© 2000. Jessica L. Milstead. All Rights Reserved What is a
thesaurus? - For writers, it is a tool like Rogetís ≠ one with
words grouped and classified to help select the best word to
convey a specific nuance of meaning. - For indexers and
searchers, it is an information storage and retrieval tool: a
listing of words and phrases authorized for use in an indexing
system, together with relationships, variants and synonyms, and
aids to navigation through the thesaurus. For more information
on what an information retrieval thesaurus is and what it
contains, see the American standard for thesauri: National
Information Standards Institute. American National Standard
Guidelines for the Construction, Format, and Management of
Monolingual Thesauri. Bethesda, MD: NISO Press, 1994. (ANSI/NISO
Z39.19-1993). While standard thesauri are formalized and highly
structured, for some purposes a less complex vocabulary is
adequate. When does my organization need a thesaurus? - If it
has large files of text and unstructured inform