Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why aren't all the terms I need in the Ethnographic Thesaurus? For example, how do I catalog my collection of musical instruments from Bulgaria, when I don''t see the names of these instruments in the thesaurus?
Answer:
Because ethnographic studies can focus on any culture, any geographic area, or any aspect of human activity, it was impractical for the Ethnographic Thesaurus in its current version all terms that the field covers, especially local terms. The Ethnographic Thesaurus will grow and change over time to reflect new approaches, theories, and research.
If you do not find the term that you need, look for a more general term. For example, you may not find the culture-specific term for a musical instrument from Greece - such as a box with strings stretched across it. Its structure, however, places it in the family of ZITHERS, and perhaps more specifically, BOARD ZITHERS, which both are included as terms in the Ethnographic Thesaurus. Your submission of terms covering specific topics or subject areas is very important: the breadth and utility of the Ethnographic Thesaurus will be increased over time by such additions. In many cases, the thesaurus lists only a portion of possible terms, as a model for where other, similar terms might be placed in its hierarchy.
2. How do I use Ethnographic Thesaurus terms to create a set of terms that have a more precise meaning?
Answer:
Existing Ethnographic Thesaurus terms can be combined to create more precise meanings. For example, the term POPULAR MUSIC CONTESTS is not in the thesaurus, but both the terms CONTESTS and POPULAR MUSIC can be combined to cover this concept.
3. Where do I find names of countries and culture groups?
Answer:
The Ethnographic Thesaurus does not, in general, contain proper names of places, people, holidays, businesses, etc. Users can combine general thesaurus terms, such as COUNTRIES or ETHNIC GROUPS, with proper names found in other established reference sources (consult the General/General resources portion of the RESOURCES section of the site).
4. What is the process for contributing new terms to the Ethnographic Thesaurus, and for commenting on existing terms?
Answer:
The Ethnographic Thesaurus welcomes submissions of new terms and comments on existing terms, their hierarchy, scope, or relationship to other terms. To submit a candidate term for consideration or for comments, please use the Ethnographic Thesaurus Suggestion Box. Please include the following information in the suggestion box:
- the standard spelling for the term
- variant forms of the term, if available
- a brief definition of the term
- a source that uses the term, whether book, article, abstract, or web site
- a suggestion for where the term should be placed in the thesaurus hierarchy
- your email address, in case we want to contact you for more information
The Ethnographic Thesaurus editorial team will consider the new term for addition to the thesaurus, as well as possible changes to existing terms, scope notes, references, etc.
5. Who can use the Ethnographic Thesaurus and how much does it cost?
Answer:
The Ethnographic Thesaurus is available free of charge on the American Folklore Society website. When significant portions of the Ethnographic Thesaurus are reproduced in full or altered for use in publications, websites, or otherwise distributed, the American Folklore Society requests the courtesy of a formal citation, which reads as follows: American Folklore Society. Ethnographic Thesaurus Online. http://et.afsnet.org.
6. How can the Ethnographic Thesaurus be used?
Answer:
The terms of the Ethnographic Thesaurus are useful as keywords for indexing and searching for documents. Use thesaurus terms when writing abstracts, book reviews and summaries, as well as for the cataloging of artifacts, documents, recordings, photographs, and other materials. The thesaurus can facilitate the retrieval of networked information to enhance user access to online resources. It can also provide descriptive terms for field research and help to establish a standardized vocabulary for communication within ethnographic disciplines. In addition, the thesaurus can be used as an aid in establishing content standards for digital projects featuring sound and visual ethnographic materials and accompanying metadata.
7. What are the sources for the Ethnographic Thesaurus vocabulary terms?
Answer:
Many of the sources used in the creation of the thesaurus are listed in the resources section found on this site. In a number of cases, however, the source for terms lies in the knowledge and experience of the subject specialists who constructed the Ethnographic Thesaurus. For this reason, exact sources are not listed for each term.
8. Is the Ethnographic Thesaurus objective and bias-free?
Answer:
No, the thesaurus reflects a twentieth-and twenty-first century North American bias. If it had been constructed fifty years ago, or in a non-western culture, it would undoubtedly look different. The Ethnographic Thesaurus is, in many places, more detailed in its coverage of North American and European traditions than it is of other parts of the world; see, for example, DANCE GENRES. Many aspects of the Ethnographic Thesaurus hierarchy and relationships between terms also show this bias.
Please use the Ethnographic Thesaurus Suggestion Box to propose alternative terms to reduce bias or to expand the coverage of the thesaurus.
