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Subject: RE: [dita] Keywords in DITA
I agree with Don's analysis of index terms. My thought it
that one should be equally carefully, albeit in one dimension, with keywords.
Too often authors randomly select keywords to associate with topics. We
recommend a controlled vocabulary.
JoAnn
JoAnn T. Hackos, PhD
President
Comtech Services,
Inc.
710 Kipling Street, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80215
303-232-7586
joann.hackos@comtech-serv.com
http://www.comtech-serv.com
I also find that indexterms represent structured metadata, which non-nesting
keywords cannot do. In this regard, index structures represent access paths to
information that are carefully crafted to represent how readers think of the
data... you want to increase the ability of the user to find a term, therefore
your primary and secondary choices might well be colloquial, which balances
imprecision against discoverability. Keywords do not have this luxury, being
tokens with specific intent in the domain of the topic or information system
that they document.
Regards,
--
Don Day
<dond@us.ibm.com>
Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
IBM Lead
DITA Architect
11501 Burnet Rd., MS 9037D018, Austin TX 78758
Ph.
512-838-8550 (T/L 678-8550)
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in
knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
--T.S.
Eliot
![Inactive hide details for "JoAnn Hackos" <<a href=]()
joann.hackos@comtech-serv.com>" src="gif00029.gif" width="16">"JoAnn Hackos"
<joann.hackos@comtech-serv.com>
I would assume that index terms would be used to build
what is commonly referred to as a "back of the book" index for print or supply
the terms for the Index tab typical of help systems. Keywords typically are
based upon a taxonomic analysis of subject matter and should be selected from a
standardized list to avoid confusion. Keywords chiefly feed search systems,
although many search systems are configured to look at full text or metadata
rather than keywords. Organizations often use the "keyword" element in HTML to
attempt to influence search systems.
JoAnn
JoAnn T. Hackos, PhD
President
Comtech
Services, Inc.
710 Kipling
Street, Suite 400
Denver, CO
80215
303-232-7586
joann.hackos@comtech-serv.com
http://www.comtech-serv.com
From: Paul Prescod [mailto:paul.prescod@blastradius.com]
Sent: Tuesday,
March 08, 2005 4:07 PM
To: Esrig, Bruce (Bruce)
Cc: dita@lists.oasis-open.org;
Michael Priestley
Subject: RE: [dita] Keywords in DITA
Contradicting myself a bit: I would consider that a
very pragmatic solution to the problem. The meaning of the <keyword>
element could be context-specific. But I wonder: do index entries already work
as "words or phrases that would make good targets for search engines?" I'm just
trying to get the distinction clear in my head.
From: Esrig, Bruce (Bruce) [mailto:esrig@lucent.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 1:14
PM
To: Paul
Prescod
Cc:
dita@lists.oasis-open.org; Michael Priestley
Subject: RE: [dita] Keywords in
DITA
For the
time being, perhaps we could rephrase the first sentence in the "keywords" entry
in the language reference. Then we could separate the senses in a future release
of DITA. Something like <keyword> versus
<searchTerm>.New text >>> The <keywords> element contains a list
of identifying terms that are marked with <indexterm> or <keyword>.
In this context, <keyword> surrounds a word or phrase that would make a
good target for a search engine.Bruce EsrigInformation Developer / Information ArchitectLucent Technologies
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