郭妮娜

本研究採用質性研究取向，邀請十二位來自北部學術圖書館之資深編目館員為研究對象，結合大聲思考法與觀察法，請受訪者實地進行兩本中文圖書的主題編目，並於編目完成後透過半結構式深度訪談法，深入探究受訪者進行主題編目之實際歷程。

研究結果顯示：受訪者所進行的中文圖書主題編目歷程共包含五個階段，即：一、辨識作品主題；二、確認作者意圖；三、考量使用者需求；四、連結既有館藏；五、確認類號與標題。這些階段並非以線性方式依序呈現，而是具有彈性，視其需要交錯甚至反覆地出現在整個歷程中。此外，受訪者的主題編目歷程並不完全相同，每個階段中都可能綜合運用不同方法與資源來達成主題編目任務。書目特徵是受訪者分析圖書主題的主要依據，其中以題名、序言、目次及摘要最常被使用，其他如CIP、章節標題、插圖、作者簡介、出版者資訊、參考書目等，亦可作為主題判斷的輔助。書目特徵以外的方法與資源，包括查詢編目規範工具、館藏目錄、其他圖書館目錄、網路資源，以及請教同事或專家學者。影響受訪者進行主題編目的因素，主要包括讀者、作者、編目館員個人，以及編目社群等考量。兼顧編目質與量的壓力，亦影響主題編目歷程。

This study employed a qualitative approach. The participants comprised of twelve senior catalogers coming from four academic libraries in the Taipei area. All participants were asked to actually catalog two Chinese books. They were required to think aloud when performing the task. The researcher also used unobtrusive observation to gather data. After the cataloging task was done, a follow-up interview was conducted with every participant.
The results show that the process of subject cataloging can be roughly divided into five stages: 1, the identification of the topic of the book; 2, the confirmation of the author’s intention; 3, the consideration of users’ needs; 4, the linkage with the existing collections; and 5, the determination and assignment of classification number and subject headings. These stages are not in a linear fashion; they are not employed in sequence. During the subject cataloging process, each cataloger would go back and forth depending on his/her needs. Besides, each participant may demonstrate his/her own working style and sequence. Even for the same cataloger, he/she may employ different approach to handle different books. During the process, they will use various methods and resources to accomplish the subject cataloging tasks.

The bibliographic features of a book are the basic clues used by catalogers for analyzing its contents and subjects matters. Among the bibliographic features, title, introductory preface (or foreword), table of contents and abstracts are the most commonly used ones. In some occasions, CIP, chapter titles, illustrations, authors, publisher information, section headings, and references may also be consulted. In addition to the bibliographic features found in the book, the following methods or resources are also employed by participants to help them determine the classification number and subject headings: checking with cataloging standards, searching the catalogs of local and other libraries, searching Internet resources, and consulting colleagues, experts and scholars. The factors that influence the subject determination include the catalog users, authors, the catalogers themselves, and their professional community. The requirement of quality and quantity of cataloging output also affects the subject cataloging process of the participants.