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Criteria OF Evaluation
Foundation of Library Science (C101)
Sikkim University
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Criteria of
UNIT 4 CRITERIA OF EVALUATION Evaluation
Structure
4 Objectives
4 Introduction
4 Checklist of Evaluation
4.2 Past Record 4.2 Authority 4.2 Scope 4.2 Treatment 4.2 Arrangement 4.2 Special Features 4.2 Format 4.2 Book Reviews 4.2 Limitations 4.2 Conclusion
4 Reference Sources
4.3 Bibliographies, Abstracting and Indexing Periodicals 4.3 Dictionaries 4.3 Encyclopaedias 4.3 Yearbooks and Almanacs 4.3 Directories 4.3 Geographical Sources 4.3 Biographical Sources
4 Other Sources
4.4 Textbooks 4.4 Handbooks and Manuals 4.4 Trade Catalogues 4.4 Statistical Information Sources 4.4 Sources of Information on Current Affairs 4.4 Primary Periodicals 4.4 Reviewing Periodicals
4 Summary
4 Answers to Self Check Exercises
4 Keywords
4 References and Further Reading
4 OBJECTIVES
After reading this Unit, you will be able to:
explain that evaluation of a book is a systematic intellectual process;
state that librarian’s evaluation of a book is different from the reviewers evaluation; and
describe the process involved in evaluating the reference books.
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4 INTRODUCTION
A library receives various types of documents. Of these documents, some are in printed form, some in electronic form, some in typed or mimeographed form, etc. These documents are received through purchase, exchange and gift. Some libraries which have been declared legal depositories by virtue of an act passed by the government to receive documents from publishers free of cost. University libraries usually receive a copy of the thesis free of cost which is submitted for PhD or such other degree by a student.
The question arises whether all documents being received by the library are to be evaluated. The answer is – No. Suppose, the manuscripts of all books written by a famous author are being donated to a library with the consent of the library authority. In such a case the librarian is to accept all the manuscripts – even if some of them are incomplete or damaged, for the simple reason that they are of national importance. Similarly, a college or university library is to procure the textbooks that have been prescribed for a particular course by the authority. There is little choice for evaluation. While working in a library you will find numerous practical cases where there is no option for evaluation. You are simply to go for the book.
In most cases readers fill in book selection slips for the procurement of books. Some slips are also prepared by the library staff going through book reviews or bibliographies. A list is prepared based on these slips and the same is placed before the selection committee. Order is placed for the books that are selected by the book selection committee. Thereafter, the books are received and processed. Only after the book reaches the library, the librarian gets a chance to see the book. There is practically no chance for evaluation of any of these books. A librarian does not have the choice or the time to evaluate all documents being procured for the library.
Many distributors/vendors/publishers deposit some books every week to various libraries with the expectation that some of the books will be purchased by the libraries. It is really these books which need to be evaluated by the librarian before they are placed in front of the book selection committee.
For evaluating a book you are not to read the whole book like a book reviewer. You are to follow the checklist and gather relevant data. Based on the data gathered you are to give your conclusion.
Now the question arises which documents are to be evaluated by a librarian. Though many types of documents can be evaluated by well-established procedures, however, in BLIS courses, evaluation of reference books is usually taught. In this Unit, we shall try to cover reference books that usually form part of primary and secondary sources and also textbooks and primary periodicals.
The question that may generally crop up in the mind of a student is that why do we undertake evaluation of reference books at all? The information provided in a reference book may be (i) backdated, (ii) inadequate, (iii) biased, and (iv) wrong. The book may be (i) very highly priced, (ii) poorly printed or bound, (iii) written in a difficult language, (iv) without an index, etc. For example, India 2010 – A Reference Annual (New Delhi: Publications Division, 2010) – a vital and authentic reference source of information on India is without an index. As a result, to ferret out a piece of information from
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4.2 Scope
When we talk of scope, we generally take into account the subject, geographical area, time span, forms of documents, language, target user, etc. We shall clarify these points with an example. Let us take for example, Indian National Bibliography (INB) [Kolkata, Central Reference Library, 1958-.]. This bibliography covers publications on all subjects, published from India. It includes mainly books published during a particular period in major Indian languages. For example, in INB 2010, books published in 2010 will be generally covered. Mostly librarians, publishers, distributors, etc. are the target users of INB. From this you find that the scope of INB relates to books published from India in Indian languages during a particular period. It does not cover periodicals other than the first issue, patents, standards, etc. Neither it covers books published from India in tribal languages. A librarian has to examine whether the book adheres to its stated scope. There may be cases where the declared scope may be global, in reality the book may cover a particular country only and provide some sketchy information about other parts of the world.
4.2 Treatment
Here the term ‘treatment’ implies thoroughness, completeness, reliability, bias, style, illustrations, etc. Let us take two dictionaries – The Concise Oxford Dictionary [10th ed. Oxford: OUP, 1999] and Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language [2nd ed. Springfield, Webster’s, 1971] popularly known COD and Webster’s Third International respectively. COD contains 240,000 words, phrases and definitions, and Webster’s Third International contains 450,000 entries. The first edition of Webster’s dictionary published in 1934 included 600,000 entries. From the data we find that Webster’s Third International is more thorough and complete compared to COD. The aforesaid two dictionaries include only words. On the other hand The Random House Dictionary of the English Language [Unabridged edition New York, Random House, 1966] includes not only words but also important personages, place names, important biblical and other characters as well as illustrations. In this way the treatment of reference books differs and no two reference books will be the same.
Apart from thoroughness and completeness, reliability of information contained in a reference book is of great importance. In the reference books brought out by well-known publishers generally you will not find any factual error, grammatical error, stylistic error, etc. Data from these books are freely quoted by people without any hesitation. As far as biasness is concerned most reference books have some bias. For example, Encyclopedia Americana [New York: Grolier, 1976] is biased towards America and Encyclopaedia Indica [New Delhi, Chand, 1975] is biased towards India. The target users of reference books at times differ. Accordingly the style of writing differs. For example, Children’s Britannica [4thed. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica,1988] is written in a completely different style compared to The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. In children’s encyclopaedias difficult words are generally avoided. Whenever jargons are used the meaning is given in simple language immediately after the jargons. Moreover, these encyclopaedias contain plenty of colourful illustrations.
Criteria of Evaluation
4.2 Arrangement
Variety of arrangements are noticed in reference books. Alphabetical arrangement is quite common. You should know that there are two types of alphabetical arrangement: letter-by-letter, and word-by-word. Let us take the following terms — back bench, backbone, backdate, backdoor, back focus, backpack, and back pass and arrange them in both the ways. On arranging they will be in the following order:
Letter-by-letter arrangement Word-by-word arrangement
back bench back bench backbone back focus backdate back pass backdoor backbone back focus backdate backpack backdoor back pass backpack
In a letter-by-letter arrangement, a term composed of two or more words is considered as one word as if there is no gap in between. On the other hand, in a word-by-word arrangement each word of the term is considered separately.
Arrangement differs depending on the type of reference books. In bibliographies you may find entries are arranged in classified, alphabetically subject-wise, alphabetically author-wise, chronological or in some other order. In most dictionaries, encyclopaedias, subject indexes, author indexes, the arrangement is alphabetical. In most handbooks and manuals, there is no alphabetical arrangement. These books are usually divided into chapters which are arranged in some logical order.
4.2 Special Features
Many reference books have some unique features which others do not have. For example, The Random House Dictionary of the English Language includes a directory of colleges and universities of the United States and Canada, and a basic style manual which other English language dictionaries do not provide. Some reference books are updated at regular intervals, others irregularly. There are some which are not updated at all. For example, Newman’s Indian Bradshaw [Kolkata: Newman, 1886-.] is updated monthly. Yearbooks and almanacs are updated annually. Some directories are updated annually, but many are updated at irregular intervals. For example, Directory of Scientific Periodicals (New Delhi: INSDOC (now NISCAIR), 1964-.) was first brought out in 1964. Thereafter, it is being updated at irregular intervals. Apart from unique features and mode of updation, presence of bibliographies, supplements, appendices, etc. are also considered as special features.
4.2 Format
Format takes into account binding, quality of paper, font, page makeup, and illustrations. We shall consider all these points one by one.
Criteria of Evaluation
4.2 Book Reviews
Book reviews are published in newspapers, journals, magazines, etc. There are even book review periodicals which publish only book reviews. Book reviews are written by scholars and many people of eminence. Hence, book reviews must be given due importance while evaluating a book.
4.2 Limitations
All reference books have some limitations however comprehensive they may be. Take for example, Webster’s Third International. This dictionary is one of the most comprehensive English language dictionaries currently available. Yet this dictionary does not contain any phrase or idiom. Moreover a dictionary cannot cover all the words that have come into use very recently. Encyclopaedias are also not free from limitations. The comprehensive encyclopaedias that are published in many volumes cannot be updated at short intervals. The 14th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica was brought out in 1929, and the 15th edition in 1974. The gap between the two editions is 45 years.
Due to the dynamic nature of knowledge, encyclopaedias become outdated in no time. The accumulation of new knowledge demands the coverage of new subjects in encyclopaedias. The coverage of new subjects demands addition of more volumes. The publisher cannot add any number of volumes to accommodate all new subjects. To maintain a balance it has to compromise by dropping out many articles of the older edition. The article on Toru Dutt which figured in the 14th edition of Britannica does not figure in the 15th edition.
In this way, examples of limitations can be given for all types of reference books. This very particular phenomenon obliges libraries to procure more than one reference book of the same type with the hope that what is missing in one will be found in the other.
4.2 Conclusion
The overall judgment on a reference source is to be reflected in the conclusion whereby the authorities concerned will be able to take a decision about its procurement. The conclusion may be written point-wise.
Self Check Exercise
Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below.
ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit.
- Describe how the authoritativeness of a reference book is judged.
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- Differentiate between letter-by-letter and word-by-word arrangement with suitable examples. .......................................................................................
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4 REFERENCE SOURCES
Now we shall discuss how reference books are evaluated. Among the reference books, we shall cover bibliographies including abstracting and indexing periodicals, dictionaries, encyclopaedias, yearbooks and almanacs, directories, geographical sources and biographical sources. This Unit also includes the evaluation of textbooks, handbooks and manuals, trade catalogues, statistical information sources, sources for current affairs, primary periodicals and reviewing periodicals.
4.3 Bibliographies, Abstracting and Indexing Periodicals
In this Unit, we shall discuss systematic bibliography. A systematic bibliography lists bibliographical details of documents in a particular order. When these bibliographies are brought out periodically they are called indexing periodicals, e. Index Medicus [Washington, National Library of Medicine, 1960-2004]. Some bibliographies include abstracts along with bibliographical details of documents. They are called abstracting periodicals, e. Indian Science Abstracts [New Delhi, NISCAIR, 1964-.]. The third type is usually a one-off publication. For example, International Bibliography of Rice Research compiled by International Rice Research Institute [ New York: Scarecrow Press, 1963] is a one-off bibliography.
Past record – For one-off bibliographies, the question of past record does not arise. It applies to indexing and abstracting periodicals which are published periodically, at regular intervals, and generally continue for long. For the purpose of selection, the past record may be examined to see whether there have been frequent changes in the periodicity, or frequent interruptions in the publication, etc.
Authority – In this case the publisher and sponsor are to be examined. In the three examples given above, in all the cases, the publishers/sponsors are famous. If need be, any of the above mentioned publications can be purchased/subscribed without any difficulty. The problem will arise if the bibliography is recent or not. Abstracting and indexing periodicals with international scope are usually costly publications. If these periodicals are brought out by a less known publisher or sponsor, adequate care has to taken before finally selecting the periodical for a library.
Scope – The scope of bibliographies varies. For example, the scope of Indian Science Abstracts is national, and that of Chemical Abstracts is international. Many bibliographies cover various types of documents in diverse languages. For example, Chemical Abstracts covers journal articles, patent specifications,
Documentary Sources
months. In quite a number of indexing and abstracting periodicals published from abroad, the time lag in the case of Indian publications is found to be quite high, sometimes more than one year.
Conclusion – Most indexing and abstracting periodicals, originating abroad, are very costly publications. It is very difficult for a single library to subscribe to such a costly periodical. Hence, it is advisable to see whether such publications can be subscribed through a consortium. In that case, the library gets the benefit of the periodical at a lesser cost. Many abstracting and indexing periodicals have turned into databases. For evaluating a database the checkpoints discussed above will be highly useful.
4.3 Dictionaries
For the evaluation of dictionaries we shall discuss past record of a dictionary, authority, scope, arrangement, word treatment, specific features, revision, format and conclusion.
Past record – Some authors have dubbed ‘past record’ as ‘history’. We have chosen ‘past record’ because we feel it is more expressive than ‘history’. Most dictionaries of the world have got a past record. Many dictionaries have started in a modest way and gradually became more voluminous. In some cases, utilising the same base sprang up different dictionaries. Quite contrary to this, Oxford English Dictionary abbreviated as OED [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1933. 12 vols. + Suppl.] started in a big way. Originally it appeared as New English Dictionary on Historical Principles between 1888 and 1933 in 10 volumes. Supplements were issued thereafter to keep it updated. Using the same base came out Shorter Oxford English Dictionary in two volumes in 1971. Now there are a variety of Oxford dictionaries such as The Concise Oxford Dictionary (COD), Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, The Oxford English Mini Dictionary, etc. Now ‘Oxford Dictionary’ has become a well-known brand name in the world. Because of the brand name, any new Oxford Dictionary will attract the attention of the user.
Authority – The authoritativeness of a dictionary is judged form the history of the publisher and the band of lexicographers and editors the publisher has for the compilation of dictionaries. If the lexicographers and editors are well- known, highly qualified as well as experienced then the selection of a dictionary becomes easy.
Scope – The scope of a dictionary is judged by its coverage. A dictionary, apart from common words, includes some scientific and technical terms, terms belonging to other subjects, idioms and phrases, colloquial words, obsolete words, slang, etc. Also, some dictionaries like Random House also includes important personal names, place names, etc. The comprehensiveness of a dictionary is evidenced by the number of entries. An unabridged English language dictionary with more than 400,000 entries can be called fairly comprehensive. A desk dictionary with a coverage of around 200,000 words can be considered of satisfactory coverage. The 10th edition of COD has covered around 240,000 words leaving out place names, personal names, slang, obsolete words, etc. Every publisher of a dictionary follows some basic principles as to the selection of words and other elements like place names. This principle differs from publisher to publisher. As a result, no two dictionaries are the same.
Criteria of Evaluation
Arrangement – In general, the arrangement of entries in dictionaries is alphabetical, either letter-by-letter or word-by-word. In COD, the arrangement is letter-by-letter.
Word treatment – Here, we take into account, spelling, pronunciation, syllabification, part-of-speech, inflexion, definition, quotation, synonym and antonym, subject, usage label, phrases, derivatives, etymology, gender, etc.
Spelling – In English language, American and British spellings are prevalent. Dictionaries published in UK and Commonwealth countries use British spelling, and those produced from USA use American spelling. It is to be noted that British dictionaries include words with American spellings and vice versa.
In many languages of the world a number of spellings have been simplified. Some dictionaries use only simplified spelling, others use both conservative as well as simplified spelling. Those dictionaries which include both are preferable.
Pronunciation – The pronunciation of certain words in the same language varies from region to region and from country to country. For example, the word ‘schedule’ is pronounced in UK as shedyool, and in US as skejool. The standard dictionaries indicate pronunciation with diacritical marks or phonetic alphabet.
Syllabification – For ensuring correct pronunciation a word is broken into syllables by space/s, hyphen/s or centered periods and stress is indicated by the accent mark or some other marks.
Part of speech – It is indicated by an abbreviation, for example, the alphabets a. n. and v. are used to indicate adjective, noun and verb respectively.
Inflexion – A word usually undergoes change while forming a plural, present participle, past tense or past participle. Irregular inflexions are normally indicated. For example, the plural of ‘genus’ will be indicated as ‘pl. genera’ as the inflexion is irregular.
Definition – The definition given in a dictionary should be accurate and easily understandable. Keeping in view the level of users, lexicographers try to define a word. If a dictionary is for children, the word will be defined with easy words which the children can understand.
Quotations – Quotations are used in a dictionary to make the meaning of a word clear.
Synonyms and antonyms – To express the meaning of a word, many dictionaries use one or more synonyms along with or without the definition. In some dictionaries the synonyms and antonyms are given at the end of the main entry. In Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus [Oxford: O.U., 2001] synonyms are given at the end of the word entry. In Random House both synonyms and antonyms are given at the end of the word entry.
Subject – A particular word may figure in a subject with a particular meaning or in many subjects with different meanings. In a dictionary, usually the name of the subject precedes the definition.
Criteria of Evaluation
4.3 Encyclopaedias
Encyclopaedias are generally costly publications. The number of encyclopaedias are also many. The multi-volume general encyclopaedias in English are quite a few in the market such as The New Encyclopaedia Britannica [15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1974. 30 vols.], Encyclopedia Americana [New York: Grolier, 1976. 30 vols.], World Book Encyclopedia [Chicago: World Book, 2009. 22 vols.], Chambers’s Encyclopaedia [London: International Learning Systems, 1969. 15 vols.], Collier’s Encyclopedia [New York: Macmillan Educational, 1976. 24 vols.], etc. The cost of all these encyclopaedias run into thousands of dollars which most libraries cannot afford to purchase all of them. In such a situation, checklist for the evaluation of encyclopaedias is of real help.
Past record – It has been already discussed under Dictionaries. The way it is applicable for dictionaries, the same way it is applicable for encyclopaedias. Possibly, it is more applicable in the case of encyclopaedias.
Authority – It has already been discussed in Section 4.2 which is very much applicable for encyclopaedias. Moreover, in standard encyclopaedias, the name and qualifications of the contributors, editors, editorial board members are given. All the articles in such encyclopaedias are signed. Going through the names of the authors of some articles, and the names and qualifications of the editors, it is possible to decide roughly to what extent the articles in the encyclopaedia will be authoritative.
Scope – Apart from noted personalities, a general encyclopaedia covers all important objects produced by nature and created by human beings. Checking the coverage of an encyclopaedia is not easy. Still, for checking the coverage of persons, you take ten Indian names such as Ashoka, Kalidasa, Akbar, C V Raman, Tulsidas, Rabindranath Tagore, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, Raja Rammohun Roy, and S Chandrasekhar. Find out whether all of them have been covered or not. The number of persons covered will give you an idea of the coverage. You can carry out the same exercise with some of the Indian states as well.
Treatment – In the treatment you are to see to what extent the information provided is thorough, authentic and complete in terms of facts and figures, whether the article is free from bias, and the user group the article has targeted. Here you can also attempt a test. Compare the biography of a person, say William Shakespeare, in two encyclopaedias. Immediately you will realise how the matter has been treated in both the sources.
Arrangement – As in dictionaries, in most encyclopaedias alphabetical arrangement is followed. It may be a letter-by-letter or word-by-word arrangement. The Webster’s New International Encyclopedia [Richmond Hill, Ontario: Max, 1996] follows letter-by-letter arrangement, and Compton’s Concise Encyclopedia [1996. 25 vols. CD] follows word-by-word arrangement.
Index – The index is an indispensable part of an encyclopaedia. Initially, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica was without an index as it was hoped that the Micropaedia will serve the purpose. In reality, it did not. Finally, in order to meet the demands of the users an index was provided.
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Special features – Each encyclopaedia has some special features. For example, The New Webster’s International Encyclopedia has a separate section of maps and an index of place names figuring in the maps, illustrative survey of world history, declaration of independence [of the United States], the Constitution of United States of America, list of the Presidents of the United States, U. Supreme court justices, national parks of the United States, chemical elements, electrical resistivity and temperature coefficients of elements, periodic table, and metric measurement conversions.
Format, Limitations, and Conclusion – These points have been discussed under Sections 4.2, 4.2 and 4.2 and are also applicable in the case of encyclopaedias.
4.3 Yearbooks and Almanacs
Past record – There are many yearbooks in the world which are coming out for a long time such as Statesman’s Yearbook (London: Macmillan 1864-.), Europa Yearbook (London: Europa, 1959-.), Whitaker’s Almanack (London: Whitaker, 1869-.), and India: A Reference Annual (New Delhi: Publications Division, 1953-.). All these yearbooks have earned a name in the world and a library without any hesitation will procure them. When a new yearbook appears in the market, then the below mentioned checking elements should be used to evaluate the book.
Scope – The scope of yearbooks varies. They may be international, regional or national in scope. Depending upon the requirements of the users, the librarian is to decide which yearbook is to be obtained for the library.
Treatment – A huge amount of matter is condensed within a yearbook or almanac. As a result, information given in most cases is brief. The amount of information on a country in a yearbook may be much smaller compared to the information given in an encyclopaedia of the size of The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. However, the information given in a yearbook is updated every year which cannot be done in an encyclopaedia.
Arrangement – Most yearbooks and almanacs do not follow alphabetical arrangement. The textual matter in the yearbook is divided into various chapters. For example, in India: A Reference Annual, 2010 there are 32 chapters titled as Land and the People, National Symbols, The Polity, etc. On the other hand, in Europa Yearbook there is alphabetical arrangement within each part.
Special features – India: A Reference Annual provides information only about India. It does not have practically any special feature. On the other hand Manorama Yearbook 2006 [41st ed. Kottayam: Malayala Manorama, 2006] not only provides information about India but also of the world. In addition, it provides information about 100 books, 100 literary characters, 100 eminent persons, a dictionary of 600 terms, 500 places of interest, and other things.
Limitations – All yearbooks will have some limitations. Manorama Yearbook is biased towards India. On the other hand Statesman’s Yearbook is biased towards UK. Moreover, every year such a huge amount of information is generated which is impossible for a yearbook to cover. As a result they are selective. They include only those items which people require most.
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Indexes – A telephone directory generally is without an index. Many directories in which the entire gamut of entries is not in alphabetical order, usually provide one or more indexes to ensure easy location of information.
Special features – Some directories have some special features. For example, Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory includes information on abstracting and indexing services, money symbols, and list of periodicals that had ceased publication, etc.
Limitations – Generally directories are compiled on the basis of information obtained from the concerned people, institution, organisation, etc. Sometimes, some persons, institutions or organisations do not provide the required information. As a result, either the particular entry is dropped from the directory or an old entry is given with backdated information. A large number of directories are not updated annually, allowing entries to get backdated. Because of many constrains many directories fail to become exhaustive.
Format and conclusion as described under Section 4 are also applicable here.
4.3 Geographical Sources
Introduction – Geographical sources usually comprise of geographical dictionaries, geographical encyclopaedias, gazetteers, guidebooks, atlases, maps and globes. At times, a gazetteer has been termed as a geographical dictionary. For example, Webster’s Geographical Dictionary [Rev. ed. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1984] is out and out an international gazetteer. You should know the difference between a geographical dictionary and a gazetteer. In a geographical dictionary you will find the definitions of geographical terms such as island, river, valley, and mountain. Librarians in general do not consult a gazetteer to find the definitions of geographical terms. On the other hand, you will find in a gazetteer the descriptions of specific places, rivers, valleys and mountains. It is to be noted that a great deal of geographical information is found in general encyclopaedias, encyclopaedic dictionaries like Random House and the World Wide Web.
Past record – Many publishing houses in the world have earned a name as publishers of gazetteers (Columbia University Press), guidebooks (Fodor’s), atlases and maps (Hammond, Rand McNally, etc.), etc. They are publishing standard geographical sources for many decades or centuries. If any of them bring out a new geographical reference book, it will be considered of value. Hence, for geographical sources as well the past record of the publisher is worth examining.
Authority – Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World has been brought out by the Geographical Research Staff of Columbia University Press in cooperation with the American Geographical Society. Needless to say, the Gazetteer is considered as one of the topmost gazetteers of the world. Even though it has been brought out about half a century ago, still, it is one of the most used reference books in a library. Here lies the importance of the authority which a librarian should always take care of.
Date – Throughout the world different types of geographical changes occur around the year. The birth of a new country (e. Bangladesh) or a new state (e. Jharkhand), the change in the place name (e. Calcutta to Kolkata), alteration of boundaries of some places (e. Bihar after the formation of
Criteria of Evaluation
Jharkhand), change in the course of a river (e. Kosi), development of a new area (e. Greater Noida), etc. are but common geographical phenomena. A backdated geographical source will not be able to include the latest changes. A geographical encyclopaedia published before 2000 AD, will not show Indian states like Uttarakhand or Jharkhand as these states came into existence in 2000 AD. Hence, for geographical sources, date is an important checkpoint.
Scope – The scope of geographical dictionaries and encyclopaedias is universal. However, the scope of gazetteers, guidebooks, atlases and maps usually relate to the areas they cover. For example, the coverage of Gazetteer of India – Indian Union [Delhi: Publications Division, 1965-1978. 4 vols.] is restricted to India only. There are also gazetteers that cover only individual districts. For example Bihar District Gazetteers - Purnea [Patna: Secretariat Press, 1963] is devoted to Purnea district only. Similar is the case with guidebooks, atlases and maps. You will find guidebooks covering cities and maps covering villages. It is to be checked whether the book adheres to its stated scope.
Treatment and limitations – International gazetteers are mostly selective compared to Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer. Guidebooks, atlases and maps - all are selective. For example, a guidebook covering India as a whole cannot record all hotels at a tourist place. Similarly, in a map or atlas of India you can find only important places. Another important point to be taken care of is that how the publication has marked the disputed areas of the world.
Arrangement – In geographical dictionaries and international gazetteers the arrangement is usually alphabetical. In state and district gazetteers, maps and atlases, the arrangement may not be alphabetical.
Items of information – A geographical dictionary like any other dictionary, provides the definition of geographical terms. An international gazetteer may provide against the place name, the variant name/s of the place, pronunciation, population, geographic and political location, altitude, trade, industry, agriculture, mineral and other natural resources, irrigation works, river lengths, communications, history, cultural institutions and monuments, battles and other facts pertinent to the place. A national gazetteer, state gazetteer, district gazetteer, etc. may describe land and people, history and culture, economic structures and activities, administration and public welfare. A guidebook usually includes such information as when to go, how to go, how to roam about, what to see, where to stay, where to shop, etc. Atlases and maps with colourful drawings show continents, countries, regions, provinces, counties, cities, towns, islands, lakes, mountains, deserts, seas, rivers, canals, dams, capes, etc. Checking the items of information you can find out the strengths or weaknesses of the source.
Special features – In all geographical sources, black and white and colourful maps are usually provided. The more the number of maps, the more useful will be the source. This should be borne in mind while selecting a source.
Format – Maps, atlases and globes are usually produced in colour. Maps in many cases are of big size and meant for hanging on the wall. A map of Delhi brought out by T. T. Maps and Publications Ltd. in 1991 measures 27 inches x 40 inches. Usually these maps are stored in the form of rolls. Oversize maps provided with books are usually folded. Atlases, almost in all cases, are oversized. Special shelves are needed to store them. A globe is a miniaturised
Criteria of Evaluation
publication. A criterion of selection is an important checking element for a biographical source.
Method of compilation – Current who’s who is compiled on the basis of filled in questionnaires received form the biographees. This authenticates the information given in the source as the information is given by the biographee herself/himself. This method also has some drawbacks since many biographees do not return the questionnaire resulting in serious gaps in the source. To reduce this, attempts are made to compile a biographical sketch gleaning data from secondary sources.
Compilation of who was who or retrospective biography is pretty difficult. For such a biography competent professionals/biographers are assigned the job of writing biographies. They write biographies gleaning data from secondary sources, including persons related to the biographee. Method of compilation is also an important criterion for selecting a biographical source.
Treatment – The size of the biographical details of a person varies from a single line to a few pages. In biographical dictionaries, the size of all biographical sketches is uniform. Take for example, Chambers Biographical Dictionary [Centenary ed. Edinburgh:. Chambers, 1997]. In this source almost all biographical sketches are of the size of a medium size paragraph. On the other hand, the Dictionary of Scientific Biography [New York: Charles Scribners, 1970-1976. 14 vols.] contains biographical essays which runs from a single page to several pages. The point to be checked is whether a biographical sketch or essay has been written with adequate weightage as the biographee deserves.
Arrangement – In many biographical dictionaries, entries are arranged alphabetically according to biographees. There are other biographical sources which are arranged according to subject e. India Who’s Who [New Delhi: INFA, 1969-.], or by dates (date of birth or death). It is to be checked whether the arrangement is in order and more helpful than A-Z arrangement.
Items of information – Usually the following items of information are found in a sketch type entry figuring in a biographical dictionary: name, pronunciation of the name, highest qualification, present position, date of birth, parent’s name, education, services, publications, recreation or hobbies, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. In an essay type entry usually more information is found. A few entries may be checked to see if information has been provided on all the items uniformly in all the entries.
Indexes – Biographical sources that are arranged alphabetically do not usually provide any index. If it is arranged otherwise, usually biographee index is provided. At times, geographical index and/or, chronological index are also provided.
Special features – Some biographical dictionaries provide a photograph or a portrait or a sketch of the biographee along with her/his biographical details. Apart from this, some biographical sources provide list of abbreviations, who’s who of the royal family of the country wherefrom the publication originates, necrology, etc. All these add value to the biographical source.
Format – Format as discussed under Section 4.2 is also applicable here
Documentary Sources
Limitations – All biographical sources have some limitations. The coverage of none of these sources can be considered to be comprehensive. One has to select biographees on the basis of some criteria, whereby, many others are left out. There is also bias in selection. An international who’s who produced from UK will obviously try to cover more celebrities from UK. There is no single source wherefrom biographical details of all the celebrities of the world can be obtained. To a certain extent the World Wide Web is fulfilling this need.
Updation – There are some biographical sources which are appearing annually, they are being updated regularly. Other biographical sources are updated after long intervals. As a result, information contained in them is often outdated.
Conclusion – It has already been said that no biographical source is comprehensive enough. Hence, by purchasing a single biographical source all the users’ need might not be fulfilled. That is why big libraries procure a large number of biographical sources. For locating a biography, if one source fails, others may be of help. If there is considerable demand for biographical information in a library, it is advisable to go for more than one source.
Self Check Exercise Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below. ii) Check your answers with the answers given at the end of this Unit. 3) Describes the items of information usually found in an entry of an indexing periodical. .......................................................................................
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- Describe the method of compilation of a current and a retrospective biography. .......................................................................................
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Criteria OF Evaluation
Course: Foundation of Library Science (C101)
University: Sikkim University
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