[sigCR] Workshop proposal

[Kathryn La Barre]

Greetings,

I wanted to share the workshop proposal that Joe Tennis and I submitted
yesterday - with help from Jane Greenberg. We'll hear if it was accepted on
June 8th. At that point we'll start to send out announcements about
scheduling and when to submit expressions of interest for presenting at the
workshop.

*Classification Research: Past, Prospect and Pinnacles*

 ABSTRACT

As part of the 75th anniversary of ASIS&T, this full day workshop will
examine the past and future prospects of SIG/CR, one of seven original
Special Interest Groups established at the American Documentation Institute
on March 3, 1966. Of this original group only SIG/CR [Classification
Research], SIG/ED [Education for Information Science] and SIG BC
[Biological and Chemical Information Systems] now known as SIG/STI
[Scientific & Technical Information Science] remain.

Instead of the traditional format, this workshop will assemble researchers
from the major schools in information organization to comment on their
current work, past work done in classification research, and the major
advances in the field.
Keywords

classification research, workshops, state of the art
Overview

This day-long workshop will have two components –

(1) *Capturing the state of the art* in classification research (2) *Taking
the pulse of the SIG* in the form of a debate about whether or not to
retain or to change the current scope of the SIG.

*Capturing the state of the art:*

In the morning, attendees will be invited to prepare  lightning talks
(seven minutes in length) on any of the following topics:

·       Current research projects,

·       Past work in classification research,

·       Major advances in the field.

The goal of these presentations will be to get a sense of the scope and
accomplishments in this area. We will then have a general discussion guided
by the workshop chairs. **

*Taking the pulse of SIG/CR:*

In the afternoon, attendees will be invited to participate in an open
discussion on the merits of a potential name change, or scope change for
SIG/CR moderated by:

*Jane Greenberg* professor at the School of Information and Library
Science, UNC-CH, and director of the SILS Metadata Research Center.



*Background for name change*

The first statement of purpose for SIG/CR stated a range of interests
including:

“The construction and application of classification schemes by human or
auotmata; studies of fundamental principles and underlying processes, and
descriptive, analytic and comparative studies of classification schemes and
procedures.”

In this early statement (from 1968) the chair of SIG/CR, Miles Libbey,
indicated that the current focus was directed, “more at preparing the
ground and sowing the seed than cultivating the crops or harvesting the
fruits of classification research.” To this end the SIG created four
working groups for members in the following areas:

(1)    Subject analysis

(2)    Scheme  construction

(3)    Descriptive, analytical, comparative and statistical studies of
existing schemes

(4)    Creation or development of foundational or fundamental applications
including scheme construction, automation, optimization, conceptual/
terminological frameworks and so forth.

>From time to time, the SIG has discussed changing the name from
Classification Research to something else, but none of the changes was as
controversial as the one introduced in 1974 by Simon Newman, former Chair
and liaison with FID/CR.

Newman drafted a document that asserted that one of the chief problems with
the name of SIG/CR was the appearance of the term “Research” in the title.
He began this conversation in the Members Forum of the *Newsletter of
SIG/CR *(March 1974 pp. 5-6).

“While the SIG is interested in research in classification, it is also
interested in and comprehends the technology of classification, both
applied and theoretical..  . . The title ‘Classification Research’ is too
narrow – and the following are offered as possible alternatives:



Classification

Classification Technology

Classification Research and Development

Content Representation

Today SIG/CR has the following statement of purpose:

“SIG/CR studies the fundamental principles, underlying processes, and
analytic constructs of classification schemes and procedures by humans or
automata. It is concerned with organizing information, and includes
indexing, index construction, indexing language, thesaurus construction,
terminology, classification of information in any form, and testing and
evaluating the effectiveness of these products. It is also concerned with
the ability to develop abstractions from perceived reality. Theoretical
emphases include cognition, grouping and organization of groupings, and
linguistics.”

Members will be invited to submit propositions for retaining or changing
the name of the SIG – or to submit suggestions for reformulating the
statement of purpose. This activity will extend the morning’s discussion
about the current and future focus of the SIG and provide a conceptual map
of current developments and provide a template for SIG activity as we
prepare for the future.
Impact of the Workshop We anticipate the outcome of this workshop to be a
reinvigorate this core component of ASIST and to look forward to many more
years of contributing to a better understanding of information systems and
practices around classification.


REFERENCES

Newman, S. (May 28, 1974). ASIS memorandum to Jessica Harris from Si Neman.
Re: Draft of 500 word statement on CR. Bentley Historical Library. ASIS&T
Records. Box 59. Folder: SIG Correspondence 1973-1976.
Newman, S. (March, 1974). “Members Forum” *Newsletter of the SIG/CR. *pp.
5,6. Bentley Historical Library. ASIS&T Records. Box 59. Folder: SIG/CR
Newsletters 1967-1985.