International Journal Of Literature And Languages
39
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue07 2025
PAGE NO.
39-40
10.37547/ijll/Volume05Issue07-12
Description of Literary Sources: Theoretical Basis and
Practical Approaches
Shirinova Nargiza Nuriddin qizi
A basic doctoral student at the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature named after Alisher Navoi, Uzbekistan
Received:
16 May 2025;
Accepted:
12 June 2025;
Published:
14 July 2025
Abstract:
This article analyzes the theoretical foundations, historical formation, current practical approaches and
prospects of describing literary sources. The criteria for describing, the role of digital technologies, international
standards and work carried out within the framework of the activities of scientific institutions are considered on
a scientific basis.
Keywords:
Description, literary sources, bibliography, digital catalog, manuscripts, metadata, library science.
Introduction:
The description of literary sources is of
great importance in scientific research, the
preservation of cultural heritage, their introduction
into scientific circulation, and the formation of a
database. Today, along with the development of
science and technology, the need to systematically
collect and describe information resources is becoming
more urgent. In particular, literary sources - written
monuments,
manuscripts,
published
works,
translations and annotated publications - are
noteworthy for their historical, aesthetic, linguistic and
social value. This article scientifically analyzes the
theoretical foundations, historical formation, current
practical approaches and prospects for the description
of literary sources.
Analysis of literature on the topic
The concept of description is widely used in the fields
of information science, library science, source studies
and historical research [1]. It is the process of
identifying, classifying and documenting the main
features of a particular object or source. The
description of literary sources covers many aspects,
such as the study and analysis of these sources, their
composition, author, content, historical context,
language features, and interrelationships [2].
Theoretically, description is carried out in two
directions:
- Formal description: the external appearance of the
source (volume, condition, year of publication, format,
etc.);
- Content description: the internal structure of the
source, main ideas, theme, author's position, genre
features [2].
METHODOLOGY
The methodological basis of the descriptive process
relies on bibliographical theory, semiotics, textual
studies,
discourse
analysis,
and
information
technologies [3]
RESULTS
The history of describing literary sources began in the
ancient East, and this process also has its own traditions
in Uzbek literature. In the Islamic period, catalogs of
manuscripts were compiled in libraries, madrasas, and
scientific centers. For example, in the 9th-10th
centuries, manuscripts were systematically stored in
libraries operating in Bukhara, Samarkand, and
Khorezm. In the 16th-19th centuries, information
about sources was provided through descriptions
(descriptions) written by calligraphers and scholars. In
the Jadid period, critical description of literary works
through the press became a tradition. In the Soviet
period, the description of literary sources took on an
institutional character: publishing houses, libraries, and
institutes were regularly engaged in this work.[4]
Today, description based on digital technologies has
reached a new level. The possibility of a complete and
systematic description of literary sources is being
created
through
electronic
catalogs,
online
International Journal Of Literature And Languages
40
https://theusajournals.com/index.php/ijll
International Journal Of Literature And Languages (ISSN: 2771-2834)
bibliographic databases, metadata systems, and digital
archives.
The following criteria are important in describing
literary sources:
- Identification: author, title of the work, date of
creation, year of publication, scribe or translator;
- Genre-subject classification: artistic, historical,
popular science, religious, journalistic works;
- Language and style features: written language of the
work, dialect, literary style;
- Internal structure of the text: system of sections,
chapters, introduction and conclusions;
- Intertextual connection: connection with other works,
inter-source relationships [5].
Structurally, the description consists of the following
parts:
1. Bibliographic description;
2. Annotation or commentary;
3. Summary of the work;
4. Researcher's opinion and assessment;
5. Link to the list of scientific sources. [1;4]
Today, there are a number of best practices in the
practice of describing literary sources. In particular, the
following systems play a key role:
- National and international bibliographic standards
(GOST, MARC, RDA);
- Electronic catalog systems (ALEPH, KOHA, OPAC);
- Digital archives and metadata (Dublin Core, XML,
RDF);
- Online scientific platforms (Google Books, WorldCat,
JSTOR, HathiTrust)[8].
These include manuscript catalogs and digitization
projects implemented by the National Library of
Uzbekistan, the Abu Raykhan Beruni Institute of
Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of
Uzbekistan, the Alisher Navoi Museum of Literature,
and the Institute of Language and Literature of the
Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
There are still a number of problems in the field of
description of literary sources, which are as follows:
- Lack of unified system of description criteria;
- Incomplete digitization of manuscripts and rare
publications;
- Lack of specialists;
- Insufficient formation of a culture of working with
digital technologies.
In the future, progress is expected in the following
areas of description work:
- Creation of integrated description platforms between
research institutions;
- Development of automated description systems using
artificial intelligence;
- Expansion of international cooperation in the
description of literary sources;
- Training and improving the skills of a new generation
of researchers.
CONCLUSION
Description of literary sources plays an important role
not only for scientific research, but also in preserving
cultural heritage, promoting it, and obtaining new
scientific results. By in-depth study of the theoretical
foundations
of
description
and
the
correct
establishment of practical approaches, an opportunity
will be created for a more in-depth and systematic
study of the rich sources of Uzbek literary heritage. This
will form the basis for new scientific achievements in
the fields of literary studies, history, source studies, and
library science.
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Abdug‘aniyev A. Kutubxonashunoslik asoslari. –
Toshkent: Fan, 2019.
Islomov N. Adabiy manbalarni o‘rganish metodikasi. –
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Ubaydullayev A. Qo‘lyozmalar bibliografiyasi. –
Toshkent: Sharq, 2017.
UNESCO Guidelines for Descriptive Metadata.
–
Paris:
UNESCO, 2020.
Library of Congress. Bibliographic Framework Initiative
(BIBFRAME).
–
2023.
Sharq qo‘lyozmalari katalogi. O‘zbekiston Milliy
kutubxonasi.
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Toshkent, 2022.
Kadirova D. Adabiy meros va ularni raqamlashtirish
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“Ilm va taraqqiyot”, 2022, №4.
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