[Sigia-l] Faceted Classification

[Andrew McNaughton]

I have about half an undergraduate degree majoring in mathematics.  Most
of my learning is informally gained.  I got a lot of advantages though
from well educated parents, both of whom knew enough about computers to
get me started.

I'm only now starting to feel the impact of not having the bits of paper
which makes work visas difficult or impossible for many countries.  I'm
thinking of going back to do study some time in the next few years around
the area of computational linguistics.

Andrew McNaughton


On Fri, 12 Jul 2002, David R. Austen wrote:

> Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 09:56:01 -0400
> From: David R. Austen <dausten at hoosier.net>
> To: Andrew McNaughton <andrew at scoop.co.nz>
> Cc: sigia-l at asis.org
> Subject: Re[2]: [Sigia-l] Faceted Classification
>
> 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
>
> AM> ------------
> AM> When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
>
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>
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>
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>