A. Selecting topical subjects from the UNBIS Thesaurus (tag 650)

Example 1:
A document on measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, would be indexed as follows:

650 1 7 $a TERRORISM
650 1 7 $a WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
650 1 7 $a COUNTER-TERRORISM

Example 2:

The most pertinent terms for a document on links between illicit drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorism, would be:

650 1 7 $a DRUG TRAFFIC
650 1 7 $a ILLICIT TRAFFIC
650 1 7 $a LAUNDERING OF FUNDS
650 1 7 $a TERRORISM FINANCING

In selecting terms for specific country names as subjects, indexers must be careful to select the UNBIS Thesaurus term for the country name (tag 650), not the Corporate Name Authority record (tag 610). They should also bear in mind that not all geographic names are UNBIS Thesaurus terms; as mentioned earlier, many geographic names other than countries and major regions are established as Geographic Subject Authority records and not as UNBIS Thesaurus terms.

Generally, when selecting geographic subject terms for specific cities, provinces, etc. that include the name of a country as a qualifier, the Thesaurus term for the country should also be selected.

Example 3:

650 1 7 $a HUMAN RIGHTS
650 1 7 $a DARFUR (SUDAN)
650 1 7 $a SUDAN

650 1 7 $a CRIME PREVENTION
650 1 7 $a NEW YORK (UNITED STATES : STATE)
650 1 7 $a UNITED STATES

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(i) Weighted subject indexing (tag 650)

Note: Weighted subject indexing was initiated in 1999, so in earlier records indexers will find tag 650 subjects with first indicator value 0.

Primary subject terms should reflect the main subject(s) or contents of a work as specifically as possible; normally a maximum of five primary subjects (excluding geographic subjects) is desirable. When the primary subjects assigned to a work include geographic subjects, indexers must consider the linkage with non-geographic primary subjects. Part A (ii), Geographic linkage of subjects, provides guidelines on linking primary geographic subjects with primary topical subjects.

The assignment of secondary subject terms is directly related to the indexing principle of exhaustivity. Secondary subjects serve several useful purposes: they improve recall in searches, allowing users to search below the level of the work as a whole and ensuring that a maximum number of documents relevant to a search will be retrieved; they allow users to differentiate between records that have the same or similar titles or the same primary subject(s); they provide more specificity, and reflect various aspects of a topic. They are also useful in providing access to special types of information contained in documents (e.g. statistical data, model forms, questionnaires, etc.).

The assignment of secondary subject terms tends to be more subjective and variable than the assignment of primary subject terms. While there is no arbitrary number of subject terms that may be assigned by an indexer, it depends on several factors, such as the type of work and the subject matter. For instance, when a document deals with one of the UN's main subject areas for which a very large body of documentation exists (such as development, human rights, peacekeeping or international security), secondary subjects are assigned for the various specific sub-topics that would normally be brought out as primary subjects of other works. The number of secondary subjects assigned may vary depending upon the type of document: for instance, UN resolutions and decisions are assigned secondary topical subjects for every significant operative paragraph in addition to the primary subject(s) for the resolution or decision as a whole; substantive reports with chapters on different sub-topics may have secondary subjects assigned for each chapter in addition to the primary subject(s) assigned for the report as a whole; secondary subjects may be assigned to meeting records for topics discussed at the meeting in addition to the primary subject(s) for the meeting as a whole.

For more guidance on weighted indexing for specific types of documents and publications see the Guidelines for Specific Types of UN Documents and Publications (forthcoming).

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(ii) Geographic linkage of subjects (tag 650)

For example, if the database record reads:

Example 1:

650 1 7 $a ENERGY POLICY
650 1 7 $a SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
650 1 7 $a EUROPE
650 1 7 $a ENERGY SECURITY

The geographic subject EUROPE will coordinate (link) with the primary topical subjects preceding it, but not with those following it, so that the index entries in printed products will appear as:

ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SECURITY
EUROPE - - ENERGY POLICY
EUROPE - - SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Since primary topical subjects that precede primary geographic subjects are linked with the geographic subjects following them, a logical order should be considered when assigning primary topical and geographic subjects. For instance, indexers should avoid linking terms at an international or regional level (e.g. GLOBALIZATION, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, REGIONAL COOPERATION, etc.) with country-level geographic subjects.

Example 2:

650 1 7 $a FOREIGN TRADE
650 1 7 $a TRADE POLICY
650 1 7 $a ZAMBIA
650 1 7 $a INTRAREGIONAL TRADE
650 1 7 $a AFRICA
650 1 7 $a MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

Indexers should avoid geographic linkage with terms of a politically sensitive nature; terms of an abstract nature; terms for very general concepts or general principles, theories or methodologies; terms that serve as qualifiers or subheadings for other terms and would not make sense linked with a geographic subject.

Examples of the type of topical subject terms that would not be linked with geographic terms: all “ASPECTS” terms (ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS, CULTURAL ASPECTS, DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS, ECONOMIC ASPECTS, etc.), ACCOUNTABILITY, AGGRESSION, APARTHEID, CLIMATE CHANGE, DECOLONIZATION, ECONOMETRICS, EQUALITY, FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS, FINANCING, FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, GLOBAL WARNING, INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS, INTERVENTION, JUSTICE, MATHEMATICAL MODELS, MEASUREMENT, PEACE, PRINCIPLES, STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY.

Usually a more specific term exists that could be linked with the geographic subject in lieu of the sensitive, abstract, etc., term. In cases where no appropriate term can logically be linked with the geographic subject, the indexer may choose to record the primary geographic subject term first, without preceding it by any topical subject term. In some cases, only geographic subject term(s) would be needed.

Example:

191 $a A/RES/59/1A
245 1 0 $a Scale of assessments for the apportionment of the expenses of the United Nations
610 2 7 $a UN $g Budget contributions

650 1 7 $a CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
650 1 7 $a COMOROS
650 1 7 $a IRAQ

No topical subject terms precede geographic subject terms: no geographic linkage

Visualizing the way primary subject terms will appear in printed subject indexes helps indexers decide on appropriate and logical linkage with geographic subject terms.

Example:

245 1 0 $a Measuring Australia’s human capital
650 1 7 $a HUMAN RESOURCES
650 1 7 $a AUSTRALIA
650 1 7 $a MEASUREMENT
650 1 7 $a STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY

In printed alphabetic subject indexes, the resulting subject headings will appear as:

AUSTRALIA – HUMAN RESOURCES
HUMAN RESOURCES MEASUREMENT
STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY

The coordinated subject heading AUSTRALIA – HUMAN RESOURCES would be appropriate geographic linkage.
However, if the indexer links the terms MEASUREMENT and STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY with AUSTRALIA by recording the topical subject terms before the geographic subject term:

650 1 7 $a HUMAN RESOURCES
650 1 7 $a MEASUREMENT
650 1 7 $a STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY
650 1 7 $a AUSTRALIA

The coordinated geographic subject headings AUSTRALIA – MEASUREMENT and AUSTRALIA – STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY will appear in the printed subject index, which would be inappropriate and not useful as subject headings since the terms MEASUREMENT and STATISTICAL METHODOLOGY refer to methodologies in general.

Since the Thesaurus terms CLIMATE CHANGE and GLOBAL WARMING refer to global phenomena, they are not linked with primary geographic subject terms. For documents concerning effects of global climate change in specific geographic areas, link other appropriate subject terms with primary geographic subjects, e.g. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, etc., followed by the primary subject CLIMATE CHANGE.

Example:

245 1 0 $a Enhancing the regional SEE cooperation in the field of climate change
650 1 7 $a ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
650 1 7 $a ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
650 1 7 $a REGIONAL COOPERATION
650 1 7 $a SOUTHEAST EUROPE
650 1 7 $a CLIMATE CHANGE

Consistency in the way topical subjects are linked with geographic subjects is important to avoid scattering of citations in printed subject indexes.

In general, the indexer should link «neutral» terms with country-level geographic subjects instead of «negative» terms relating to human rights violations.

Example 3:

650 1 7 $a HUMAN RIGHTS
650 1 7 $a MYANMAR
650 1 7 $a PRISONER TREATMENT
650 1 7 $a TURKEY
650 1 7 $a HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
650 1 7 $a TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL TREATMENT

The following are examples of «negative» terms, mainly in the area of human rights violations, that generally should not be linked with geographic subjects.

• ARBITRARY DETENTION (related terms that might be linked instead: ADMINISTRATIVE DETENTION, DETAINED PERSONS, DETENTION CENTRES, PREVENTIVE DETENTION, PRISONER TREATMENT, etc.)
  
  
• DISCRIMINATION (the indexer could link terms for the groups that are being discussed, e.g. DISABLED PERSONS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, MINORITIES, RELIGIOUS GROUPS, ROMA, etc.)
  
  
• EXTRALEGAL EXECUTIONS (the term ARMED INCIDENTS is often linked instead)
  
  
• GENDER DISCRIMINATION (related terms that might be linked instead: GENDER EQUALITY, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, WOMEN'S STATUS, etc.)
  
  
• GENOCIDE (never linked geographicly; non-linking subjects could be used such as RWANDA SITUATION)
  
  
• HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS (the term HUMAN RIGHTS is linked instead)
  
  
• MASSACRES (the term ARMED INCIDENTS is often linked instead)
  
  
• RACIAL DISCRIMINATION (related terms that might be linked instead: ANTI-RACISM STRATEGIES, BLACKS, ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS, RACE RELATIONS)
  
  
• TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL TREATMENT (terms PRISONER TREATMENT, TORTURE PREVENTION are often linked instead)

• ARAB COUNTRIES; TERRITORIES OCCUPIED BY ISRAEL;
  
• all terms consisting of a geographic name followed by the word «Question», e.g. PALESTINE QUESTION, WESTERN SAHARA QUESTION, etc.;
  
• all terms consisting of a geographic name followed by the word «Situation», e.g. LEBANON SITUATION, RWANDA SITUATION, etc.

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(iii) When to propose new Thesaurus terms (for tag 650)

• other terms in that subject field at an equivalent level of specificity are already in the Thesaurus, e.g. proposed term SATURN (EARTH, JUPITER, etc. already in the Thesaurus) or proposed term RAIL TRAFFIC (ROAD TRAFFIC, AIR TRAFFIC, etc. already in the Thesaurus);
  
• the concept has begun to appear in a number of works, e.g. HUMAN SECURITY;
  
• the concept is the main subject of UN resolutions, e.g. RIGHT TO THE TRUTH;
  
• no term or combination of terms existing in the Thesaurus can adequately represent the concept, e.g. INTERNATIONAL LAW FRAGMENTATION;
  
• the immediately broader term is heavily used in the database, e.g. ANCHORS (BT TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT)

While a thesaurus is not a dictionary and should not be expected to systematically define terms, scope notes can be very helpful to both indexers and users whenever the meaning of terms is ambiguous, their usage is not clear, or when it is difficult to distinguish between very similar terms. Indexers may also suggest cross-references and related term relationships that they feel would be helpful.

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Last updated: 11 April 2008