Sponsoring Agencies

Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director
Diane W. Miller, M.P.A., Chief,
Scientific Communications Branch
Alcohol Research Collection, Analysis,
and Dissemination Project

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

Elaine M. Johnson, Ph.D., Director
Nelia C. Nadal, M.P.H.,
Division of Publication Education
and Dissemination
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Project Officer, NCADI

CSR, Incorporated
1400 Eye St., N.W., Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005

Dianne M. Welsh, Director
Contract NO1-AA-10001

 SHS, Ltd.
11426-28 Rockville Pike
Rockville, MD 20852

Roe Wilson, Deputy Director
Contract 277-90-4010

Dagobert Soergel, Ph.D.,
Thesaurus Expert

Kathleen A.K. Mullen, M.L.I.S.,
Thesaurus Manager

Colleen Auth,
Lexicographer

Order from NCADI,
P.O. Box 2345,
Rockville, MD 208-2345,
1-800-729-6686

Preface

Acknowledgments

We would like especially to thank the many scientists, technical experts, researchers, and subject specialists who contributed their time and knowledge to the development of this Thesaurus.

We also would like to thank the following institutions for their participation in the testing phase of the Thesaurus: ALKO, Ltd., Helsinki, Finland; Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; British Columbia Prevention Resource Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Alcohol Research Group, Berkeley, California; Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., Washington, D.C.; Drug Information Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Marin Institute, San Rafael, California; Research Institute on Addictions, Buffalo, New York; Rutgers University Center on Alcohol Studies, Piscataway, New Jersey; and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Grand Junction, Colorado.

Thesaurus Advisory Committee

Dagobert Soergel, Ph.D., Chair
Professor, College of Library
and Information Services
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-4345

Leigh Hallingby, M.L.S.
Librarian, The Lindesmith Center
888 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10106

Samantha Helfert, M.L.I.S
Librarian, National Center
for the Advancement of
Prevention
11140 Rockville Pike, Suite 600
Rockville, MD 20852

Diane W. Miller, M.P.A.
Chief, Scientific Communications Branch
Office of Scientific Affairs
NIAAA
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 409
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003

Andrea Mitchell, M.L.S.
Director/Librarian, Alcohol
Research Group Library
2000 Hearst Avenue, 3rd Floor
Berkeley, CA 94709

Nelia C. Nadal, M.P.H.
Division of Publication Education
and Dissemination
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
Project Officer, NCADI
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

Penny Page, M.L.S.
Library Director, Rutgers Univ.
Center on Alcohol Studies
Smithers Hall, Busch Campus
Piscataway, NJ 08854

Virginia Rolett, M.L.S.
ISU, Inc.
4 Balch Hill Lane
Hanover, NH 03755

Alicia Spinak
CICAD-IADI
1889 F Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006

Nancy Sutherland, M.L.S.
Library Director
Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute Library
3937 15th Avenue, N.E., NL-15
Seattle, WA 98105

Gail Weinberg, M.L.S.
Librarian, Drug Information Services
University of Minnesota Hospital
420 Delaware Street, S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

James C. Beck, M.D., Ph.D.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Cambridge Division
District Court, Department of the Trial Court
Court Clinic
Cambridge, MA 02141

William DeJong
Lecturer, Harvard School of Public Health
29 Rice Spring Lane
Wayland, MA 02141

Richard A. Dietrich, M.D.
Department of Pharmacology
Health Science Center, University of Colorado
Denver, CO 80262

Robert Huebner, Ph.D.
Health Services Research Program
NIAAA
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 505
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003

Michael Lewis, Ph.D.
Professor, Psychology Department
Temple University
Weiss Hall 657
13th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 91922

Raye Z. Litten Ph.D.
Treatment Research Branch
NIAAA
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 505
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003

Cesar Romero-Sierra, M.D.
Neuroanatomy Section
Department of Anatomy
Queen's University
Kingston, Canada K7L 3N6

Marcus A. Rothschild, M.D.
Nuclear Medicine Service
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
New York, NY 10010

Alvera Stern, Ed.D.
409 Shelburne Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188

Elva Yaez, M.S.L.S.
California Latino Coalition
on Alcohol and Other Drugs
521 Talbot Avenue
Albany, CA 94706-2303

History and Purpose of the Alcohol and Other Drug Thesaurus

The AOD Thesaurus provides a conceptual map of the multidisciplinary field of AOD research and practice, as well as standard terminology, which, over time, will result in consistent indexing and major improvements in searching and retrieval across many databases. The Thesaurus is already used in indexing and searching both ETOH (reindexed all the way back) and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) databases. The sponsoring organizations and the Advisory Committee hope that other databases will join as well to promote consistency and ease of use. The Thesaurus is also used by many searchers worldwide to identify useful search terms for any database.

Thesaurus Development and Maintenance

The multitude of terms collected from these sources were organized into hierarchies, which brought to the fore many synonyms and near-synonyms. A conceptual analysis process known as semantic factoring further clarified the structure and led to a smaller vocabulary consisting of conceptual building blocks. The resulting structure was thoroughly field-tested through a query formulation and indexing test. Analyzing the results from multiple indexers for important terms missed, different indexers using different terms to express the same idea, terms assigned erroneously, and terms needed but missing from the Thesaurus, the developers identified areas requiring clarification, redundancies between areas, missing cross-references, the need for more or better scope notes, and areas where detail could be reduced. Further refinements were made in this second edition based on indexing and searching experience: Descriptors were added, overly specific descriptors were pruned, the structure was improved, and many scope notes and relationships were added.

The sponsoring organizations are committed to the maintenance of the AOD Thesaurus as an ongoing process driven by user feedback. Users are invited and strongly encouraged to comment on any aspect of the Thesaurus using the enclosed comment form or by e-mail to kmullen@prevline.health.org.

Function and Structure of the Thesaurus

The Thesaurus provides guidance to the indexers for request-oriented (or user-centered) indexing. The Thesaurus organizes concepts collected from search requests into an easily grasped hierarchical structure that serves as a framework or checklist in analyzing documents. The logical structure of the Thesaurus communicates user interests to the indexer. The Thesaurus' controlled vocabulary expresses each concept unambiguously through one term, called a descriptor, that is used in indexing and can thus be used with confidence in searching. The Thesaurus leads from a synonym to the descriptor: early intervention leads to JC6.2.4 secondary prevention; chemical abuse, drug abuse, and substance abuse all lead to GC2 AOD abuse; nerve cell and neurocyte both lead to XX2.2 neuron.

The Thesaurus is also very useful for free-text searching (searching based on words in the title or abstract). An exhaustive free-text search must include all terms that might be used to express the searched-for concept. This requires query term expansion: In synonym expansion, expand the query term XX2.2 neuron by adding the synonyms nerve cell and neurocyte; in hierarchic expansion, add narrower terms, such as XX2.2.2.4 dendrite and XX2.2.2.6 axon (with its synonyms, such as nerve fiber and neurite).

"Until further notice, everything is drug-related." This note on a drug counselor's door epitomizes the universal scope of the AOD Thesaurus. The Thesaurus must exercise great conceptual economy if it is to allow for the expression of most concepts and themes while keeping the size manageable. The secret is concept combination; the Thesaurus contains largely elemental concepts from which compound concepts can be formed. For example, alcohol craving is AE6 AOD craving combined with BB2 ethanol; nicotine craving uses BD2 nicotine, etc. Thus any of the many concepts under A AOD use, abuse, and dependence can be combined with any of the substances under B AOD substance or product, obviating the need for enumerating each individual combination. For another example, hepatoma is GG20.26.4.4 carcinoma and GQ10 liver disorder.

The concepts are arranged in a logical hierarchy to orient the user, to help the indexer select the descriptor at the most appropriate level of specificity, and to enable hierarchic query term expansion. An individual hierarchy is often structured into facets, each dealing with a separate aspect. For example, under XX2.2 neuron are the two facets XX2.2.2 neuron structure (which includes the different parts of a neuron) and XX2.2.4 neuron type (including afferent neuron, efferent neuron, motor neuron, etc.). Under JB prevention are the facets JC prevention goals, JF prevention sponsor or setting (such as JF8 community-based prevention and JF10 institution-based prevention, which is further subdivided by type of institution), and JG prevention approach (such as JG12.4 prevention through information dissemination, JG12.8.4 skills building, and JG20.4 prevention through supply reduction). A descriptor (e.g., GQ10.2 alcoholic liver disorder) has as many broader descriptors as are needed to reflect reality (e.g., GQ10 liver disorder and GD4 alcohol related disorder). These polyhierarchical relationships are shown through a rich network of cross-references.

The construction of a hierarchy often profits from new concepts that improve organization and may be useful for searching. For example, JG12.8 prevention through personal development groups affective and interpersonal education, skills building, moral development, and values clarification. HZ4 analytic psychotherapy groups together all psychotherapeutic methods that are based on some form of analysis (as opposed to behavior modification through some form of conditioning).

Terminology Used in the AOD Thesaurus

The AOD Thesaurus uses the widely accepted abbreviation AOD for Alcohol and/or Other Drugs. In most descriptors, AOD is used in place of drug or substance; thus, drug dependence becomes AOD dependence, and substance abuse becomes AOD abuse. However, when only other drugs are referred to or when usage dictates, the term drug remains, as in designer drug or drug cartel.

In order to keep descriptors to a manageable length, further abbreviations were introduced as follows:

AOD Alcohol or Other Drugs AODU AOD Use, abuse, and dependence AODD AOD use Disorder AODR AOD Related AODC Causes of AOD use, abuse, and dependence AODE Effects of AOD use, abuse, and dependence These abbreviations appear at the bottom of each page in the Thesaurus listings.

Use of the Term Drug

In the study of addiction, the terms AOD, drug, and substance are often used interchangeably. As noted above, the Thesaurus uses AOD except where the reference is only to other drugs. It was not practical to provide all possible variations of multiword terms; thus, the Thesaurus includes hazardous AOD use but does not include the synonym hazardous drug use. When an alphabetical index search under drug does not find the looked-for term, try under AOD. The access word substance has only a limited number of entries.

Street terms and slang. Due to profusion, overlap (e.g., dope can refer to marijuana or heroin), and the rapid disappearance of old terms and the creation of new ones, the AOD Thesaurus provides few street terms or slang terms with respect to alcohol and other drugs and their use. (For a good reference see Street Terms: Drugs and the Drug Trade. Office for National Drug Control (ONDCP), Drugs and Crime Clearinghouse. February 1995. 1-800-666-3332, askncjrs@ncjrs.aspensys.com)

Singular versus plural. As a rule, singular is preferred. Exceptions are class descriptors in W Living organisms and Y/Z Chemical substances, where classes are traditionally designated by a plural term (e.g., protists, aldehydes). Other exceptions are expressions that are commonly used in the plural, such as fetal alcohol effects, or that otherwise make more sense or sound more natural in the plural.

Use of hyphens. Hyphens are usually omitted�even where required by normal usage�in order to avoid complications when entering search terms.

The AOD Thesaurus is arranged like a book in three parts: successively detailed tables of contents� the Broad and Detailed Outlines and the Quick Hierarchy following the introduction (Volume 1); a systematically arranged main body of information�the Annotated Hierarchy (Volume 2); and the Alphabetical Index (Volume 3). In addition, the Annotated Alphabetical List (Volume 4) is provided. The facing page shows the relationship between the parts of the Thesaurus and the information provided in each. The figure at the bottom of this page shows an excerpt from the Annotated Alphabetical List. More detailed explanations and sample pages follow.

Navigation in the Thesaurus to find descriptors for indexing and searching can start with a general idea of a subject area or with a specific term. To go from a general idea to a specific concept, the user might follow the systematic stepwise refinement strategy discussed above, or he or she might just scan the tabs in the Annotated Hierarchy and delve directly into it; familiarity with the hierarchy comes with experience. In the Annotated Hierarchy, read the scope note and the cross-references, which may lead to additional or more suitable descriptors. If you have a specific term in mind, you can look it up in the Alphabetical Index and follow the term number given there into the Annotated Hierarchy to see the hierarchical context and the full body of information. Alternatively, you can consult the Annotated Alphabetical List; however, keep in mind two things: The Annotated Alphabetical List does not provide the hierarchical context; you cannot quickly see the scope note for a broader or near-by descriptor. Also, the Annotated Alphabetical List shows a term in only one place, whereas the Alphabetical Index shows a term under each of its constituent words. For example, secondary prevention will appear only under secondary in the Annotated Alphabetical List, whereas in the Alphabetical Index, it will appear under secondary and prevention.

Volume 2: Annotated Hierarchy

The Annotated Hierarchy shows all descriptors in a logical arrangement and provides a considerable amount of information for many of them (for examples, see the facing page and the two following pages). Each descriptor has a term number that identifies its home location in the hierarchy; these numbers allow the user to quickly locate a descriptor in the hierarchy. When a descriptor has two or more broader descriptors (such as GQ10.2 alcoholic liver disorder with the broader descriptors GQ10 liver disorder and GE6 alcohol related disorder), one is selected as the home location. The home location determines the descriptor's term number; in the example, alcoholic liver disorder is listed under GQ10 with the term number GQ10.2. Under the other broader descriptor, GE6, is a narrower term cross-reference to GQ10.2. Thus, a descriptor is never assigned more than one term number (unlike MESH, which assigns multiple term numbers to the same descriptor, one number for each descriptor placement in the hierarchy). Only a subset of descriptors is used in the ETOH database; ETOH descriptors are identified through a subscript "e" after the term number: GQ10.2e.

Term numbers are printed to the left. Descriptors are printed to the right, with the hierarchical level expressed through typography and arrangement as follows:

Level 0 and level 1:

left edge of the descriptor column, large bold


Level 2:

left edge of the descriptor column, regular size bold

Level 3 through 13:

indented, level shown by dots. Level 3 one dot, level 4 two dots, etc.

In cases where the hierarchy is very deep, these typographical rules were adjusted for readability. The hierarchical level can always be seen from the Detailed Outline in Volume 1 or at the beginning of each major section in Volume 2.

To preserve the continuity of the hierarchy, left pages repeat, in italics, the hierarchical chain (starting from level 2) leading to the first descriptor on the page. (The running heads show levels 0 and 1.)

Scope notes (SN) give definitions and explanations of descriptor usage or of the hierarchical structure. Synonymous terms (ST, including quasi-synonyms) further clarify the scope of the descriptor. Broader term (BT) cross-references indicate other places in the hierarchy where the descriptor would logically fit; conversely, narrower term (NT) cross-references indicate additional narrower descriptors that have their home location elsewhere. (To conserve space, cross-references are shown only one level up or down, respectively.) Related term (RT) cross- references point to descriptors that are similar in meaning or that might be useful for combinations. In a cross-reference, a + before the term number means that the descriptor referred to has narrower descriptors that should be considered.

• To aid orientation, the first and last access words on the page are shown in the upper left and right corners, respectively.

• Access words are printed in boldface; they are given in the singular.

• Under one access word, all terms containing that word (whether singular or plural) are arranged alphabetically.

• Descriptors are printed in regular type and followed by their term number, for example,

  drug evaluation +EE18e

• Terms not used as descriptors (lead-in terms) are printed in italics and followed by USE and the number(s) of the descriptor(s) to be used, for example,
  drug evaluation procedures USE +EE18.4 (which is drug evaluation process)

• A + before a term number indicates that the descriptor referred to has narrower terms. For example, +EE18e drug evaluation has the narrower terms +EE18.2 drug evaluation criteria and +EE18.4 drug evaluation process. (Reminder: a subscript "e" following the term number indicates that the descriptor is used in the ETOH database.)

• If an access word is itself a single-word descriptor, it has a term number following it; for example,
  evaluation +RF2.6e

  If the single-word descriptor is plural, this is indicated by -s, for example,

  ether -s ZF6e.

• If an access word is itself a single-word lead-in term, it is printed in bold (since it is an access word) italics (since it is a lead-in term) and followed by the number for the corresponding descriptor, for example,
  ailment USE GA2.8.8

  where GA2.8.8 is illness.

• Capitalization matters. For example, pet and PET are two different words. Following the practice of most dictionaries, when two words differ only in capitalization, the lowercase word comes first.

There are many italicized lead-in terms in the Alphabetical Index that will lead the user to a descriptor in the hierarchy where there will be no corresponding synonymous term (ST) under that descriptor. This indicates that the term was considered to be too specific for the Thesaurus at this time and leads to the appropriate broader term. For example, it was decided not to use proper names of tests, such as MAST or the CAGE questionnaire, as descriptors. However, these terms do appear in the Alphabetical Index and lead to their broader heading, in the example HB6.10.24 alcohol use test.

• To aid orientation, the first and last term on the page are shown in the upper left and right corners, respectively.

• Descriptor entries consist of the descriptor in bold followed by the term number and, if applicable, a scope note and cross-references. Since the Annotated Alphabetical List does not provide the hierarchical context, it must show all broader term and narrower term cross- references. (To save space, cross-references are shown only one level up or down, respectively.) A + in before a term number indicates that the descriptor has narrower descriptors that should be considered.

• Nondescriptor entries consist of the term followed by a USE instruction indicating the descriptor(s) to be used. The USE instruction also indicates whether the descriptor is broader than the nondescriptor or a synonym of the nondescriptor.

• A + before a term number indicates that the descriptor referred to has narrower terms. For example, from evaluation there is a narrower term cross-reference to +EE18e drug evaluation, which in turn has the narrower terms +EE18.2 drug evaluation criteria and +EE18.4 drug evaluation process. (Reminder: a subscript "e" following the term number indicates that the descriptor is used in the ETOH database.)

• Capitalization matters. For example, pet and PET are two different words. Following the practice of most dictionaries, when two words differ only in capitalization, the lowercase word comes first.

  Thesaurus Statistics

  Descriptors		10,315
  Lead-in terms 1		6,675
  Total terms		16,990
  Scope notes		2,351
  BT and NT cross-references
  ---explicitly listed	6,608
  ---implied by the hierarchy 2	20,040
  ---total BT and NT		26,648
  RT cross-references		8,460
  Total descriptor cross-references 3		35,108

  1 4,061 synonyms and 2,614 preferred terms for specific concepts not selected as descriptors.
  2 Cross-references implied in the Annotated Hierarchy, but explicitly listed in the Annotated Alphabetical List.
  3 Since cross references are reciprocal, there are 17,553 descriptor pairs linked through a cross reference.

  Descriptor counts by subject area

  A	AOD use, abuse, and dependence	146
  B	AOD substance or product	223
  C	Natural science	315
  E	Concepts in biomedical areas	621
  F	Concepts in psychology and thought	500
  G	Health and disease (physical or mental)9	101
  H	Screening and diagnostic method. Treatment method	405
  J	Prevention, intervention, and treatment. Health care	423
  L/M	Social sciences, economics, law, religion, and the arts	1644
  N	Communication, information, and education	387
  O	Technology. Safety and accidents. Sports	228
  P	Demography and epidemiology. History and geography	152
  R	Research methods and research organization	186
  S	Field, discipline, or occupation	199
  T	Demographic characteristics	436
  V	Place. Language. Religious denomination	549
  W	Living organisms	412
  X	Lists of named body parts	571
  Y	Chemical substances by function	757
  Z	Chemical substances by chemical structure)	1143

  Descriptor counts by level

  Level 0	26
  Level 1	174
  Level 2	874
  Level 3	2588
  Level 4	2937
  Level 5	2034
  Level 6	942
  Level 7	388
  Level 8	214
  Level 9-12	139

  Changes in the Second Edition

  This second edition was revised with the benefit of substantial indexing and searching experience. Descriptors were added to accommodate new concepts and headings in restructured hierarchies; descriptors were changed to update a term to a more accepted form or to more accurately reflect the descriptors specific meaning; descriptors for concepts that are very specific and/or can be expressed easily as a combination were deleted to control for size and increase the clarity of the hierarchies; the structure was improved; and many scope notes and relationships were added. A few examples of changes are: The descriptor J2.2 health services research was added with an extensive scope note. The areas EF route of administration and FL6 conditioning were restructured and the descriptors were carefully explained through scope notes. Physically handicapped was changed to the updated term TK4.4.4e physically disabled, regulation was changed to MN12.6 legal regulation to help differentiate it from EA6 biological regulation. Many disease concepts that combine a pathologic process with a body part (e.g., breast cancer) were deleted.

  Changes in descriptors are noted in the Thesaurus as follows:

  Type of Change	Explanation	Scope Note Designation
  New descriptor added in the second edition (List on p. 37)	New descriptors that have been designated as ETOH (subscript "e" after the term number) are naturally new to ETOH and do not have the message ETOH descriptor 1995.	New descriptor 1995.
  Newly designated ETOH descriptors (Shown in list on p. 37)	First-edition AOD Thesaurus descriptors that were NOT ETOH descriptors but have now been designated as ETOH descriptors.	ETOH descriptor 1995.
  Changed descriptors (List on p. 50)	Descriptors that have been changed for the reasons given above.	Through 1995 use (former term here).
  Changed ETOH descriptors	ETOH descriptors whose form has changed from the first to the second edition. For many of these descriptors, the file is being updated and no message appears.	ETOH descriptor 1995. Prior to this use (former term here).
  Descriptors no longer used in ETOH (Shown in list on p. 59)	For those few cases when a term was changed from being an ETOH descriptor in the first edition to a non-ETOH descriptor in the second edition.	No longer an ETOH descriptor 1995, use (term to use here).
  Deleted descriptors (List on p. 59)	Descriptors that were very specific and/or can be expressed easily as a combination. Most of the terms deleted as descriptors are still included in the Alphabetical Index and the Alphabetical List with instructions as to the descriptor(s) to be used.	n/a

  Changes in scope notes, synonyms, and other relationships are not identified in the Thesaurus.

  USING THE AOD THESAURUS

  Navigating the AOD Thesaurus

  A search for a suitable descriptor can start in any part of the AOD Thesaurus. For instance, you can start with a particular term you have in mind and look it up in the Alphabetical Index to find the term number that leads to the descriptor in the Annotated Hierarchy. The Annotated Hierarchy provides the hierarchical context and more information about the descriptor. On the other hand, if you have only a general idea or a limited knowledge of the search topic and cannot pinpoint a particular term, you may want to start with the Broad Outline to locate the general subject area, proceed to the Detailed Outline to pinpoint the area more closely, then browse the more specific area in the Quick Hierarchy to find descriptors, and finally consult the Annotated Hierarchy for scope notes and relationship information. A user familiar with the hierarchy will often look directly on the appropriate place in the Quick Hierarchy or the Annotated hierarchy.

  The hierarchical organization of the AOD Thesaurus allows for easy comparison of scope notes and other information for descriptors that are proximate to one another within the hierarchy. The hierarchical organization also suggests further avenues of searching and enables searchers to deal with topics with which they are not familiar.

  The broader term (BT), narrower term (NT), and related term (RT) cross-references provide important leads to other descriptors that should be considered instead of or in addition to the descriptor found first; they are an invaluable aid to navigation in the Thesaurus.

  Scope notes and related term cross-references have "hierarchical force", they apply to the descriptors down the hierarchy as well. The box below provides an example. Consider this excerpt from the hierarchy: JU4e health care planning

  RT +MQ8 program planning, implementation, and evaluation

  JU4.2 . national health care planning JU4.4 . regional health care planning JU4.6 . health services coordination The RT cross-reference suggests that MQ8 (or one of its narrower terms, such as MQ8.10e program evaluation) might be useful in combination with JU4. By hierarchical force, this suggestion holds also for JU4.2, JU4.4, and JU4.6. Thus, a user considering the descriptor JU4.4 regional health care planning should also consult the cross-references under the broader descriptor JU4. The examples on the facing page and the further examples under indexing and under searching show techniques for navigating the Thesaurus and illustrate how the different parts of the AOD Thesaurus complement each other. They also show the use of browsing up or down the hierarchy for finding broader or narrower descriptors as appropriate.

  Navigation Example 1

  Topic: drug policy in Western Europe versus the United States

  Search the Alphabetical Index under the access word policy, browse the list of terms, and find

  public policy on illicit drugs MP16.2.6 In the Annotated Hierarchy find MP16.2.6 public policy on illicit drugs with a scope note and two related terms: MN20.10 drug laws and MP16.2.8.4 war on drugs.

  Continue browsing the public policy area and note MP16.2.8 AOD public policy strategy, including MP16.2.8.2 zero-tolerance, MP16.2.8.8 supply reduction policy, etc.

  Now look in the Detailed Outline under VA Place and find VD United States and VH Europe. Turn to VH Europe in the Annotated Hierarchy and find VH4 Western Europe with all the countries of Western Europe listed under the term.

  Navigation Example 2

  Topic: teratogenesis of ethanol

  First search the Alphabetical Index for teratogenesis and for ethanol and find

  chemical teratogenesis GJ2.14.2.

  ethanol BB2

  The most obvious query is chemical teratogenesis AND ethanol.

  To refine the query, look in the Annotated Hierarchy for GJ2.14.2 chemical teratogenesis; note the cross-reference

  RT +EE20.4 prenatal chemical exposure which may be of interest for additional indexing or for expanding the query. However, following the RT cross-reference to EE20.4 and browsing the narrower terms (indicated by +), you find EE20.4.2.2 prenatal alcohol exposure

  which looks like the descriptor to use; however, the scope note limits it to discussion of the mechanism of exposure and refers to GJ2.16.2.2 fetal alcohol effects for a discussion of effects.

  A more specific query for this topic is

  chemical teratogenesis AND fetal alcohol effects

  To be on the safe side, include prenatal alcohol exposure in the query to catch documents that discuss primarily the mechanism of exposure with only passing mention of teratogenic effects.

  Indexing and Cataloging With the AOD Thesaurus

  Through its hierarchical organization and its rich network and relationships that capture the concepts of interest in the field, the thesaurus supports request-oriented or user-centered indexing. It helps the indexer to analyze a document from the user's perspective and identify the descriptors under which the document should be found in a search and under which it should therefore be indexed. After examining a document and assigning descriptors suggested by it, the indexer might mentally review the hierarchal structure or follow cross-references to identify less obvious descriptors under which the document should be found. For example, a document dealing with an incident involving a misleading label on an alcoholic beverage should obviously be indexed by MN26.2.6 product label regulation. This descriptor has a related term cross-reference reminding the indexer also to consider MS2.8 corporate responsibility, which, depending on the document and on the interests of the library's users, might be an important descriptor for the document.

  Each library, information center, or database producer will use its own indexing rules suited to the needs of its users. In particular, each organization must decide to what level of specificity it wishes to index. This decision will depend primarily on the size of the center's collection, the interest of its users, and the focus of the collection. The Thesaurus is highly specific in many areas; any given organization may need that specificity in some areas but not in others.

  The examples given illustrate one approach to indexing with the Thesaurus using navigation in the Thesaurus structure. Other approaches are possible. When reading these examples, keep in mind that as the indexers gain experience with the Thesaurus, they will internalize essential parts of the structure and know where to find frequently used descriptors, speeding up the process considerably.

  The structure of the AOD Thesaurus is geared toward indexing by combining concepts freely in indexing (and searching). As discussed in the section Function and Structure of the Thesaurus, the descriptors in the Thesaurus represent mostly elemental concepts, and many additional concepts can and must be expressed through a combination of descriptors; for example,

  nicotine craving is AE6 AOD craving combined with BB2 ethanol

  lung cancer is GG20.26 neoplastic disease combined with XK4 lung

  An individual system may represent the indexing of a document as a simple list of elemental descriptors; another system may group elemental descriptors into linked "subject phrases," each subject phrase representing a compound concept formed by a descriptor combination, such as

  AOD craving : ethanol
  The AOD Thesaurus as a basis for shelf classification. The Thesaurus is designed for indexing documents with multiple descriptors at a high level of specificity; the arrangement of books on shelves poses different requirements. However, the Thesaurus could be used to construct a shelf classification. A library could use the broad drug classes from section B AOD substance or product as the major principle of subdivision and then further subdivide by fairly broad concepts from section A AOD use, abuse, and dependence. The library would need to devise a system of brief notations suitable for call numbers. Libraries often have different requirements for arranging books on shelves depending on the interests of their users. Using the Thesaurus as the basis for constructing such classifications would save work in creating such classifications and promote conceptual consistency among them.

  Indexing Example 1

  Topic of article to be indexed: alcohol-related effects on neuronal structure

  First work on alcohol-related effects. You might remember that there is a section AL AOD effects and AODR problems and look it up in the Annotated Hierarchy to find AM2 AODE. Or you could look under either alcohol or effect in the Alphabetical Index and find alcohol effect with the instruction to USE +AM2 and BB2, which are AM2 AODE and BB2 ethanol. Check the narrower descriptors AM2.2 psychobehavioral AODE and AM2.4 other physiological AODE; since the article deals with motor neurons, AM2.4 might be more appropriate, but if in doubt use AM2. There are two more narrower terms, AM2.6 acute AODE and AM2.8 chronic AODE; the article does not make clear which is studied, so you cannot assign one of these descriptors.

  Next work on neuron or neuronal, looking them up in the Alphabetical Index. Under the access word neuron find

  neuron structure +XX2.2.2e

  (The access word neuronal would yield neuronal ultrastructure USE +XX2.2.2e) Go to the Annotated Hierarchy to XX2.2.2 neuron structure. Under this term, find descriptors for cell structures intrinsic to neurons, any of which may be more appropriate for indexing the document at hand, for example

  XX2.2.2.4e dendrite or XX2.2.2.6.8 nonmyelinated axon

  Browsing in the general area, find XX2.2.4 neuron type and, under that, XX2.2.4.4.2 motor neuron, which applies to the document. You also find XX4e neural tissue with narrower terms, but none of them apply. From neuron structure there is also a cross-reference NT +XX4.2 sensory receptors, a useful cross-reference were the document to focus on sensory neurons.

  Final indexing descriptors:

  AM2.4 other physiological AODE BB2 ethanol XX2.2.4.4.2 motor neuron XX2.2.2.6.8 nonmyelinated axon

  Indexing Example 2

  Title -	Family and adoption studies in alcoholism and drug addiction
  Author -	Dinwiddie, S.H.; Cloninger, C.R.
  Source -	Psychiatric Annals 21(4):206-214, 1991
  Bib. Form -	Literature Review
  Abstract -

  
  
  Although many disorders, such as psychiatric illnesses, including alcoholism and substance addiction, are known to aggregate within families, their transmission and the interaction of environmental factors with inborn traits are still unknown. While proof of genetic causation of addiction is not necessary to validate the concept of addiction as a disease process, by learning more about the inheritance of vulnerability to addiction, clinicians are expected to define it more accurately, to subdivide addiction, and eventually to devise more effective means of treatment.

  The central theme of this document is the definition and cause of drug addiction. As an indexer with a little experience, you will know to look in section A AOD use, abuse and dependence; turning to the Annotated Hierarchy and browsing the detailed outline in the front of section A yields two relevant headings

  AJ theory of AODU
  

  AK causes of AODU

  Browsing the hierarchy you note that the document would be of interest in a search for AJ4.2 disease theory or for AJ4.8 genetic theory (both under AJ4 biological AOD use disorder theory). Under AJ4.2 is an RT cross- reference to GA4.6 disorder classification; it or its neighbor GA4.2 disorder definition should perhaps be used for this document, but AJ4.2 seems sufficient. Further browsing leads to AJ10 sociocultural AOD use disorder theory, another descriptor under which this document should be found. From AJ10 is an RT cross-reference to EX14 hereditary vs environmental factors, which seems very relevant; checking it out in section E (particularly the scope note for EX14.2 hereditary factors), you find that EX14 rather than EY heredity is the correct descriptor here. An examination of the descriptors under AK shows that for the most part the theory descriptors assigned are more appropriate. (In any event, for a comprehensive search, the searcher should look under both AJ and AK.) But it appears that the document should be found under AK2 multiple AODC.

  Turning now to the addiction concept, you could look in the Alphabetical Index and find

  drug addiction USE +GC6

  Look up GC6 in the Annotated Hierarchy to find the preferred term

  GC6 AOD dependence

  Alternatively, you could browse section AA nature of AODU, find AA2.4.4 AOD misuse with an NT cross- reference to GC6 AOD dependence.

  Browsing the GC area yields another relevant descriptor, GC8.10 familial alcoholism.

  Indexing rules may require that GC6 AOD dependence be always combined with a substance descriptor; look in section B AOD substance or product. The descriptor appropriate for this document is

  BA AOD substances in general

  Finally consider the type of study used or discussed. The title indicates family and adoption studies. Turning directly to section RC research and evaluation methods or through the alphabetical index find

  RJ8.2.4 adoption study and

  RJ8.4 family study

  To explore the family theme further, look in the Alphabetical Index under family. Note that many family-related concepts are found in the hierarchy

  +LG family and kinship

  Turn to this section and browse the hierarchy for suitable descriptor(s), e.g.,

  LG22 family environment; also LG24 family relations
  Under LG24 family relations, note the cross-reference
  RT +TW2 status by family relationship

  Following this cross-reference yields the narrower term

  TW2.2 type of family relation
  Because the article discusses the type of family relationship rather than the dynamics of the relationship, the descriptor TW2.2 is the more appropriate. (Incidentally, looking under the nearby access word familial would also lead to GC8.10 familial alcoholism.)

  Final indexing descriptors:

  AJ4.2	disease theory
  AJ4.8	genetic theory
  AJ10	sociocultural AOD use disorder theory
  AK2	multiple AODC
  BA	AOD substances in general
  EX14	hereditary vs environmental factors
  GC6	AOD dependence
  GC8.10	familial alcoholism
  LG22	family environment
  RJ8.2.4	adoption study
  RJ8.4	family study
  TW2.2	biological and adoptive family relation

  Searching With the AOD Thesaurus

  Searching ETOH and the NCADI Databases With the AOD Thesaurus

  The NIAAA's Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Science Database (known as ETOH) and the databases maintained by NCADI are indexed with the AOD Thesaurus. The examples included in the sections on navigation and on indexing illustrate efficient ways for locating suitable descriptors in the Thesaurus.

  ETOH Descriptors and Searching ETOH. Because the AOD Thesaurus extends beyond the scope of alcohol research, not all Thesaurus descriptors are necessary for the indexing of ETOH. Therefore, each descriptor in the Thesaurus has been carefully considered for designation as an ETOH indexing term. These descriptors are marked by a subscript "e" to the right of the term number, for example, FD4e AOD personality. This designation appears in all parts of the Thesaurus. On Ovid Technology's system, these ETOH descriptors can be searched in the fields MJ (major descriptor) and MN (minor descriptor). AOD Thesaurus descriptors not selected as ETOH descriptors may have been placed in the ID (identifier) field and can be searched in this field. In addition, descriptor-based searching of ETOH can always be supplemented with free-text searching of title, abstract, and assigned terms.

  Searching NCADI Databases. The NCADI databases are indexed with the AOD Thesaurus. For information about searching these databases, contact NCADI.

  The AOD Thesaurus provides terms and relationships between and among terms that searchers will find valuable in free-text searching in any database. For example, a user interested in the effects of a particular AOD substance on consciousness will find in the Detailed Outline in the section FA psychology the heading FF state of consciousness. Consulting the Annotated Hierarchy under that heading yields narrower terms describing various states of consciousness, such as attention, wakefulness, and sleep, together with cross-references to related terms, providing the user with more detailed terminology that will serve in searching across databases. The Thesaurus also provides a plethora of synonyms; for example, the descriptor FF2.2.8.2 REM sleep has five synonyms: active eye movement sleep; active sleep; desynchronized sleep; dream sleep; and, of course, its full term, rapid eye movement sleep. This enables the searcher to conduct a thorough free-text search with the expression

  REM sleep OR active eye movement sleep OR active sleep OR desynchronized sleep OR dream sleep OR rapid eye movement sleep

  NOTE: The way in which multiword terms are entered depends on the proximity commands of the database system used. For example, the term active sleep may require any of the following forms:

  active with sleep or
  

  active adj sleep

  The following examples illustrate the use of the Thesaurus in searching, example 1 for descriptor-based searching and example 2 for free-text searching.

  Search Example 1: Using Thesaurus Descriptors

  Search topic: impact of price and advertising on tobacco consumption

  First work on the basic concept, tobacco consumption. Browse the section B AOD substance or product until finding the drug

  BD tobacco in any form

  To identify the proper descriptor for consumption, look in the Alphabetical Index and find

  AOD consumption AD8.4

  Turn to the Annotated Hierarchy under AD8.4; there is a related term +MT6.8.4.2.2 AOD sales; this descriptor will prove useful should the search need broadening. (In this example, there is actually a narrower precombined descriptor MT6.8.4.2.2.4 tobacco sales, but we will ignore it here to keep the example simple.)

  To find price, you could browse around in the MT6 area of the economics section (since you are already there) or you could look in the Alphabetical Index under price; either way, you find

  AOD price MT6.12.4.2 In the Annotated Hierarchy, under MT6.12.4.2 AOD price there is a related term cross-reference to MT22.4.4 sales and excise tax, a tax that is applied to tobacco and impacts on the price and may thus be useful in expanding the search.

  You can now put together the first subquery:

  tobacco in any form	AND AOD consumption	AND AOD price

  tobacco in any form AND AOD consumption AND AOD price OR OR AOD sales sales and excise tax

  Now work on the advertising concept. Browsing the Detailed Outline, L social sciences yields

  MR marketing and public relations

  Go to this section of the Annotated Hierarchy and scan the hierarchy to find MR6 advertising and under it MR6.2 AOD product advertising. Following the hierarchy further down,

  MR6.2.8 AOD advertising impact

  which shows a broader term MR6.12 advertising effect that may be of use in broadening the search.

  The second subquery thus becomes

  tobacco in any form AND AOD consumption AND AOD advertising impact OR (or use the broader AOD sales advertising effect)

  It also might be useful to broaden the search by using MT6 fundamental macroeconomic concepts instead of the narrower price. The hierarchy helps in finding such broader descriptors and, more generally, in thinking about the ramifications of a search topic.

  Search Example 2: Free-Text Searching

  Search topic: self-help books for parents with adolescents with drug/alcohol problems

  Look in the Alphabetical Index under self to find

  self help group USE JP4.2

  Looking for that term number in the Annotated Hierarchy yields

  JP4.2 mutual help and support group

  with another synonym, self help improvement.

  Next look in the Alphabetical Index under parent, also noting parental, and find

  Under parent:
  
  parent +TW2.8
  parent AOD education JG12.6.6
  parent child relations +LG24.2
  role of parent +LG24.12.2

  Under parental:

  parental attitude LG22.4

  Look up LG24.12.2 role of parent, one of the strongest candidates, in the Annotated Hierarchy and note the related term FE10.4.4 parenting skills. Follow that cross-reference and scan the hierarchy; note that it is under FE10 skills, which has a related term to another potentially useful term, JG12.8.4 skills building.

  Now look in the Alphabetical Index under adolescent and find:

  adolescent TA14

  In the Annotated Hierarchy, TA14 adolescent is shown with the synonyms pubescent, teenager, and youth (young person) and the narrower term TZ2.2 high risk youth.

  Finally, look in the Alphabetical Index for drug abuse and find

  drug abuse USE +GC2

  Consulting the Annotated Hierarchy under GC2 yields the preferred term

  GC2 AOD abuse

  with the synonyms substance abuse, drug abuse, and chemical abuse. Also, under GC is another useful term, GC6 AOD dependence, with several synonyms, including drug addiction. GC2 has a broader term, +AA2.4.4 AOD misuse. Looking there, find AA2 AOD use above it in the hierarchy and, still further up, A AOD use, abuse, and dependence, with the synonym ATOD use, abuse, and dependence From the descriptors and synonyms found in the Thesaurus, extract the following words and phrases to be used in free-text searching. Phrases must be searched according to the syntax of the search system used; use truncation; search for both hyphenated and unhyphenated forms. This results in the following query formulation: (self help OR self improvement OR mutual support OR skills) AND parent (in free-text searching, parent searched with truncation will find parent education, parenting skills, etc.) AND (adolescent OR teenager OR youth OR pubescent) AND (abuse OR use OR dependence OR dependent) AND (AOD OR ATOD OR drug OR substance OR chemical OR alcohol) In a search variation, replace the last two lines by (addiction OR high risk) To broaden the query, use (parent OR family), and/or add specific drug terms (found in the Annotated Hierarchy, section B AOD substance or product) to the OR expression, and/or omit an AND component, especially the last one.