Att beskriva etnografiska föremål med hjälp av ämnesanalys och ämnesindexering

Sammanfattning: The aim of this masters thesis is to analyze how subjects of ethnographical objects should be described. To obtain this we focus on which subject aspects of ethnographical objects that could be possible and valuable to analyze and to index. This is done with the help of established LIS subject indexing theories, and through the perspective of ethnographical museum documentation. The theories are both general, concerning the stages of subject indexing, and more specific, regarding the indexing of pictures. One of the latter is the theoretical model of Sara Shatford, from the article Analyzing the Subject of a Picture. She claims that the subject of a picture can be divided into an Of and an About aspect. Susanne Ørnager expands this theory by adding a semiotic dimension to it, in the article View a Picture. The ethnographical museum documentation is illustrated by three systems for object description the SAMOREG-system, Outline of Cultural Materials and the Art and Architecture Thesaurus, as well as by information from an interview with personnel at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg. Ethnographical theories regarding the subject aspects of objects have also been taken into consideration. The main conclusions drawn from this thesis are 1 ethnographical objects have two subject aspects Of and About, which both can be analyzed and indexed, 2 the Of is more frequently indexed during the ethnographical museum documentation, and 3 the About is equally valuable to index as is the Of.