Library and Information Science

In this article, the writer tries to develop the discussion of the problem basic to indexing procedure, namely the problem of concept and the form to express it (see his: Problems of “meaning” in documentation; Word association and concept formation). Along with the development of application of computers to information handling, not a few opinions and techniques have been introduced as to how to handle natural language automatically. One of the most difficult issues of it is that which relates to the method how to find the correspondence among natural language expression and concepts and ideas, or the way to correlate them each other. It goes without saying that the same problem has to be solved for successful manual procedure.

Correlation may be found among unit entities of the same nature or among those of different nature. In general it may be safe to say that the correlation problematic to indexing or retrieval procedure is to be found among those of different nature, namely between terms, or any symbols or signs, and concepts and ideas. Further, the problem of correlation may have to be tackled from psychological view point, particularly from that relates to problem solving and concept formation.

The writer first tries to clarify and define the terms which have significant relationship to this whole issue, e.g. information, structure, elements, relation, association, concurrence, coordination, correlation, because he feels those terms are sometimes used ambiguously. Secondly he discusses the problem of association and coordination of terms and concepts from the standpoint of indexing and retrieval procedure and technique based upon comparative examination of existing systems. Thirdly he tries to study and to find the relation between concept association and term association based upon linguistics and systematics. Lastly, after discussing the possibility of finding a way to approach this problem in relation with that of “pattern”, he proposes his idea to be criticized by the readers. The article is desired to be taken as one of problem exploration rather than of usable technique.