarily express the same concept. These are shown as Related Terms (RT).

eg shoe

BT / footwear
RT / shoemaking

What is a classification system?

A classification system provides terms to assign objects to larger groupings. This is useful if you need to search for all items which share a particular attribute but may have very different object names. For example, you may want to find all the items relating to pubs in your collection. It would be tedious to have to make a list of all the possible objects and then search for them individually, eg glasses, beer mats, photographs, furniture etc. If you have used a classification system you can look under 'pubs' and find them all in one go.

An object can legitimately be classified in several different ways, perhaps even using two different classification systems. It is always best to use a published classification system. Even if you cannot find exactly what you want, you may be able to extend an existing system to cover your particular collection.

A commonly used museum classification system is the Social History and Industrial Classification (SHIC).SHIC does not provide lists of object names, but rather is intended to allow the grouping together of objects, images and anything else which belong to the same area of human activity. It does not group material by generic type.

It is a decimal classification system which takes as its starting point four primary headings (Sections):

1. Community Life
2. Domestic and Family Life
3. Personal Life Working Life

The classification becomes increasingly specific the more decimal places are used. For instance, in the example given in SHIC's introduction, a cabinet-maker's hammer could be classified as follows:

4. / Working Life
4.5 / Manufacturing industries not elsewhere specified
4.56 / Timber and wooden furniture industries
4.565 / Wooden and upholstered furniture and shop and office fittings
4.5654 / Wooden cabinet work and components for furniture

How do I choose a terminology source?

1. Terminologies for museum collections

A number of thesauri have been published with the needs of museums and galleries in mind. Many of the more expensive and sophisticated museum cataloguing software systems include thesauri from which to select cataloguing terms. The most commonly used thesaurus is the Getty Information Institute's

However, if you want to use a thesaurus or classification system it is better to use existing sources rather than develop your own. As well as saving you time and effort, re-using a terminology resource that is used in similar collections will assist you in sharing information with other organisations and creating your own online resources in future. Begin by finding out how museums with similar collections to yours control terminology. Find out what they use and how well it fits their purpose.

Only consider developing your own terminology if there is really nothing comparable. If you do decide that this is the only option there are standards for constructing a thesaurus and MDA can give advice. You could also consider that there may be other organisations who would be willing to contribute to the work on a consortium basis. However, the complexity, time and tedium involved in constructing a thesaurus from scratch should not be underestimated!

Terminology resources for software

Some terminology resources have been adapted for use with specific pieces of software (eg MODES). Talk to the other users of your cataloguing software about what they use. Again, you can contact MDA if you have any doubts and we may be able to put you in contact with someone who has the resource you need.

Sources of help and advice

Holm, Stuart, Cataloguing Made Easy, 2nd Edition, Cambridge, MDA, 2002

Holm, Stuart, Facts and Artefacts, 2nd Edition Cambridge, MDA, 1998

Holm, Stuart, Guidelines for Constructing a Museum Object Name Thesaurus, Cambridge, MDA, 2001.

Websites

SPECTRUM Terminology is a resource available on the Collections Trust website. It provides a guide to terminology resources relevant to museums, including links to a selection of on-line thesauri, classification systems and other authority files, many of which can be accessed free. to access it go to:

http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum-terminology/

SPECTRUM

SPECTRUM is a standard created by and for the museum profession to promote good practice in museum documentation. It covers all those areas of museum activity that produce information, and is the result of contributions from documentation practitioners in museums throughout the UK. It is available free, for non-commercial use, at: http://www.collectionstrust.org.uk/spectrum

SPECTRUM defines 21 Procedures, which describe the process of documenting and managing objects in a museum.

Section 4 of the Accreditation Standard uses SPECTRUM as the basis for its documentation requirement. The 'minimum records' referred to can be achieved by following the 8 SPECTRUM Primary Procedures:

· Object entry

· Loans in

· Acquisition

· Location and movement control

· Cataloguing

· Object exit

· Loans out

· Retrospective documentation

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