Subject Catalogs

Included here are selected services that provide extensive resource directories organized by subject. Users can browse the subject hierarchy for a single link to a resource which fits a specific need, or gather multiple links on a particular topic. The resources are collected and placed in the hierarchy by people, as opposed to electronic robots as in the Searchable Indexes section of the Toolkit. In most cases the Subject Directories are also searchable, but the major benefit of each tool in this section is the ability to review multiple resource titles related to specific topics.

Note: At this time we are not aware of a good example of an online Library of Congress classification system for Internet resources. As with all sections of the Scout Toolkit, we welcome suggestions.

Yahoo
Provider: Yahoo, Inc.
Browsable index: Yes
Search capabilities: Yes
Item submission method: Submission, also uses a robot that looks for new announcements
Editorial function: No
Annotated: Yes, by the submitter
FAQ: Yes, for both the product and the search engine, on the home page under "Info."

Originally written by 2 graduate students at Stanford, Yahoo is now provided by Yahoo, Inc. The service consists of a subject catalog divided into 14 top level categories and hundreds of sub-categories. Yahoo alerts users to how many links are under each category and if any new ones have been added recently. Short annotations are provided. Yahoo is very large and well known, and is the first place many people go for a subject catalog. A tip for using Yahoo: Because there are hundreds of categories, finding a specific topic may present a problem if you don't know where your topic has been filed. For example, "Agricultural Economics" can be located under "Science:Agriculture," "Social Science:Economics," and "Regional." Therefore it may prove useful to first do a cursory search to find where your subject is, and then go to the category and browse it.

Galaxy
Provider: Trade Wave Corporation
Browsable index: Yes
Search capabilities: Yes, appears to be a WAIS engine
Item submission method: Human
Editorial function: Unknown
Annotated: Small percentage of sites
FAQ: Yes, for both the product and the searching system (on the home page under "Help")

Galaxy is provided by Trade Wave Corporation, formerly known as EINet. The hierarchical subject directory is built with submissions and human updates. The search engine supports Boolean searching as well as allowing for searching by network tool, such as gopher, telnet, and World Wide Web. A detailed subject breakout under eleven major categories is visible on the main page. Sites are not annotated, but the volume of subjects and sites is useful.

LookSmart
Provider: Reader's Digest
Browsable index: Yes
Search capabilities: Yes
Item submission method: Human
Editorial function: Yes
Annotated: Yes
FAQ: Yes, for both the product, on the home page under "About Us." Yes, for the searching system, on the home page under "Help."

LookSmart contains at present over 110,000 sites arranged in ten major subject categories, with numerous subcategories.The main advantage to the site is a layout that allows the user to see subcategories for each category while the main categories are still on the screen, which aids navigation. All web sites contain short annotations. The site also contains a "favorites" section, which users can personalize. Note that while Java or Javascript capable browsers enhance functionality, they are not necessary to the functioning of the site.

The Internet Services List by Scott Yanoff
Provider: Scott Yanoff
Browsable index: Yes
Search capabilities: No
Item submission method: Human
Editorial function: Yes
Annotated: Yes
FAQ: No

Scott Yanoff has been compiling his list of useful Internet connections for years, and still keeps it current. While not as large as some of the others, it is selective and easy to use. Yanoff's list also includes resources available via network tools other than the Web, such as gopher, telnet, and FTP, complete with login and password instructions. Mailing lists and listservs are also provided for some topics.

CyberDewey
Provider: David Mundie
Browsable index: Yes
Search capabilities: No
Item submission method: Unknown
Editorial function: Yes
Annotated: No
FAQ: Yes ,for the product on the home page.

CyberDewey is an example of an Internet resource catalog organized according to the Dewey Decimal Classification. The Dewey system has been in continuous use for 120 years, is used in more than 135 countries, and has been translated into over 30 languages. The system breaks all knowledge into ten major numerical schedules in order to arrange knowledge by topic. Each of the major categories is divided into ten subcategories, resulting in 100 divisions. Each of these sub-categories can be further delineated by adding a decimal point and additional numbers as described in the multi-volume Dewey manual. The result is a hierarchical classification scheme with like items placed in proximity to one another. CyberDewey, while not comprehensive, is an excellent example of the use of this classification scheme to build an Internet subject-oriented resource list. It includes the 10 major categories, the 100 divisions, and an alphabetical index that correlates subjects with their classification numbers.

Bulletin Board For Library Systems
Provider: Bulletin Board for Library Systems--U.K.
Browsable index: Yes
Search capabilities: No
Item submission method: Unknown
Editorial function: Yes
Annotated: Yes
FAQ: A good, brief explanation of UDC is provided by The British Standards Institution.

The British Bulletin Board for Library Systems (BUBL) provides an excellent education and research-oriented Internet subject guide using the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) system. UDC is an international, numerical classification system that has been in use for over 90 years. It is similar to the Dewey Decimal System in that it organizes all branches of knowledge into ten major numerical schedules. Each major schedule can be further subdivided to provide a hierarchical classification scheme, with like objects in close proximity to one another. The UDC system uses several auxiliary signs, such as "+", "/", and "=", that provide further indication of the relationship between two subjects, or the relationship of subject to language in the description of a single item. While these capabilities make UDC an extremely powerful classification system, they can also add to its complexity. The BUBL catalog, however, is relatively simple and straightforward. An alphabetical classification is also offered at the bottom of the UDC page.

OCLC InterCAT
Provider: OCLC (Online Computer Library Center)
Browsable index: Yes, but only after a specified search term is entered
Search capabilities: Yes
Item submission method: Human, by library catalogers
Editorial function: Yes
Annotated: Yes
FAQ: Yes,for the product (on the home page under "InterCAT Home Page".) No, for the searching system.

OCLC's InterCAT is a volunteer effort on the part of librarians all over the world to catalog Internet resources using MARC (machine readable cataloging) records. As such, it is as much an experiment in cataloging as it is in providing Internet resources, and since it is not easy to use, may be of interest primarily to librarians. Records are searchable by title words or phrases, author, subject words or phrases, and type of electronic access method. A "basic" search will scan entire records for keywords. After you have entered a search term, an inverted index of keywords can be used to browse the catalog.

Records contain descriptive information, access methods, computer system details of the resource and, in most cases, hypertext links. Because of the nature of the cataloging effort, InterCAT resources are eclectic, and tend to be high-level academic in nature. This project is funded partly by the U.S. Department of Education and ends March 31, 1996. However, the catalog will remain publicly available after that date. Note that you must click on "Logon" to use the catalog, but there is no need to enter a logon name or password.