Reflections on Summarizing and Abstracting

Abstract Abstracts or summary notes and automated summarization techniques would be highly useful if routinely applied to cataloging or metadata for Internet documents and documents in other databases. Information seekers need external summary information to assess content and value of retrieved documents. Traditional models for writers, in library audiovisual cataloging, journal databases and archival work are examined, along with innovative new model databases featuring robust cataloging summaries. Recent developments in automated techniques, computational research, and machine summarization of digital images are noted. Recommendations are made for future designers of cataloging and metadata Standards.