This study is a comparison of the descriptive tagging practices among library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter-indexing consistency approach. The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the similarities and differences among professional groups when assigning descriptive tags to a wide variety of objects that may be found in any one or all three types of institutions (libraries, archives, and museums). Descriptive practices among information professionals were determined using measures of inter-indexer terminological consistency to compare frequencies in descriptive tagging outcomes. The second purpose of this study was to compare the descriptive practices of these three different groups of information professionals to different object types typically found within the library, archive, or museum environment. The number of tags applied per object type and professional group was measured via a two-way analysis of variance.
The objectives were to: (1) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of tags assigned to the four different object types by the three groups of information professionals; (2) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of exact matched tags among professional groups when describing the four object types, and; (3) determine if there was a significant difference among information professionals in the percentage of matched tags per object type.
Findings from this study indicate while there are few differences in depth of indexing per object type among professional groups, various levels of description were applied to the four different object types. Levels of description were derived from: (1) the three dimensional or physical media pictured; (2) the digital surrogate; (3) the objects aboutness; (4) the technique and materials used to make the physical object, and; (5) written text. Data analysis also indicates there was a significant difference between means in the total number of descriptive tags and in the number of exact matched primary tags applied per object type. As such, information retrieval within the online environment could be improved if there was better quality control in the application of subject access points among information professionals across the library, archive, and museum environments.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study is a comparison of the descriptive tagging practices among library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter-indexing consistency approach. The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the similarities and differences among professional groups when assigning descriptive tags to a wide variety of objects that may be found in any one or all three types of institutions (libraries, archives, and museums). Descriptive practices among information professionals were determined using measures of inter-indexer terminological consistency to compare frequencies in descriptive tagging outcomes. The second purpose of this study was to compare the descriptive practices of these three different groups of information professionals to different object types typically found within the library, archive, or museum environment. The number of tags applied per object type and professional group was measured via a two-way analysis of variance.</p> <p>The objectives were to: (1) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of tags assigned to the four different object types by the three groups of information professionals; (2) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of exact matched tags among professional groups when describing the four object types, and; (3) determine if there was a significant difference among information professionals in the percentage of matched tags per object type.</p> <p>Findings from this study indicate while there are few differences in depth of indexing per object type among professional groups, various levels of description were applied to the four different object types. Levels of description were derived from: (1) the three dimensional or physical media pictured; (2) the digital surrogate; (3) the objects aboutness; (4) the technique and materials used to make the physical object, and; (5) written text. Data analysis also indicates there was a significant difference between means in the total number of descriptive tags and in the number of exact matched primary tags applied per object type. As such, information retrieval within the online environment could be improved if there was better quality control in the application of subject access points among information professionals across the library, archive, and museum environments.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Angel, Christine Marie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Campus Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"School of Library and information Science","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Samantha K Hastings","Robert V Williams"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:07Z","subjects":["Library and Information Science","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Information Representation","Inter-Indexing Consistency","Tagging"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2012, Christine Marie Angel"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1518","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Samantha K Hastings","Robert V Williams"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Angel, Christine Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["School of Library and information Science"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Library and Information Science","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Information Representation","Inter-Indexing Consistency","Tagging"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2012, Christine Marie Angel"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1518"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study is a comparison of the descriptive tagging practices among library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter-indexing consistency approach. The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the similarities and differences among professional groups when assigning descriptive tags to a wide variety of objects that may be found in any one or all three types of institutions (libraries, archives, and museums). Descriptive practices among information professionals were determined using measures of inter-indexer terminological consistency to compare frequencies in descriptive tagging outcomes. The second purpose of this study was to compare the descriptive practices of these three different groups of information professionals to different object types typically found within the library, archive, or museum environment. The number of tags applied per object type and professional group was measured via a two-way analysis of variance.
The objectives were to: (1) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of tags assigned to the four different object types by the three groups of information professionals; (2) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of exact matched tags among professional groups when describing the four object types, and; (3) determine if there was a significant difference among information professionals in the percentage of matched tags per object type.
Findings from this study indicate while there are few differences in depth of indexing per object type among professional groups, various levels of description were applied to the four different object types. Levels of description were derived from: (1) the three dimensional or physical media pictured; (2) the digital surrogate; (3) the objects aboutness; (4) the technique and materials used to make the physical object, and; (5) written text. Data analysis also indicates there was a significant difference between means in the total number of descriptive tags and in the number of exact matched primary tags applied per object type. As such, information retrieval within the online environment could be improved if there was better quality control in the application of subject access points among information professionals across the library, archive, and museum environments.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Comparison of Descriptive Tagging Practices by Library, Archive, and Museum Professionals Using an Inter-Indexing Consistency Approach"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Samantha K Hastings","Robert V Williams"],"dc:creator":["Angel, Christine Marie"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study is a comparison of the descriptive tagging practices among library, archive, and museum professionals using an inter-indexing consistency approach. The first purpose of this study was to determine the extent of the similarities and differences among professional groups when assigning descriptive tags to a wide variety of objects that may be found in any one or all three types of institutions (libraries, archives, and museums). Descriptive practices among information professionals were determined using measures of inter-indexer terminological consistency to compare frequencies in descriptive tagging outcomes. The second purpose of this study was to compare the descriptive practices of these three different groups of information professionals to different object types typically found within the library, archive, or museum environment. The number of tags applied per object type and professional group was measured via a two-way analysis of variance.
The objectives were to: (1) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of tags assigned to the four different object types by the three groups of information professionals; (2) determine if there was a significant difference in the number of exact matched tags among professional groups when describing the four object types, and; (3) determine if there was a significant difference among information professionals in the percentage of matched tags per object type.
Findings from this study indicate while there are few differences in depth of indexing per object type among professional groups, various levels of description were applied to the four different object types. Levels of description were derived from: (1) the three dimensional or physical media pictured; (2) the digital surrogate; (3) the objects aboutness; (4) the technique and materials used to make the physical object, and; (5) written text. Data analysis also indicates there was a significant difference between means in the total number of descriptive tags and in the number of exact matched primary tags applied per object type. As such, information retrieval within the online environment could be improved if there was better quality control in the application of subject access points among information professionals across the library, archive, and museum environments.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1518"],"dc:rights":["© 2012, Christine Marie Angel"],"dc:subject":["Library and Information Science","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Information Representation","Inter-Indexing Consistency","Tagging"],"dc:title":["A Comparison of Descriptive Tagging Practices by Library, Archive, and Museum Professionals Using an Inter-Indexing Consistency Approach"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["School of Library and information Science"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:07Z"}