Doing Things with Information : Beyond Indexing and Abstracting

The relationship between a person with a question and a source of information is complex. Indexing and abstracting often fail because too much emphasis is put on the mechanics of description and too little on what ought to be represented. Research literature suggests that inappropriate representation results in failed searches a significant number of times, perhaps even in a majority of cases. Doing Things with Information seeks to rectify this unfortunate situation by emphasizing methods of modeling and constructing appropriate representations of such questions and documents. Students in programs of information studies will find focal points for discussion about system design and refinement of existing systems. Librarians, scholars, and those who work within large document collections, whether paper or electronic, will find insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the access systems they use.

Richard Anderson is Information Security Coordinator in the Computing & Information Technology Center, University of North Texas. Jodi Kearns is an archivist at the Archives of the History of American Psychology, University of Akron, Ohio. Brian C. O'Connor is a professor at the School of Library and Information Sciences, University of North Texas.