1. CHAIN INDEXING
Presented by
Ezhilan

2. Introduction
•
Indexing has to specify exactly the
content of documents. This needs a
language by which the contents could be
described precisely (i.e. Indexing
Language).
• Indexing includes :
a) Conceptual Analysis, and
b) Representation (of the Contents)

3. Types of Indexing Techniques :
There are broadly two types of Indexing
Techniques or Indexing Methods. They are :
a) Pre-Coordinate Indexing, and
b) Post-Coordinate Indexing.
Pre-Coordinate Indexing Systems : It means the
key works are Co ordinated at the time of
indexing. ( PRECIS, POPSI and chain indexing)
Post-Coordinate Indexing Systems:
It means the key works are Co ordinated at the time
of searching. Ex. Uniterm indexing.

4. Chain Indexing
• Dr. S. R. Ranganathan developed a
method of indexing, called chain
procedure of subject indexing or simply
Chain Indexing. It is a method of deriving
alphabetical subject entries from the chain
of successive subdivisions of subjects
needed to be indexed leading from
general to specific level.
•

5. Definition
• According to Ranganathan,chain indexing
is a “procedure for deriving class index
entry (i.e. subject indexentry) which refers
from a class to its class number in a more
or less mechanical way.”

6. The basic steps in chain indexing are enumerated
below:
• a).Classify the subject of a document by
following a preferred classification
scheme.
• b) Represent the class number in the form
of a chain in which each link consists of
two parts: class number and its verbal
translation in standard term or phrase
used in the preferred classification
scheme.

7. Cont….
• c) Determine different kinds of links:
sought, unsought, false and missing links.
• d) Derive specific subject heading for the
specific subject entry from the last sought
link and moving upwards by taking the
necessary and sufficient sought links in a
reverse rendering or backward rendering
process.

8. Cont…
• e) Derive subject reference heading for
the subject reference from each of the
upper sought links.
• g) Prepare ‘see’ references for each
alternative and synonymous term used in
the specific as well as subject reference
headings.

9. Cont…
• h) Merge specific subject entries, subject
references (i.e. ‘See also’ references) and
‘See’ references and arrange them in
single alphabetical sequence.

10. Thank you.