posting up
n.
Creating an entry in an index that is more general than the subject being indexed.
Notes
Posting up runs against the general principle of indexing under the most specific term possible. Posting up makes it possible, especially in manual systems, to search groups of related concepts.
Citations
Lancaster 1998, p. 29 In the manual retrieval systems . . . it was necessary to post up from specific to generic terms; e.g., the use of the term oranges in indexing an item caused citrus fruits, fruit, and even, perhaps, crops to be assigned also. This was done to allow generic searches. Were it not done, it would be virtually impossible to perform a complete search on, say, all fruit.
