Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
entry form associated with it containing only the following three fields:
[Minimal expression], [(Phrasal) addition of an explanation], of a “descriptive
detail” and [Alias expression].
The systematic use of this version of free description with its associated, highly
simplified data entry form does, of course, facilitate a substantial time gain when
indexing an audiovisual corpus. However, the trade-off is a loss in the exactness of
the description. The ASW system of metalinguistic resources allows the analyst to
choose between different strategies, different policies of description and indexation
- but this also means the analyst must assume responsibility for, and deal with the
consequences of, this choice.
9.4.Thedescriptiveactivity[Contextualizeddesignation]
The second activity of the procedure of free description shown in Figure 9.1 is
called [Contextualized designation]. As the name suggests, here the analyst is
invited to supplement the minimal information if he deems it useful.
By way of this activity, the analyst can, in particular, ensure that the addressee -
the audience - of his work succeeds in evaluating whether or not the audiovisual
passage indexed is relevant for his purposes, without necessarily having to view it.
The standard form which the analyst can use to carry out this activity is very
similar in structure to that which he uses to carry out the activity of
[Minimal designation]. One noteworthy difference is the distinction between the
entry [Minimal expression] (Figure 9.3) and the entry [Contextualized minimal
expression] which replaces the former in the standard form attached to the activity
[Contextualized minimal designation] (Figure 9.5).
“Proper use” of the two forms depends on the skills and experience of the
analyst. It is necessarily up to the analyst (in view of the context and objectives of
his analysis) to define the minimal level of relevance corresponding to the input of
an appropriate minimal expression and contextualized minimal expression!
If he so desires, the analyst can supplement his contextualization of the minimal
expression, on the one hand, with a linguistic categorization of the contextualized
expression and, on the other, with the addition of one or more variants of the
reference contextualized expression (see Figure 9.5).
