Project MUSE Indexing and Preliminary Content

One of the many features that add value to Project MUSE is the indexing of all MUSE journal articles using Library of Congress subject headings and the Library of Congress name authority file.

Increased discovery in MUSE

Library of Congress subject headings help tie the entire MUSE article database together with a controlled vocabulary enabling broad article discovery. Users can navigate to other articles with the same or similar subject headings by clicking on subject strings appearing in the search engine results, the issue tables of contents, and on the full-text articles.

Improved searching for authors of articles and reviews

The chief purposes of MUSE’s name indexing are to distinguish between persons with the same name and to bring together works by the same person under varying versions of the name. Library of Congress name authority headings are in broad use among the communities that subscribe to MUSE and make an ideal authority file.

File requirements supporting MUSE indexing

Since MUSE’s goal is to have the online version of issues available in MUSE when the print versions mail, indexers work from a preliminary version of the content in an issue. MUSE can receive these files as early as publishers like, but must get them at least two weeks prior to when that issue will go through the MUSE production process

This preliminary version can be subject to changes and proofing since indexers are only using it to assign subject headings to the articles; pagination is unimportant as well. These files can be sent in either a common electronic format (e.g. PDF, Word, XML) or as print pages, although electronic versions are preferable. MUSE is happy to discuss the best and easiest way for current or prospective publishers to meet this requirement within the context of each journal’s production workflow.