January 01, 2002
URL:http://www.drdobbs.com/how-do-you-build-a-thesaurus/184412945
Building a Synonymous Search Index
The first step is to familiarize yourself with thesauri and their application in the Web environment. Fortunately, librarians and other information professionals have been building and using thesauri for quite some time, so there are many examples to review.
For an example of a very sophisticated implementation, take a look at OVID's Medline interface (select Begin Demo; you'll need to fill out a brief form to try the demo). This interface is obviously designed for expert searchers who need power and flexibility to effectively search Medline's enormous database, but it can really get you thinking about the possibilities.
For example, you can perform a normal full-text search of the database, or you can select "Map Term to Subject Heading" and run your search against the thesaurus. You can then browse the hierarchy of subject headings until you find one that matches your topic and level of specificity. In such a large database, the ability to leverage a thesaurus through this integrated searching and browsing capability really helps you to narrow your query, and find what you're looking for.
Once you're done learning from the successes and failures of others, you can begin building a thesaurus through the process of term generation and consolidation. The basic steps include:
As with everything on the Web, a thesaurus is never finished. The content and the terms used to describe concepts within that content will continue to grow and evolve. New terms must be added, old terms deleted, and relationships between terms revisited. And you should always be on the lookout for new variant terms. Thanks to Roget's Thesaurus and high school English classes, there's always someone out there with a new way to say the same thing.
If you have something to say about online thesauri, please let me know.
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