Retrospective Indexing: Strategies for Cataloging Legacy Content

Developing and maintaining a taxonomy is a means to an end – and not an end in itself. The outcomes may be such things as a better browsing experience, an improved shopping experience, or enhanced information search and retrieval. The key to the success of a taxonomy project depends upon its outcomes. It's important to identify the outcomes, and then, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, determine whether the important criteria are being met. There are a number of different techniques for measuring the success of a taxonomy project, including a design phase walk thru, taxonomy tuning, and outcome evaluations (2007).