Classification Theory, Applications and Research Avenues

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Classification Theory, Applications and Research
Avenues

• Devika P. Madalli
• Documentation Research and Training Centre,
• Indian Statistical Institute,
• Bangalore, INDIA

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DRTC Documentation Research and Training Centre

• Established 1962
• Founder Padmabhushan Prof. S.R. Ranganathan

• Father of Indian Library Science
• Father of Faceted Classification (Ontology)
• Creator of Colon Classification
• Creator of Classified Catalogue Code
• Creator of Chain Indexing (followed by BNB)
• Founder of INSDOC, DRTC, BHU, MADRAS,
• DELHI University LIS Depts.

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Objectives

• To perform and to promote research in library and
  information science
• Education and Training of information
  scientists needed for information service in the
  country (and also for other developing countries)
• To provide consultancy services

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Programs Offered

• Graduate program in Library and Information
  Science (ADIS - soon MS/LIS)
• Research fellowship (under DRTC faculty guidance
  with PhD degrees granted by universities)

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Programmes and Activities

• Short-term Training Courses
• Annual Seminars/Workshops
• Refresher Seminars/Workshops
• Consultancy

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Programmes and Activities contd

• Research Programmes
• Teaching and Training Programmes
• Advisory Services
• Continuing Education Programme
• Publication Programme
• Faculty Development Programme
• Employment Information Programme

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Research Areas

• Natural Language Processing
• Quantitative Methods in LIS
• Information Retrieval and Data Mining
• Knowledge Management
• Digital Libraries
• Multi-Lingual Information Systems
• Classification ( Ontologies) Semantic Web

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Lecture I Introduction 12 Sept 2007

• Origin
• Need for Library Classification
• Types of Library Classification
• Approaches to Library Classification
• Helpful Arrangement (concept arrangement and
  correlation)
• Overview of the Seminar Series

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Origin

• Library Classification originated about a 130
  years back with a rudimentary efforts in 1876!
• Scientific Classification from 1910 onwards
• Evolution of major theory from about 1931 onwards
  with publication of Laws of Library Science
• Prolegomena to Library Classification ed
  I(1937)

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Need for Classification

• No need atall!
• When needed?
• When the number of entities to be memorized and
  arranged exceeds the capacity of humans

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Need for Classification

• When there are large collections, there is a
  need for systematic arrangement in order to
  achieve efficient retrieval

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What is Library Classification?

• A way of assigning notation to documents and
  their contents so as facilitate helpful
  arrangement of documents on shelves of a library

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What is Classified?

• Universe of Knowledge
• Universe of Subjects
• Universe of Documents

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Classificationist and Classifier

• Classificationist designs the classification
  schedules
• Classifier refers the classification schedules
  and assigns the numbers to the books in a library

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Approaches to Classification

• Classification as a numbering system
• Classification as a representation system

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Types of Library Classification

• Enumerative Systems
• Library of Congress Classification
• Dewey Decimal Classification
• Faceted Systems
• Colon Classification
• Universal Decimal Classification

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Enumerated System

• An Enumerative Scheme for Classification
  essentially consists of a single schedule
  enumerating all subjects.
• Mostly the structure is monolithic.
• Example Library of Congress Classification

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Approach of Enumeration

• Exhaustive listing of subjects and subject ideas
  (isolates)
• Assigning notation (numbers) for all the enlisted
  subjects and subject ideas

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Advantages of Enumerated Systems

• Ready made numbers
• Schedule works as a look up tool

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Disadvantages

• Too many isolate ideas, too few notations
• No flexibility for different perspectives
• Hospitality issues
• Problem in accommodation of new isolate ideas

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Approach of Faceted Classification

• Basic Hypotheses
• Subjects are not essentially monolithic.
• Hence notation system designed for them cannot
  be monolithic
• 2. All subjects are made of facets

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Faceted Classification

• A facet is a distinctive part or division of a
  subject
• Action, Time, Space, Property
• Every subject is made of one or more facets
• Idea originated from a Meccano set

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Faceted Classification Methodology

• Subjects are divided/Analysed into facets
• Then they are combined as per the thought content
  of books/documents

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Major Distinction

• It is Subject Classification for Knowledge
  Organization

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Advantages

• Works as Representation System for subjects
• Very short schedules
• Can accommodate almost infinite number of isolate
  ideas

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Disadvantages

• Time Consuming
• Complex

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Challenges

• Facet Analysis
• For different subjects
• Combining and re-combining of the facets
• Synthesis into notation
• Helpful sequence

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Grand Challenge

• Achieving APUPA pattern on the library shelves

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Hypothesis

• Library User Cannot express what they are looking
  for

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User Problems are of two types

• Expression Level
• Natural Language
• Semantic Level
• Thoughts unclear

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Expectation of User

• Pin Pointed and Expeditious information service!

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Problems for Librarian

• User cannot express information Need in PROPER
  language
• Document representation system too terse and
  formal
• Too many users and too many and varied
  information need

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Role of Classification

• To act as a Bridge that fills the gap between
• User need and expressed user need
• Expressed user need and Document content

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So How does Classification help?

• Works as a User Interface to the collection
• Directs the user to the right shelf
• and

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APUPA Pattern

• Lays out the collection in a spectrum
  progressively from unlikeness to likeness and
  again till unlikeness is reached
• (Classification is defined as a method of
  separating like entities from unlike entities)

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APUPA Pattern

• A Alien
• P Penumbral
• U Umbral
• P Penumbral
• A Alien

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Real Challenge

• How to achieve a dynamic APUPA pattern?

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Overview of Seminar Series

• 12th Sept 07 Lecture I Introduction (13-14.30
  hrs)
• (12.30 14.00)
• 26th Sept 07 Lecture II Features of Knowledge
  and Classification Ranganathans three planes of
  work
• 3rd Oct 07 Lecture III Analytico_Synthetic
  Classification
• Facet Analysis
• 5th Oct 07 Lecture IV Idea Plane Normative
  Principles
• 10th Oct 07 Lecture V Verbal and Notational
  Planes

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Lecture Series Overview

• 24th Oct 07 Lecture VI Facet Sequencing, Phase
  relations, Devices
• 25th Oct 07 Lecture VII Practical
  Classification
• Classificationist, Classifier
• 31st Oct 07 Lecture VIII Subject Indexing
  POPSI

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Lecture Series

• 5th November 07 Lecture IX Applications of
  Library Classification Systems
• 6th November 07 Lecture X Research and
  Applications Areas of deliberation

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• Thank you
• devika_at_drtc.isibang.ac.in