Chinese Recorder Index檢索系統的設計與建置

Abstract

The Chinese Recorder（中文名稱為《教務雜誌》，本論文中簡稱為”CR”）是一部在1867至1941年間出版的期刊，為來到中國的西方宣教士溝通、交換意見的重要平台，主要以英文撰寫。CR全部內容彙整後共有73冊（包含其前身”Missionary Recorder”），總共約50,600頁。由於橫跨年分長、包含主題廣，並且豐富呈現了西方宣教士眼中的中國，CR可說是研究近代基督教在中國的發展史的重要一手史料。 Chinese Recorder Index（本論文中簡稱”CRI”）全名為”The Chinese recorder index: a guide to Christian missions in Asia, 1867-1941”，是一部對一共73冊的CR所編的索引工具書，共分上下兩冊，由Kathleen L. Lodwick教授於1985年完成，。除了如同一般書籍索引標示某些關鍵詞彙出現頁碼以外，CRI更為這些詞彙條目的頁碼增加關於原文的資訊，方便使用者更容易的掌握原文內容。CRI的問世，提供了使用CR的研究者更為便利的使用方式。 然而CRI紙本有其既有的固定呈現方式，使用方法上也有所限制。本論文嘗試透過資訊技術分析整合CRI內容，提供比原本紙本CRI的呈現方式更多面、更彈性的資訊。 論文中介紹對CRI內容的分析和處理方法。依據CRI內容資料的結構，設計適合用來檢索的資料結構，使這些資料能夠以更有彈性的方式呈現。 再來根據這些資料結構的內容，設計各種不同的檢索方法來取得資料。除了能完整維持CRI原有的呈現架構外，也嘗試藉由不同的方法來呈現原本的CRI紙本中不易得到的資訊。整合這些方法，成為一個檢索模型，並以此實作出完整的檢索系統。

The Chinese Recorder (CR) is a journal published between 1867 and 1941. Published in English, it was created by western missionaries in China as an important platform to exchange information among the missionaries. CR is comprised of 73 volumes, including one volume of its precursor, the Missionary Record, and contains approximately 50,000 pages in total. In addition to sharing experience on missionary work, CR also contains descriptions and discussions of Chinese civilization and current events. Because the period that it covers overlaps with one of the most critical periods in Chinese history, CR is not only an important source for the studies of the spread of Christianity in China but also for the studies of modern Chinese history. The Chinese recorder index: a guide to Christian missions in Asia, 1867-1941 (CRI) is a two-volume book of indices of CR. Published in 1985, CRI was compiled by Professor Kathleen L. Lodwick and has three different indices and six tables of correspondences. It has 8,391 entries in the person index, 712 entries in the mission index, and 4,691 entries in the subject index. In addition to the usual page numbers that indicates where a keyword has appeared, CRI also uses tags to reflect certain properties. The comprehensiveness of CRI makes it an indispensible companion for scholars when using CR. The paper form of CRI, however, makes it difficult to fully utilize the immense wealth of information that it contains. In this thesis, we analyze the structures of the indices, and design data structure that is more suitable for information retrieval. The data structure introduced enables us to combine information in different entries to produce discoveries that are difficult to observe in the original CRI.