Subject Access in the Humanities and the Precision of the Humanist's Vocabulary

Most commentators agree that subject access in the humanities is very difficult because the vocabulary or natural language of the humanities is imprecise and often used uniquely by different humanists. This article tests that view by studying the entry terms in leading encyclopedias and dictionaries in the humanities. The article presumes that such entry terms constitute the most important components of the humanists' vocabulary. It proposes categories that distinguish entry terms by their precision and, therefore, their potential for effectiveness in subject access. A sample of entry terms is then classified into the categories proposed. This analysis indicates two things. On the one hand, it partially confirms the usual view that subject access in the humanities is difficult by showing that part of the humanist's vocabulary is imprecise. On the other hand, because a majority of the terms in the sample are precise, namely, singular proper terms--the names of persons or single creative works--subject access is far more straightforward than has been generally recognized. Finally, the article suggests implications for classification, cataloging, and design of information retrieval systems.