Glossary

It is the relationship between a pair of concepts that are neither equivalent nor hierarchical but are  semantically related to such an extent that the link between them should be made explicit. 

Example:  dolls (created by) doll makers

Between a pair of terms the terms  to which the  other term is subordinate in a hierarchy. In thesauri, the relationship indicator for this type of terms is BT.

Example: Dolls (has BT) Toys

A method of organization concepts  according to a set of established criteria, usually characterized by a notation system and a hierarchical, tree- like, structure indicating the relationship among the concepts.

A unit of thought that is formed when we combine some or all of the  characteristics of objects. Each concept is represented in the thesaurus by one preferred term and by a number of non preferred terms.

A prescribed list of terms used to index content and/or retrieve context.

The conventional intension of a concept/term consists of properties, state of affairs etc. which are commonly understood and accepted as denoting items belonging to the same extension. Conventional intensions are not merely the result of an (arbitrary) agreement between subjects. On the contrary, the intersubjective agreement on the conventional intensions is based on their reference to a known reality (Millikan, 2010), which exhibits some distinct forms, than a logical determination. For instance, “Human being” is sufficiently known to us and distinct from other things, even without DNA analysis. For deciding about the criteria upon which we commonly agree to use in order to define the properties of the concepts (intension) with a possible extension, the bottom-up method turned to be a very important methodological tool.  

Any resource that can be classified of indexed in order that the data or information can be retrieved.

A relationship between thesauri terms that represent the same concept.

Example: components (objects parts) is equivalent to: object components

The extension of a term is defined as the set of items for which it is true. It denotes the reference of a term, the range of its applicability by naming the particular items. So the extension of the term 'cat ' is the set of all the cats in the world; the extension of 'red' is the set of all the red things. However, if we define the terms according to their extension, we would not be able to define something that we do not already know or does not already exist. In order to express the meaning of a term we have to refer to its intensionality.

A grouping of concepts of the same fundamental category.

The relation between a pair of concepts where the scope of one of them falls completely within the scope of the other.

One of two words that are written in the same way but have different meanings.

Roughly speaking the intension of a term is the sum of its properties, state of affairs, qualities etc. that constitute the necessary and sufficient conditions for being in the extension of a term/concept. In other words, it is the content of a term, its meaning.   

For example, the intension of "bachelor" might be something like: adult, unmarried male. Being an adult, being unmarried, and being male are all necessary conditions for being a bachelor, and their conjunction is a sufficient condition.

However, the fact that the necessary and sufficient conditions of many concepts/terms cannot be detected only through the logical or analytical decomposition of their constituents lead us to additionally introduce the term of conventional intension of terms.

A preferred term representing a concept that is narrower than the one in question.

A label inserted into a hierarchy to indicate the logical basis or characteristic on which the terms  have been arrange.

A term that is not assigned to documents but is provided as an entry point in a thesaurus or index.

Hierarchical arrangement of concepts in a thesaurus where each concept can have more the one broader term.

One of two or more synonyms of lexical variants selected to represent a concept.

A term that is associatively linked to another term. In thesauri the relationship indicator for this term is RT.

A word, phrase, abbreviation, or symbol used in thesauri to identify a semantic relationship between terms.

A brief text that defines the meaning and use of a concept  within a particular domain.

The terminology of each scientific field, the finite set of general concepts which are used by experts in order to describe their scientific methods, results, tools etc., and which we use as empirical material in order to develop broader terms for them. Source terms are often context dependent. In organizing and building thesauri we regard only source terms which are universals. Instances, being the specific realizations of a general term, such as a placename or a person, are outside the scope of this guideline. They are subject to different methodologies and data structures.

Terms that decribe the same concept.

The broader terms and top-level concepts which we aim to develop following this guideline. Target terms express types of subjects of attribution i.e. universals whose properties reveal the intensionality of the source terms which are subsumed under the target terms and should be context independent.

A term is a particular name for a particular concept. In a thesaurus a term is used to represent only one concept, whereas a concept may have multiple terms assigned to it.

A controlled vocabulary arranged in a known order and structured so that the various relationships among terms are displayed  clearly and identified by standardized relationship indicators.

The preferred representing a concept that has no broader concept in a thesaurus.