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rev. Aug. 30, 2002

AAT Training Documentation

 

William C. Brumfield Russian Architecture Collection fields that will use the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus as controlled vocabulary (please see Data Dictionary for more details on how to enter the data):

View Type: AAT Views
View Orientation: AAT Attributes and Properties
Architectural Detail: AAT Objects
Style/School:AAT Styles and Periods
Building Type:AAT Built Environment
Materials:AAT Materials

HOW TO SEARCH AAT (try AAT Browser at http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/)

  1. Choose the term you will search for (usually the term supplied by Prof. Brumfield or found in a reference resource) to be verified against AAT database.

  2. Look up the term in the AAT Browser. The Browser will do both an exact and a keyword search. You can limit to "Term," "Scope Note," or both "Term/Scope Note." Usually limiting to term is adequate, but you can expand to both term/scope note if you aren’t finding anything.

  3. The search will return both exact and keyword matches of AAT descriptors. When you click on a match, you will be taken into the term's record. When you click on the hierarchy page symbol, you will be taken into the hierarchies. The hierarchy you are in will be displayed at the top of the screen. Make sure you are in the appropriate hierarchy for the field you are searching.

  4. If a search does not take you into the desired hierarchy, you can also go to the initial search screen and click on "Browse List of AAT Hierarchies" to work your way down in the appropriate hierarchy until you find what you need. But generally the search will put you where you need to be (and do it faster).

  5. After locating a descriptor that looks like a good match for your term, check the placement of the term in relation to neighboring descriptors in the hierarchy to verify appropriateness. You may need to go up and down a bit to investigate what other choices there are (see below NAVIGATING THE HIERARCHIES).

  6. Check the scope note to see if the descriptor is appropriate and to verify what it really means. Do this by clicking on the term itself or by checking the box to the left of the term and then clicking the button "View Term Records" at top of screen to see the scope note. You will also see the use for (UF) terms and related terms (RT) on this screen. (Not all descriptors will have complete scope notes and references.)

  7. Note: on the scope notes screen you will also find alternative descriptors (ALT). AAT rules say that you may also use these as authorized terms. For the sake of consistency, we will generally use the main descriptor, not the ALT, which works out like this:
    8. Style/Schoolsingular or adjective form
    Building Typeplural form
    Materialsingular form
    Architectural Detailplural
    Exceptions:
    View Typesingular form (is the ALT)

  8. Select the most appropriate descriptor you can find and enter it into the database. We will not try to apply all the rules for combining AAT terms and facets in certain orders, etc. We are using the descriptors as simple, separate descriptors and relying on "post-coordination," i.e., that users will be able to combine the terms themselves in keyword searching and in boolean searching.

    NAVIGATING THE HIERARCHIES

    Whether you go directly into browsing the hierarchies or you enter the hierarchies through search results, navigation should be the same.

    Indentation shows the direction of specificity.

    Broadest Broader Broad Narrow Narrower Even more narrow Narrowest

    Terms in angles brackets are "guide terms" used for organization purposes only. Do NOT select these terms to put into database.

    A stylized hand points to the term where you entered the hierarchy.

    A hierarchy page symbol means that there are more terms hidden underneath.

    The button "NEW SEARCH" at the top of the screen is the quickest way to start over at the original entry screen.

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    Last modified: Monday September 16 2002