We investigate category-based induction as an aspect of browsing a library collection. Category-based induction is one of the primary uses of categories that are stored in memory. Knowledge organizing systems represent concepts in broadly the same way as models of category-based induction. Accordingly, it is reasonable to suppose that knowledge organizing systems facilitate category-based inductions about the collections that they organize. The processes of familiarization and differentiation are key aspects of browsing (Ellis 1989). Intuitively, these approaches appear to involve category-based induction in a bibliographic context. By examining induction, we hope to shed new light on the role of knowledge organizing systems in shaping browsing behavior. We also seek to investigate the viability of using inductive confidence as a dependent variable in assessing the utility of a KOS. A system that supports induction is potentially of great benefit to people seeking to browse a collection, whether the collection exists virtually or is part of a library's physical stacks.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.