use Data::Dumper;

my $free_table = {};
my $mastertitle = "title";
my $elementid = "foo";
my @unique_terms = qw(These guides were given a plug a few months ago before the JISC conference in fact, where they were displayed and I forget to pick them up. However, I rectified that oversight on Friday at that aforementioned news working group in the JISC offices in central London.);

foreach my $index_term (@unique_terms) {

  # we have a three-level checking process to deal with
  
  # The word itself
  $free_table->{$index_term} = {}
    unless exists $free_table->{$index_term};
  print "term = $index_term\n";
  
  # The specific institution subdivision
  $free_table->{$index_term}->{$mastertitle} = {}
    unless exists $free_table->{$index_term}->{$mastertitle};
  print "mastertitle = $mastertitle\n";

  # "Archdesc" isad or "fond" isad
  # make a reference to the anonymous hash at this bottom level
  $data_type = int (rand 2) + 1;

  # Add the element to the bottom level
  $free_table->{$index_term}->{$mastertitle}->{$data_type} = {}
    unless
      exists $free_table->{$index_term}->{$mastertitle}->{$data_type};
  
  $free_table->{$index_term}->{$mastertitle}->{$data_type}->{$elementid} =
    1;  
}
print( Dumper ( %{$free_table} ) );