SEM Index

Hi Chaps,

Does anyone know of a searchable SEM Index?

I don't know about you guys but I find that searching through all of the different published indexes a couple of years at a time a right royal PITA. I have thought of a few ways to scan the indexes and build a full single searchable version but it's not particularly easy.

Before I think about spending a lot of hours producing such a thing I thought it advisable to ask first.

If there's not one available elsewhere, perhaps you could tell me if you'd find such a thing useful. I would probably add it to my website and offer it to SEM if they were interested. There are no cost implications here you understand, just something for the good of the cause so to speak.

Reply to
Mark_Howard
Loading thread data ...

Mark, You have just volunteered yourself a job :-))

Martin P

Reply to
campingstoveman

Capital idea. The most recent collected indexes I have run to the end of

1997 and I'm not aware of any having been published since. The other thing that makes searching the SEM 'archive' so long winded is the inevitability of getting side tracked - individual issues may sometimes disappoint but when looked at en-mass it really is a brilliant publication.
Reply to
Nick H

Mark --

I've done this a few times over for other publications. At least SEM only goes back 360-odd issues .......

Proved to myself time after time that the best way way to build the content is as a simple database, so that I could run decent searches with ease. I'm continually amazed how many times I want to look for combinations --"Blackstone + 1921"; "paint" & "lining" etc etc. Can be done crudely with text search tools, but decent extracts, reports etc all much easier with a little .xls table.

Designing in flexibility at the start is very much easier than force fit later! For example, an .xls file allows you to list all contents of a particular issue, or list all occurrences of Lister D by date of publication -- or many other combinations.

The other key trick I learned was "trust nothing" -- especially publishers. Their indices are often skimpy, containing crossword- level article titles that give no real clue on content, don't include data such as year, engine model, engine number etc etc that you may want later. Also no scope to add notes etc.

You can scan published indices to fill a database table. Plenty of text2xls type tools about, or .csv convertors. Doesn't get past the issues in the previous paras.

I've found the only truly comprehensive method is to go back to source. Her indoors gets agitated if I have 50 years worth of the WormBreeders Gazette or some such all over the floor, so I generally do them in batches ...6 SEM a night would only need

2 months!

I have found the publishers indices can sometimes be scanned to populate the .xls shell, eg listing every publication date & issue number, plus rudimentary contents. I then whizz 'thu each issue, & enter data such as cover info, photos, article detail, letters & even ads that I might want to retrace. (Contemporary ads can be a godsend for car & motorcycle restoration -- in the SE field, such ads are mainly in early agricultural magazines

-- first find the mags (outside of academia).....)

Most serious problems are:

  1. RSI / boredom
  2. Incessant calls of "When are getting off that machine"
  3. Continual distraction of reading magazines, rather than cataloguing them.

Unfortunately, I only subscribed to SE from issue 35 up to 2001. I stopped getting it then, so can't complete the task you have set yourself......

Good luck,

Colin

Reply to
Colin

An absolutely fine idea - but a mountain of work at the beginning. A friend of mine did the same for The Numismatists Journal (or similar) & that went back two hundred years - so it's possible !

Whilst I can't offer to help (which is my natural inclination) due to life demanding my attention, I do have a complete set from 49 onwards & some early copies before that, so I could at least offer some back up.

There are many indeed that would rise up & call you bless'ed.

Regards,

Kim Siddorn

Reply to
Kim Siddorn

Hi Nick,

Actually, I have a full set of indices up to January 2005, I think I bought the last of the set from SEM.

I agree about the side-tracking thing - 'could take me some time!

Mark

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services

---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **

----------------------------------------------------------

formatting link

Reply to
Mark_Howard

Thanks for that Colin. I am thinking of building a .xls version as it is something that is available to most people but I'll probably also do a simple text file for anyone without the use of Excel.

I think the starting point will be a scanned set of indexes OCR'd into text files and imported into Excel. Once that is done, the finessing, adding references as you describe can be done at a slightly more leisurely pace and added to subsequent versions.

Better get scanning then .......

Mark

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services

---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **

----------------------------------------------------------

formatting link

Reply to
Mark_Howard

Howard, I would like to compliment you on your fine website. Excellent quality without the usual unnecessary flounces.

Reply to
Fred

It seems like I am stating the obvious here....but Kelsey Publishing have had a searchable index for years on their website:

formatting link
$additional

Reply to
Peter Short

Thank you very much Fred, nice of you to say so.

Mark

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services

---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **

----------------------------------------------------------

formatting link

Reply to
Mark_Howard

formatting link
$additional>

Thanks Peter

You're right of course and it is very useful for the major engine articles but it doesn't seem to cover all references in the adverts, front/back page pictures and the regular articles such as Engine Torque et al. as can be found in Phillip Gallimore's indices. This is what I would like to make searchable.

Mark

formatting link

Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services

---------------------------------------------------------- ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **

----------------------------------------------------------

formatting link

Reply to
Mark_Howard

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.