The LAE Subject Index
The content of the Latino American Experience (LAE) database was reviewed, analyzed, and indexed by a team of librarians and editors. To develop the subject index, this team followed the subject analysis guidelines and formatting standards defined by the Library of Congress in its Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). This effort is reflected in the choices of controlled vocabulary terms to describe thematic content. The index includes subject headings such as:
- Border patrols
- Discrimination
- Drug traffic
- Emigration and immigration
- Employment
- Human smuggling
The indexing team also used an LC-based structure for subject headings that require standard subdivisions. The resulting combinations increase selectivity, especially in areas with rich content or when articles address only one aspect of the broader headings:
- Cuba—Economic conditions
- Cuban Americans—Intellectual life
- Employment—Racial aspects
- Mexico—Foreign relations—United States
- Presidents—Mexico—Biography
- Puerto Rico—History—19th century
However, to increase the flexibility of the index and facilitate its use in any of the browse functional modes described further below, some subdivisions were also used as primary subject headings. For example, the phrases —Social conditions and —Economic conditions, which are only used as subdivisions under place names and classes of persons headings in LC-based catalogs, were given complementary roles to provide direct access. The same principle of simplification was applied in the indexing of content of historical events for which the Library of Congress uses indirect access under [Place name]—History—[Event]. For example, the heading Cuba—History—Revolution, 1959 was replaced by the direct form: Cuban Revolution, 1959.
Library of Congress subject headings deemed archaic or potentially misleading were carefully reviewed and replaced with phrases more likely to be used as search terms. For example, the Library of Congress headings Family violence and Illegal aliens were replaced by Domestic violence and Immigrants, Undocumented.
To further enhance the usability of the subject index and facilitate the extraction of database content, topics for which the Library of Congress lacked adequate or intuitive subject headings were described using phrases especially developed for LAE. In some cases, content reflecting issues of significance in the Latino American experience required headings not found in the LC authority database. Some of the headings developed specifically for LAE include:
- Alcoholism and marketing
- Family reunification
- Forced sterilization
- Immigration reform
- Immigration, Undocumented
The LAE index significantly enhances the related content links that appear alongside a particular article or piece of content. All of the Related Topics that appear in the left column in a Results view are powered by the index. Clicking on any of these will show you other content that has been tagged with the same term(s).
Searching the Index
The LAE subject index supports three distinct but integrated functional modes for the retrieval of database content:
- Alphabetical positioning
- Searches for exact matches
- Searches for character strings or words appearing anywhere in the subject headings.
Searches for exact matches or for character strings or words appearing anywhere in the subject headings, as described in 2), and 3) are not case sensitive. For example, Mexico or mexico will produce the same results.
Alphabetical positioning is intended to promote and support browsing. Browsing can entirely mouse-driven and it is made possible by the list of letters on the left-hand side of the screen. Selecting any of the letters displays the list of subject headings that begin with the chosen letter. The scroll bar available on the right-hand side of the center column and the “Next >>” button at the bottom of the screen can be used to move forward to examine areas of potential interest. Returning to a previous section, up to the point selected initially, can be accomplished with the “<< Previous” button found at the bottom of the screen. Selecting “All” on the left-hand column removes the limitations imposed by the beginning of the individual letters and all of the 15,000+ headings will be listed. This setting will also be reflected in the number shown in the counter above the center column. All the navigational tools available in this mode (e.g., scroll bar) can also be used in the remaining searches.
Searches for exact matches can be entered in the “Jump to:” box without capitalization. The resulting subject headings will be displayed in the center column and organized alphabetically. This type of search is ideal for reentering searches on topics of interest one is already familiar with. For example:
- abused women
- dirty wars
- human rights
- politics and government
Searches for character strings or words appearing anywhere in the subject headings are also supported in LAE. This type of search provides increased flexibility and advanced retrieval capabilities without the complexity of Boolean search operators used in full-text searches. It allows users to create sets of subject headings that share certain characters or words, including internal punctuation. The use of this feature is highly recommended to explore areas of interest when there is a condition of uncertainty regarding the structure of the headings used. For example, entering “motion” in the Jump to: box retrieves headings such as:
- Alambrista (Motion picture : 1977)
- Discrimination in motion pictures
- Motion picture industry
- Race in motion pictures
- War on Drugs in motion pictures
- Women in motion pictures
This mode can also be used with only a few characters to reposition the index or create smaller or larger sets of headings. In addition, individual letters can be entered in the Jump to: box to initiate browsing as described in point 1, above.
Form of Headings
In LAE, the subject headings shown in the center column of the Index page can be single words, noun or adjectival phrases, both in direct and inverted form:
- Authors
- Civil rights
- Deportation
- Drug traffic
- Discrimination in education
- Education, Bilingual
- Food industry
- Garment industry
- Immigration, Undocumented
- Mexican-American Border Region
- Venezuela
In addition to words or phrases designating topics, subject headings can represent personal names, institutional and corporate entities, uniform titles, author-titles, conferences, and places. The combination of all the subject headings used make up the LAE subject index. The subject index consists of more than 15,000 non-repeating terms. These terms are available for searching in their totality as described earlier. A smaller number of terms representing selected subject areas of significance are available in the simplified Browse (http://lae.greenwood.com/browse.aspx). To access the complete index, please use the link available on the home page (http://lae.greenwood.com/advBrowse.aspx).
Uniformity in Subject Headings
To organize the information in LAE and facilitate its retrieval, the index developers relied on authorities to ensure consistency and uniformity in the entries, e.g.:
- Bilingualism
- Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993
- Delano Grape Strike, Delano, Calif., 1965-1970
The indexers also used standard syntax rules when constructing subject headings with subdivisions, e.g.:
- Colleges and universities—Admissions
- Mexican Americans—Employment
- Puerto Rico—History—19th century
Types of Subject Headings
The subject headings used to describe and tag content in the LAE database and build the subject index fall into the following nine categories:
Personal names: Content on individuals, including biographical material, is designated by subject headings in the form of personal names. The names may be in inverted or direct form. The form chosen for an individual is dictated by usage conventions and cultural norms and it is used consistently to give that individual a unique identity. Whenever possible, the personal names in LAE follow the forms used by the Library of Congress as recorded in the Library of Congress Name Authority file.
Names may include dates of birth, death, or both. Some headings may include the approximate date of birth and/or death. In keeping with LC practice, approximations are designated by the abbreviation “ca.” for circa. Dates may also include uncertain dates or dates when the individual flourished. These are indicated by the question mark (?) or the abbreviation of flourished “fl.” Headings for personal names can also include initials with parenthetical qualifications or honorific titles. Note that some artists’ names may be in form of stage names:
- Allende, Isabel
- Anaya, Rudolfo A., 1937-
- Bolívar, Simón, 1783-1830
- Castro, Fidel, 1926-
- Castro Ruz, Fidel, 1926-
- Guamán Poma de Ayala, Felipe, fl. 1613
- Milanés, Pablo, 1943-
- Montezuma II, Emperor of Mexico, ca. 1480-1520
- Olmos, Edward James, 1947-
- Oñate, Juan de, 1549?-1624
- Pizarro, Francisco, ca. 1475-1541
- Selena, 1971-1995
Entries in the form of personal names correspond to data from MARC field 100 in Library of Congress authority records: http://authorities.loc.gov.
Names not found in the Library of Congress Name Authority file are entered using the most widely recognized forms.
When appropriate, personal names assigned to information entries are accompanied by additional, broader terms reflecting classes of persons. For example, a particular article containing biographical information on Sandra Cisneros would be tagged with both Novelists, Mexican American women—Biography and Cisneros, Sandra, 1954-. A similar article on César Chávez would be tagged with both Labor leaders—Biography and Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993.
Like other subject headings, personal name headings can appear with extensions in the form of standard subdivisions. Standard subdivisions are words or phrases that increase descriptive precision. They are aimed at giving LAE users the opportunity to select the most appropriate content based on an examination of the available indexing entries. In the Index and the Browse, subject headings that include standard subdivisions are shown with a plus sign (+). Clicking on the plus sign expands the entire array of available subdivisions, e.g.:
- Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993
- Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993—Childhood
- Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993—Death and burial
- Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993—Political activism
- Chávez, César Estrada, 1927-1993—Quotations
Organizations or corporate entities: Content on government bodies, institutions, and organizations is organized with subject headings that reflect the accepted form of their names:
- American Council of Spanish-Speaking People
- Boston Red Sox (Baseball team)
- Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (U.S.)
- Central Intelligence Agency (U.S.)
- Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional
- Immigration and Naturalization Service
- League of United Latin American Citizens
- National Council of La Raza
- United Farm Workers of America
Entries in the form of corporate entities or organizations correspond to data from field 110 of MARC Library of Congress authority records: http://authorities.loc.gov.
Conferences and meetings: Subject headings used for conferences and meetings are entered using the standard bibliographic descriptive format. The conference name is qualified by the date, city, and state or country:
- Earth Summit (1992 : Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Panama Conference (1826 : Panama, Panama)
Headings for conferences or meetings correspond to data from field 111 in MARC Library of Congress authority records: http://authorities.loc.gov.
Publications and uniform titles: Publications and works whose intellectual content cannot be attributed to individual authors are entered using standard title phrases known as “uniform titles.” The uniform title phrases are qualified in different ways. For serial publications (e.g., newspapers), the entries are qualified with a descriptive word, the city of publication, and the date of the first issue. Motion pictures and television programs are also entered using uniform titles. Headings for motion pictures are qualified with the date of production. For television series, the date of the first program is used:
- Claridad (Newspaper : Puerto Rico : 1959)
- Dallas morning news (Newspaper : Dallas, Tex. : 1885)
- Sábado gigante (Television program : 1962)
- Selena (Motion picture : 1997)
- Stand and deliver (Motion picture : 1988)
- West side story (Motion picture : 1957)
Entries for uniform titles correspond to data from field 130 in MARC Library of Congress authority records: http://authorities.loc.gov.
Author-title entries: The subject headings assigned to information content that describes, comments on, or provides critical appraisal of speeches, individual publications or literary works attributed to a personal, individual author are in the form of author-title entries. Articles with author-title entries should be interpreted as content in the form of critical appraisal of the work whose title is cited after the author’s name. The punctuation used to designate an author-title entry is a period and a space after the author’s name. In the subject index, author-title entries file after subdivisions under a personal name:
- Hijuelos, Oscar, 1951-
- Hijuelos, Oscar, 1951- —Childhood and youth
- Hijuelos, Oscar, 1951- —Criticism and interpretation
- Hijuelos, Oscar, 1951-. Mambo kings play songs of love
- Hijuelos, Oscar, 1951-. Our house in the last world
The structure of author-title entries is consistent with the pattern established in bibliographic databases such as the one supported by the Library of Congress. Critical appraisal of a general nature is entered under the author’s name and the subdivision —Criticism and interpretation. For example:
- Álvarez, Julia, 1951- —Criticism and interpretation
- Cisneros, Sandra, 1954- —Criticism and interpretation
- Hijuelos, Oscar, 1951- —Criticism and interpretation
Classes of persons: The LAE index includes a large number of terms for groups of individuals or “classes of persons.” These terms are intended to create rich sources of materials on people with certain characteristics such as occupations or areas of artistic, intellectual, or creative work. Examples include:
- Actors
- Artists
- Dancers
- Journalists
- Labor leaders
- Political leaders
LAE articles on literary authors were given multiple access points. In addition to headings with the individual names and broad classes of persons heading “Authors”, heading by literary genre were assigned, e.g.:
- Autobiographers
- Children’s authors
- Dramatists
- Essayists
- Novelists
- Poets
To further assist LAE users in their search for materials of interest, classes of persons headings were expanded with phrases designating national heritage. These have the effect of creating subsets:
- Actors, Cuban
- Artists, Puerto Rican
- Authors, Cuban American
- Labor leaders, Mexican
- Musicians, Colombian
LAE articles on literary authors were given multiple access points. In addition to headings with the individual names and broad classes of persons heading “Authors” with and without national heritage, heading by literary genre were assigned, e.g.:
- Autobiographers
- Children’s authors
- Dramatists
- Essayists
- Novelists
- Poets
Articles on individual women were given additional headings with and without national heritage. The most common application of these headings is in articles with biographical content. For example:
- Artists, Puerto Rican
- Artists, Puerto Rican women
- Artists, Women
- Authors, Cuban American
- Authors, Cuban American women
- Authors, Women
Treaties, laws, legal and legislative issues: LAE includes rich content on legislative initiatives, trials, and legal cases. Legal cases are entered under the name of the cases using the accepted standard. Legislative acts are entered under the name of the act. Trials of individuals are in the form of [Personal name]—Trials, litigation, etc. The subdivision —Law and legislation is used under topics, e.g., Civil rights—Law and legislation:
- Allee v. Medrano, 416 U.S. 802 (1974)
- Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974)
- North American Free Trade Agreement (1992)
- Proposition 227 (California : 1998)
- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
Place names: Whenever possible, place names were entered using the jurisdictional names found in the Library of Congress authority file. When required, places are qualified with the name of the larger jurisdiction:
- California
- El Barrio (New York, N.Y.)
- El Paso (Tex.)
- Ybor City (Tampa, Fla.)
- Little Havana (Miami, Fla.)
- Mexico
- New York (N.Y.)
Place names correspond to the data entered in field 151 in MARC Library of Congress authority records.
Themes and topics. Subject headings for topics that do not fall under the categories discussed above can be in the form of single words or phrases. The headings can appear in combination with standard subdivisions to increase their specificity. When subdivisions are available, they are indicated by the presence of plus signs:
- Adoption, Intercountry
- Amnesty
- Economic conditions
- Family reunification
- Human rights
- Human smuggling
- Literacy
- Racism
- Recipes
- Soccer
- Telenovelas
Subject headings in this category correspond to the data in field 150 in Library of Congress authority records.
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