[Sigia-l] Faceted Classification

[David R. Austen]

Hello, Andrew:

Do you happen to have studied IS in New Zealand?


Best regards,

David                           

http://zillionbucks.com -- Web hosting for the creative industry

Friday, July 12, 2002, 12:10:16 AM, you wrote:

AM> I knew that much of what was being said here was wildly inconsistent with
AM> my understanding of faceted analysis meant, albeit consistent with the
AM> general body of practices which often accompany it.  However I was
AM> sufficiently aware of the holes in my knowledge to want to read a bit
AM> before posting.  Much of what follows is newly aquired knowledge, so I
AM> would welcome corrections from the educated.

AM> Faceted Classification Theory
AM>   RT: Library Science:Classification:India'1925

AM> http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/toolkit/enduser/archive/1998/euc-9803.html
AM> http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/essays/v7p037y1984.pdf
AM> http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/essays/v7p045y1984.pdf

AM> Faceted Classification Theory refers in the first sense to a specific
AM> system for organizing subject headings developed in India by Shiyali
AM> Ranganathan, making the scope slightly broader than 'Dewey Decimal
AM> System', or 'Library of Congress Subject Headings'.

AM> I'm less than clear to what extent 'Faceted Analysis' in this sense
AM> describes the principles behind Ranganathan's 'Colon Classification
AM> System' and to what extent it describes the system itself.  It seems to
AM> get used both ways by the Indians.

AM> In the second sense (probably the most interesting), the term is used to
AM> refer to the principles of Faceted Classification (meaning 1) as applied
AM> to other library (and web) classfication systems.  Specifically it then
AM> refers to the practice of forming classification terms by synthesis:
AM> combining several facets to form a large set of highly specific subject
AM> headings from a smaller set of terms.  eg 'Library
AM> Science:Classification:India'1925'

AM> In the third sense, this is extended to consideration of resources as
AM> having facets.  I think this concept is fairly well understood here,
AM> though not perhaps the terminology.

AM> Beyond this point things get very wooly.  I propose that we lump
AM> everything up to this point into 'Little Faceted Classification' and
AM> consider everything else 'Big Faceted classification'.

AM> While I question whether some of what is being lumped under Faceted
AM> Classification belongs, I'm happy to see a bit of discussion os what I
AM> think might better be called Little IA.  I won't add anything to that
AM> tonight though - it's late.

AM> Andrew

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