Navigation and Interface
This thesaurus application uses a standard Windows operating system display and the term list box takes up an entire window. Editing of terms and relationships is done in pop-up dialogue boxes that need to be opened and closed with mouse actions. As is typical with thesaurus software, the taxonomy can be displayed alphabetically and hierarchically. A recent extension of this software means that a web search can be done for a term from within this main window (Multisystems, 2008), enhancing its functionality. Browsing between terms is enabled using hypertext links.
Editing
As expected from such software, each “taxonomy term has relationships and other details that can be individually displayed and edited” (Hedden, 2010, p. 145). Terms can be entered manually, copy-pasted or imported as free text. After entry, the term needs to be clicked on to open the relationships window, from which it can be edited. To find a term, there is a search function which includes predictive text. The search capability allows users to make connections and avoid duplication of concepts, whilst also enabling global updates of terms. Terms cannot be dragged and dropped to form relationships.
Terms and Relationships
As expected from ISO compliant thesaurus software, this tool enables the creation of associative, hierarchical and equivalence relationships. Hedden notes that its primary strength as a single user tool is its full support for user-defined relationships, term notes and term categories (Hedden, 2010, p. 151). MultiTes Pro also provides for user contexts that require polyhierarchies. There is a limited faceting functionality which is known proprietarily as ‘classification of categories’. The taxonomy can be organised, exported and printed according to these categories (http://www.multites.com/productsPRO.htm).
This software allows multiple taxonomy display options, hierarchical, alphabetical and categorical. For hierarchical classification display, however, it is necessary first to run a report. Non-preferred terms are listed in italics and alongside notes and tags, are not used as indexing terms, but are for the use of the taxonomist.
Importing, Exporting and Reports
MultiTes Pro only allows batch importing and exporting. However, the importing of index terms must be as a properly formatted text file. Even if the terms are from a vocabulary created in an older version of the same proprietary software, the thesaurus needs to be converted into a text file for import into newer versions. The vocabulary can be exported as a browsable HTML webpage or as an XML document that is usable in web navigation and searching. Users can determine what characteristics will be exported, index terms can include relationships, scope notes, input date, etc. Vocabularies can be printed as reports in varying formats, as required by the information architect ("http://www.multites.com/productsPRO.htm").
Software, Support, Standards and Spelling
A major problem with this company’s products (Multites Pro/WDK/EDK) is that they only run on a Windows operating system. The information architect should seriously consider this drawback, in coordination with the IT department and make sure that no stakeholders are working with Macs or Linux.
Furthermore, the MultiTes thesaurus software does not include a spell checker. This could be a major problem if multiple users are entering and editing terms. A user could conceivably enter a misspelling of an existing index term, without the system noticing that it is a duplicate.
References
Hedden, H. (2010). Accidental Taxonomist. Retrieved from ebrary Academic Complete
Multisystems. (2008). New features for users of MultiTes 8.0x and earlier. Retrieved 13 Sep 2012, from http://www.multites.com/newMT.htm