Thesaurus Background

Objectives

The Human Emotion Thesaurus (HET) is a set of terms related to human emotion that is being compiled to serve as the controlled-vocabulary indexing language for a database on human emotion. Once the Human Emotion Database (HED) is complete, this thesaurus will serve as an indexing and retrieval tool for ease of access to information contained in the database. At this time, however, the HET is being made available online as a comprehensive reference source on basic terminology related to human emotion.

Users

The Human Emotion Thesaurus is currently a comprehensive stand-alone information source on human emotion. As an online resource, the current user scope of the HET includes mental and other health professionals, students and the general public. The Human Emotion Thesaurus is also currently used by researchers and participants involved in the Human Emotion Project as an indexing and retrieval tool for access to the Human Emotion Database. Once this database is made available more widely, the thesaurus will serve a diverse group of users both as an information source and an access tool.

Relationships – An Explanation of Terms Used in the Thesaurus

• Scope Notes (SN)

A scope note may define a term or note concepts inherent within the term. A scope note may also be useful to help a user differentiate between terms.

• “Use” (USE)

Redirects a user from non-preferred to the preferred term, which was selected to represent the concept in indexing. The reciprocal is UF.

Example:

envy

USE:

jealousy

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• “Use for” (UF)

Identifies non-preferred (entry vocabulary) terms, that weren't selected to represent the concept in indexing. The reciprocal is USE.

Example:

jealousy

UF:

envy

• Broader term (BT)

Indicates the more general class to which a term belongs. The broader term is one level up in the hierarchy. The reciprocal is NT.

Example:

rage

BT:

anger

• Narrower term (NT)

Indicates the more specific class to which a term belongs. The narrower term is one level down in the hierarchy. The reciprocal is BT.

Example:

anger

NT:

rage

• Related term (RT)

Indicates a term that is related to the entry term conceptually and/or associatively. In some cases, terms are related to those in separate hierarchies, and in other cases, terms are found in the same hierarchical grouping. The reciprocal is also RT.

Example:

guilt

RT:

shame

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Thesaurus Displays

The indexers involved in the creation of the HET have chosen to offer the following five options for viewing and using the thesaurus:

1. Alphabetical display :

Terms (both preferred and non-preferred) are listed alphabetically and relationships between terms are established. Entries have some or all of the following cross elements: scope notes (SN); “use” (USE); “use for” (UF); broader term (BT); narrower term (NT); and, related terms (RT).

[The HET includes the complete alphabetical display]

2. Hierarchical display :

Terms are presented alphabetically, but entries at all levels of the hierarchy are shown. This display provides a more detailed overview of terms.

[The HET includes only a sample of the hierarchical display].

3. Top Term display :

Entries are displayed hierarchically, but a “tree structure” is used to convey relationships between terms. This display shows the broadest entry or top term alphabetically, followed by associated narrower terms. Non-preferred terms are not included. This display provides a more general overview of terms.

[The HET includes the complete top term display].

4. Rotated Display :

This display gives access to all words in the thesaurus, arranging terms alphabetically. A term that uses more than two words will list those terms separately in this display.

[The HET includes only a sample of the rotated display].

5. Graphical Display :

This display uses graphics to illustrate relationships among terms in the thesaurus.

[The HET includes only a sample of the graphical display].

Future Direction

Although there is a full alphabetical display in the Human Emotion Thesaurus, the remaining four display types include samples only. There are plans to expand these as the Human Emotion Project progresses and the Human Emotion Database is made available more widely.

The HET itself will also continue to be updated and enhanced on a monthly basis as the Human Emotion Project progresses.

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