The Meta-lexicon of Activities Involved in Analyzing the Textual Object - Audiovisual Archives - page 256

The root conceptual term [Procedure of profiling of the textual object]
(Figure 14.9), encompasses the activities which enable the analyst to play the role of
cultural mediator between the specific identity of a given audiovisual text and the
identity of its audience, their framework of cultural references, their expectations
and, finally, their cognitive skills. In concrete terms, these activities are carried out
in the form of commentaries, explanations, usage instructions and aids, location of
bibliographical or webographical references, etc.
The final group of activities represented by the root conceptual term [Drafting of
a textual annotation] comprises a small set of very general activities whose aim, as
the conceptual term suggests, is to enable the analyst to produce textual notices
which explain his work of analysis.
Here we find the case of the famous meta-description , presented in greater detail
elsewhere [CHE 11a]. The meta-description is not a description of the audiovisual
object but rather an explanation, provided by the analyst, of the content and
objectives of his own work of analysis or assessment. Indeed, as developed in
[CHE 11a], there are clearly a great many types of analysis: from the simplest, most
rudimentary description to a “true” expert assessment of an audiovisual text, through
documentalist- and librarian-type descriptions. Of course, it is up to the analyst to
outline his own analytical task and to provide the elements enabling the specificity
of his work to be appreciated. The small group of activities included under the
conceptual term [Drafting of a textual annotation] offer the analyst the possibility of
carrying out such an explanatory task.
14.7.Activityofanalysisandschemasofindexation
Every activity of analysis (or description) is defined by one or more so-called
schemas of indexing *. A schema of indexing is made up of one or more fields for
informationinput .
Figure 14.10 shows the relatively complex organization which underlies every
analytical activity. It also illustrates the partial similarity and the difference between
a conceptual term representing an object of analysis* (i.e. which belongs to the
conceptual vocabulary [Object of analysis]) and a conceptual term representing an
activity of analysis (i.e. which belongs to the conceptual vocabulary [Procedure of
analysis]).
Thus, as stated above, all analytical activities are defined by one or more
schemas of indexation. This fact is exemplified in Figure 14.11, which shows the
analytical activity entitled [Minimal designation of the thematized object - standard
form]. This activity is made up of threeschemasofindexing :