AN EXPERIMENT IN THE DESIGN OF A NON-MANIPULATIVE CORRELATIVE INDEX

An indexing experiment is reported utilizing non-manipulative correlative techniques. Non-manipulative correlative indexes are defined as indexes in which the presence of a correlation between 2 or more subjects within a document or a page of a document is indicated by a single entry. This pre-correlation technique is advanced as a means of diminishing the false drops and blank sorts which are common dangers in manipulative systems utilizing post-correlative techniques. Non-manipulative correlative indexes are also shown to permit a high level of search flexibility by permitting the searcher to see at a glance all the aspects of each subject treated. In addition to their usefulness as manual searching tools, non-manipulative correlative indexes are shown to be useful in diminishing the number of manipulations performed by manipulative search systems.