A arte de indexar artigos de periódicos: a política de indexação da Seção de Periódicos da Biblioteca Central da UFPB

Abstract

The present research aimed to evaluate the Indexing Policy of Journal Articles of the Central Library of Federal University of Paraíba. In order to have a better understanding between theory and practice, the phases of the indexing process were identified as well as the observation concerning indexing policy accomplished by indexers. Taking into account the comparison of the indexing policy guidelines with the subject catalogue, we could detect inconsistencies regarding the construction of the controlled vocabulary. Finally, we verified auxiliary instruments used in the indexing process of journal articles. In this way, it was used the qualitative / quantitative method through the analysis of the subject descriptors referred to the controlled vocabulary built and available in the manual catalogue format for the users´ consultation. A total of, approximately, 27 thousand descriptors were registered from which a sample of 1.350 of them was taken for re-evaluation in the indexing policy. It was used the technique of individual verbal protocol with indexers and both undergraduate and graduate students of the Federal University of Paraíba. Bardin´s content analysis method about verbalizations was used. We categorized some users´ speeches so that we could analyze their content related to the services offered by the Journal Sector. The obtained results were satisfactory considering the current problems. We realized that the phases of the indexing process through documental reading are fulfilled according to Lancaster’s theory as well as other authors´. Descriptors of subjects, in their majority, are in accordance with the standards expected by indexing policy. The inconsistency problem is invariable in an indexing service and it is in permanent search for solutions. The representation instruments of information which aid the indexing service still need to be defined so as to encompass all knowledge areas of the archive of the mentioned journal sector. This research is of great relevance, though there is very little scientific literature about indexing policy of journal articles in information systems in Brazil, specifically in university libraries.