25 Classification and Information Technology: Role of Classification in Organizing and Searching the WWW

Dr M P Satija

 

Structure:

1.Classification: A Universal Constant

1.1. Nature of Classification

1.2.Ranganathan’s approach

2.Electronic documents

2.1.Nature of Digital Documents

2.2.Changing Scenario

3.Classifying databases

3.1.Eight uses of classification in online systems

3.2.Old Tools in New Vestures

4.Web Searching

4.1.Subject Access to the Internet

4.2.Use of conventional classification schemes:

4.3.Use of the DDC

4.4.Use of the LCC

4.4.1.Use of LC Subject Headings

4.5.Special Schemes

4.6. Search Directories vs Search Engines

5.Googling

6.Problems and Prospects 6.1. Question

6.2.Prospects

7.Notes

7.1.BUBL

7.2.CyberStacks(sm)

7.3.The Scout Report Archives

7.4.Webrary

8.Glossary

9.References and further Readings

10.Test Questions

 

1. Classification : A Universal Constant

 

Classification is a neural activity which is implicit in whatever act we do. It is a universal constant.Every moment we are making conscious or unconscious use of classification in all walks of life. Therefore, it is much more essential for living biologically, socially, and even spiritually. A successful person is a better classifier. Classification is a universal and mundane activity of every system, be it bio, social and mechanical. As an innate ability of our brain it helps to organize and make sense of the world around us by categorizing and relating the new phenomena with the knowledge in our brain.All knowledge is classification, said John Dewey (1859-1952) the great educationist and philosopher. Indeed knowledge progresses by classifying. It brings order and certainty. Modern library classification since its origin in the late nineteenth century has come a long way from shelf arrangement system to become a tool for information analysis and retrieval. During its chequered career, it was glorified as the foundation study of librarianship in the 1950s and 1960s. Next two decades were hard for it when it had to struggle for survival in the emerging e-environment.

 

1.1. Nature of Classification:

 

Classification is always utilitarian. All its varied applications can be boiled down to three purposes: a) Economic(Saves time and money); aesthetics(order and beauty) and knowledge creation(Taxonomy)(Satija, 1998). Whatever be the task, classification cannot be ignored, nor it has any substitute. About three decades ago some experts mesmerized by power of computer began to think that classification has reached a dead end. They began to doubt its relevance in computer assisted information retrieval systems (CAIRS). Those were the days of key word searching, thesauri and other verbal approaches to subject access. With experience it was soon realized that most of the times key words have failed or deceived us whereas controlled vocabularies make use of classification principles in structuring.But Ranganathan had unswerving faith in the continued need and value of systematic classification in all sorts of information work.

 

1.2. Ranganathan’s approach

 

S.R. Ranganathan(1892-1972) with his path breaking work raised classification to a model of conceptual thinking. He added dimensions and depth to its theory and applications. Professionally, his approach was to classify ideas and knowledge rather than objects called books. He aimed at organizing the thought contents. Utility of his approach has become more striking in the age of databases, networked information, the WWW and the information architecture. His Canons of Characteristics in the Idea Plane are excellent and universal tools for analysis. His Principles of Helpful Sequence in an Array, General PMEST formula, Principles of Facet Sequence (citation order) are applicable for ordering of ideas objects and processes alike.

 

2. Electronic documents

 

Till early 1970s though the AVs, motion pictures, microfilms, microforms, non-book materials and, realiaetc, had arrived in the libraries, but computerized databases, multimedia and network information resources were a distant dream. Now we are overwhelmed and inundated by such documents in our libraries.Not only this, keyword approach to computerized databases seemed so easy and simple that some thought systematic classification was no longer needed. But this simplicity was deceptive. Now it is well learned that description and organization of electronic and Internet resources is needed without doubt. A resource is not a resource if it is not organized, controlled and used. All the books in the world won’t help you if they are just piled up in a heap, aptly says David Eddings(1967). Later realization that there is no alternative to it has made classification bounce back with a vengeance. Realities and challenges of organizing multimedia and networked information since late 1980s have given new teeth to this ancient tool of organizing knowledge. All information organization and access underlie classification of a sort. It has grown into a multi-disciplinary study spanning the twin fields of library and information sciences. It has developed into a full discipline, a multidisciplinary one. Accordingly, there has been a spurt of publications explicating the subject in its new avatar. Formation of the International Society for Knowledge Organisation (ISKO) in 1989 paved the way to its Second Coming.

 

2.1. Nature of Digital Documents

 

Range of digital information objects(DIOs) is vast and ever increasing. Digital world is still unfolding with new possibilities. Expectations rise with each passing day. It has made permanent inroads in every walk of our life. The features of the digital information and media are(Liu, 2004):

 

a) Highly compact storage and huge storage capacity is possible.

b) Ease of reproduction and manipulation is there.

c)Contents can be very easily detached from its media/container.

d)  Ease of transmission, communication and storage is striking.

e) Hypertext and multimedia formats integrate print, sound, text, images and animations.

f) Seamless integration of print and electronic resources is possible.

g) Sophisticated and multi-prong searches through keywords, free text, Boolean operators, class numbers, and natural language processing are being made.

h)    Wall-less libraries with the vision of multimedia global virtual library(MGVL) have inaugurated an era of “death of distance”.

 

2.2. Changing Scenario

 

Today knowledge organisation has become a highly dynamic field. The ongoing information revolution has made cracks in information gathering and dissemination paradigm of the print era. Recent spurt in the use of computers and telecom networks for information communication and retrieval has changed the way information is acquired, indexed, retrieved and used. Traditional methods of information processing and services are blurring. Library practices and use patterns are changing rapidly. From library and information management we have come to knowledge management. From text based information retrieval we have made our IR systems more nimble to organize digital images and hypermedia. “Modern libraries are increasingly being redefined as places to get unrestricted access to information in many formats and from many sources” (Hartman, 2007). A modern library is not a silo, but a gateway to the global world of information. New tools are being forged and new standards for information description, access and exchange are getting formulated in ignorance of such tools already existing in libraries. It shows lack of marketing skills on part of librarians to demonstrate the still validity of their traditional and time tested tools. No doubt, more innovative tools are needed to organize and access information in the form of sound, music, images, animations and multimedia. We need to develop and use new tools for knowledge organization and at the same time hone the traditional ones to cope with the new situation(Chan, 1995).

 

3. Classifying databases

 

Library classification is a dual act of first relating and then locating. Over the years, by hit and trail, we have learnt of the many applications of classification in organising and searching electronic databases and networks. Now it is obvious that classification improves precision and recall power of information systems (Broughton, 2004). Faceted classifications may be used to retrieve large sets of related or linked records by subject, language, form, area, period, viewpoint or format.(Gnoli and Mei, 2006). Hierarchy provides context to the searches; allows the searcher move up or down the chain to broaden or narrow the search: to move from the stem to branches (Ellis and Concelos, 1999). In other words it throws open a path for negotiation, query refinement and network navigation. But it is only one pattern. Electronic information, being fluid, is amenable to varied organizational patterns and access points.

 

3.1. Eight uses of classification in online systems:

 

Clearly, classification can play an important role in searching databases. There is obviously considerable potential and, where online retrieval systems are concerned, Elaine Svenonius (1983) envisaged eight uses of classification: In areas of knowledge admitting of natural taxonomies, classification can be used to improve recall and precision and to save the time of the user in keying in search terms. In other areas of knowledge, perspective hierarchies can be used to contextualise the meaning of vague search terms, enabling the computer to simulate in part the negotiation of a search request carried out by reference librarians. An important use of traditional classification in online systems is to provide a structure for meaningful browsing. Classification can be used to provide a framework for therepresentation and retrieval of none—bibliographic information, e.g. statistical data. Automatic classification can be used to collocate citations in ways not possible in manual systems, e.g. by similarity of linguistic features. Finally, classification can be used to achieve compatibility of retrieval languages by serving as a mediating or switching language.

 

3.2. Old Tools in New Vestures

 

Availability of traditional systems such as the DDC, UDC and LCC in electronic versions have not only equipped them with more features, but have made them more sharp and flexible.(Harvey and Hider,2004) We can construct virtual multidimensional classifications with hypertexts and poly-hierarchies(Irwin, 2001). Call number searches can be combined with verbal headings to produce wonderful result through Boolean operators, combination and permutation of terms and truncation facilities and fuzzy logic. Already the WebDeweyand Classification Web of the LC have a feature of class numbers mapped to subject headings. This is the best demonstration of symbiosis between classification and cataloguing that Ranganathan always advocated, and brought to the fore through his Chain Indexing. Records in a database could be classified by two different classification systems to view the alternative structure of knowledge to suit the needs of different users. Above all, a record could be assigned more than one class numbers by the same system as we do with keywords or subject headings in manual catalogues (Satija, 1999). Boolean searching can allow the simultaneous use of subject headings and class number. Hypertexts and poly-hierarchies can be maneuvered to make our IR systems efficient, interactive, even smart and intelligent.

 

4. Web Searching:

 

The web is simply a means of making vast quantities of information available in any form, but it has not been structured in any way to aid retrieval. Thus none of the carefully developed standards for information retrievalwhethervocabulary standardization, authority control or structural standardization through the International Standards Organization standard (ISO 2709), have been applied to most of the information available on the web. In addition, it should be recalled that theories of information retrieval and hence information retrieval systems have been developed, implemented and tested using document surrogates and not full-text documents. There has been limited testing of the efficacy of these systems for full text retrieval. While a body of ‘best practice’ knowledge and experience has been evolved regarding the searching of full text, yet it is believed that retrieval is poor with less than 20% of relevant documents retrieved (Hartley, 2002, p. 147).

 

4.1. Subject Access to the Internet

 

The WWW has emerged as a gold mine for access to information and documents on the Internet. But the mined harvest brings much more dross than pure gold. The web is chaotic and turbulent. Librarians are at work to bring some order to the chaos of information available on this information superhighway in order to improve subject access to it. There is no tradition of cataloguing or classification on the Web which is an uncontrolled but exponentially growinginformation source. Mostly one has to rely on automated tools such as search engines for subject access, especially through keywords access to full text documents. Word searching has its own inherent problems. Google search engine is hamstrung by poor scholarly search methods. Search engines are not able to recognize the conceptually equal words or synonyms or foreign languages. “They do not allow you to recognize related sources whose term you cannot think of before hand” (Mann, 2005). Further, in the ranked output, relevance rank is not the same as conceptual categorisation – later cannot be done by a machine algorithm. This categorisation is crucial to scholarship and information retrieval.

 

4.2.Use of conventional classification schemes:

 

Is it possible, then, to employ conventional schemes such as the Dewey Decimal Classification or the Library of Congress Classification for searching the Web? The answer, or course, is a qualified ‘Yes’, although services which make use of these schemes are usually non-commercial, much more restrictive than the search engines referred to above, and possibly experimental. In the early days of the Web, classification schemes such as UDC were used as organisers for many subject gateways, but by 2004Vanda Broughton was claiming that they had ‘largely been superseded in this role’. Various reasons, among others, for this are: lack of funding; difficulty of keeping up with the growth of the Web; change to another form of indexing; collaboration and merging of subject gateways and portals; and so on. NISS (National Information Services and Systems) used UDC as a subject gateway to its Directory of Networked Resources but NISS became part of HERO (Higher Education & Resource Opportunities) and ceased using UDC in 2003 (Hunter, 2009).However, there are still a number of services that use traditional schemes. The Dewey- Decimal Classification is used by ‘Webrary’ and ‘BUBL’. The Library of Congress Classification is used by ‘Cyberstacks’ and the ‘Scout Report Archives’ uses Library of Congress Subject Headings.

 

4.3. Use of the DDC:

 

Webrary is a service provided by the Morton GrovePublic Library [USA] (www.mgpl.org).It provides links to what are claimed to be the most useful reference and informational Web sites, organised by Dewey class numbers. Selecting one of the ten main classes of Dewey provides a breakdown for that class, e. g. for class 000:   000-     010-    020-    etc

 

Computers  Bibliography  Library  Science Upon selecting 020, two of the first relevant sites named are those of the ‘American Library Association’ and the ‘Library of Congress Information System’.

 

The BUBL Information Service(originally,Bulletin Board for Libraries) for the library and higher education community also uses the DDCsystem as the primary organisation structure for its catalogue of internet resources. The search method is similar to that used by the Webrary. The home page shows the main ten classes of Dewey from which the required class can be selected. This will give a breakdown of the divisions in that class from which further selection can be made. For example,on selecting 200 Religion and then 220 Bible and then at 220.3 we get Encyclopedias and dictionaries of the Bible.

 

4.4.Use of the LCC:

 

Cyberstacks (sm) is a collection of significant Web and other Internet resources categorised using the Library of Congress Classification. At present, CyberStacks (sm) is a prototype demonstration service and is limited to significant Internet resources in selected fields of science and technology. As with Webrary, resources are categorised firstly within a broad classification, e.g.

 

Q                     Science

R                     Medicine

S                    Agriculture

T                     Technology

 

Then within narrower subclasses and finally under a specific classification range and associated subject description. For example, ‘T Technology’ might be selected from the main menu, then ‘TL A Motor vehicles, Aeronautics and Astronautics’ from the sub-classes, and finally ‘TL 787- 4050 Astronautics’ from the specific classification range. A relevant resource listed here is ‘NASA Astronaut Biographies’. For each resource, a brief summary is provided and, when necessary, instructions on using the resource are given.

 

4.4.1. Use of LC Subject Headings

 

The Scout Report Archives, is a searchable and browsable database of nearly nine years of the Scout Report. Searches may be made under keyword or a more advanced search may be made in other fields such as title, author, publisher or Library of Congress Subject Headings. If, for instance, ‘D’ is selected from the ‘Browse by Library of Congress Subject Headings’ alphabetical array, a list ofheadings beginning with that letter is displayed. Among these will be found ‘Dinosaurs (67)’. This indicates that there are 67 resources with subject headings that start with the term ‘Dinosaurs’. Selecting this entry will reveal a list of ‘Resources (l9)’ enter directly under ‘Dinosaurs’ and further ‘Classifications’, or subheadings, such as ‘Bibliographies (4) Databases (1) and Study and Teaching (15), relating to other resources. One subheading listed here is ‘Cardiovascular system (2)’ and selecting this will, for example, reveal the site ‘Willo: the dinosaur with a heart’,discovery of a fossilised dinosaur heart that refers to the Report Archives contain over 25,000 critical annotations of carefully selected sites.

 

4.5. Special Schemes

 

By certain subject services, the use of special rather than general classification schemes or lists of subject headings is considered more useful. Among the options offered by “Intute: Social Sciences,” for instance, is an online thesaurus. This is a service which aims to provide details of theselected best Web resources for education and research in the social sciences. The thesaurus enginealso refers to alternative search terms to the one selected, organised into a hierarchy of relationships. For example, searching for ‘Offences’ will produce the following suggested matches:

 

drinking offences [0]

 

driving offences [4]

 

offences [78]

 

political offences [2]

 

sexual offences [19]

 

At this point, one may examine the items indexed under a particular term (the number being indicated in parentheses) or continue to consult the thesaurus. Clicking on ‘sexual offences’, for instance, will give the following:

 

Broader terms                         Narrower terms                     Related terms

Offences [65]
pornography [15]
prostitution [38]
rape [44]
sexual behavior [21]
sexual harassment [29]
gender [730]
child sexual abuse [30]
behavioural disorders [5]

 

Again, one has the option of examining the items indexed or keep on consulting the thesaurus. If, at this point, it is decided that ‘behavioural disorders’ is the term required, selecting this will reveal the five items. These include, for instance, details of the Website of the Association for the Advancement of Behavioural Therapy.

 

4.6. Search Directories vs Search Engines

 

It should be noted that services such as Webrary, BUBL and the Scout Report Archives offer other facilities such as searching by keywords. However, as stated above, these services are far less exhaustive than commercial search engines. They are more properly described as search directories or catalogues rather than search engines. The latter attempts to seek out as many as possible of the Web pages that match a particular search criteria. The former is more selective in that it is limited to a particular directory’s database; sites are usually categorised and therefore this type of directory is more likely to utilise hierarchically organised and cross-referenced structures. The difference in coveragecan be illustrated by the fact that the 38 ‘hits’ for ‘prostitution’ on the Intute: Social sciences service compares with over 16 million on Google!

 

 

5. Googling

 

Let us take the example of Google, which is veritably considered as the prince among search engines. Among Google’s search facilities is a search by category. It is claimed that it provides a convenient way to refine the search on a particular topic. Searching within a category of interest allows to quickly narrow down to only the most relevant information(Hunter, 2009).

 

There are two ways of doing this:

a) One is to work down through the hierarchies. For instance for information on

 

“potted plants” one might choose ‘Home’ from the top display of categories, then ‘Gardens’ from the display of sub-categories, then on to the ‘Plants’ listed under ‘Garden’.

 

Home→Gardens→Plants→Potted

 

b) The other way is to search alphabetically first for particular topic and then narrow or refine the search by selecting a particular topic of interest. It is just like operating a relative index of the Dewey Decimal Classification. For example, if a search is conducted for ‘Venus’, the result will be a wide range of sites covering such entities as Venus as a planet, Venus as a goddess, Venus temple, the Venus Dating Agency, Venus Internet Ltd., Radio Venus, and so on. Let us see the hierarchy of categories given against particular sites:

 

Science→Astronomy→Planets→Venus

It is comparatively easy to select the category into which specific requirement falls.

Take another example, Clicking ‘Elizabethan literature’ from the last hierarchy below, for example, will lead to those sites concerned with Shakespeare.

Literature > English > Plays > Elizabethan > Shakespeare > Work

 

It is reverse of the disciplinary approach, and similar to the one used by J D Brown (1862-1914) in his Subject Classification (1906). The WWW a huge, turbulent and complex source of information will definitely benefit from traditional skills and facet analysis tools of librarians (Sparck Jones, 2005).

 

6. Problems and Prospects

 

Arguably these categories are half-baked and semi professional attempts. Although the hierarchical structures do support subject browsing, yet the nature of the ‘classification’ in these search engines does not appear to be as systematic as can be found in the more traditional library schemes; frequently cross-classification is apparent. Another disadvantage is that they do not have a notation. Though a notation is not absolutely necessary for a system of classification to work, it can provide added value and save us from the problems of uncontrolled vocabulary.

 

6.1. Question

 

Current question is how far these traditional systems and skills are effectively transferable in the new information environment. Chan(1995) pointedly identifies two questions still groping for answers: How to adapt the web retrieval tools for use in library OPACs? ; and conversely, how to adapt the traditional tools for subject retrieval, such as classifications and subject headings, in library catalogues for data mining and resource discovery?

 

So far the use of classification in databases and Internet sites is shallow and too simple to make way for useful browsing. These may be seen as, to quote St. Paul, “having form of classification but denying its power” (MacLennan). Ranganathan called them classification which do not classify(Ranaganathan, 1967). The need is as to develop and integrate traditional classifications and thesauri and the Internet tools to manage hypertext linkages between electronic documents. We need to integrate classification with language processing tools, Boolean operators, concept indexing to augment tool for efficient retrieval of material for multimedia virtual global library(MVGL)(Slavic, 2006).

 

6.2.Prospects

 

Hypermedia cannot be adequately classified by a traditional classification with static hierarchies. Internet flexibility or manipulation of documents should allow for creation of more linkages between subject hierarchies. Internet resources do not require a physical location in the stacks and are thus freed from the need for a linear arrangement. Even cross classification, a defect in traditional systems, can prove a virtue here (Irwin, 2001). Classification theory can provide many new avenues. But one agrees with Robert Newton(2000) that “Ranganathan’s distinctive and radical thinking in his numerous books and papers and the significance of the paradigm shift in classification theory which he inaugurated has not yet been fully mined.” Ranganathan’s facet and Phase analysis, facet sequence, helpful sequence principles, and other Canons in the Idea Plane are immensely helpful in query formulation for better precision of output(Yogeshgwar, 2001). Though the library professionals have been quite successful in applying library classification to networked resources, yet much remains to be done to make them more amenable to this highly dynamic and flexible digital environment. Classifications and other controlled vocabularies were never so badly needed as in the information society.

 

7. Notes:

7.1.BUBL,

Though it began as the Bulletin Board for Libraries back in 1990 the BUBL Information Service was relaunched on 23 March 1997 is now based entirely at Strathclyde University Library. It moved from UKOLN in Bath during the first quarter of 1997. http://bubl.ac.uk/BUBL provides a national information service for two audiences: the higher education community in general, and the library and information science community in particular who assist users with their information requirements. Firstly, BUBL LINK is a searchable database of Internet resources of academic relevance, organised by DDC (Dewey Decimal Classification) and browsable by subject or class number. Where numerous items all have the same general class number, e.g. 540 Chemistry, they are organised according to type, e.g. societies, departments, companies, journals, rather than as a long alphabetical list

 

7.2. CyberStacks(sm)

 

Maintained by the Iowa State University CyberStacks(sm) is a centralized, integrated, and unified collection of significant Web and other Internet resources categorized using the Library of Congress Classification scheme. Resources are organized under one or more relevant Library of Congress class numbers and an associated publication format and subject description. The majority of resources incorporated within its collection are monographic or serial works, files, databases or search services. All of the selected resources in CyberStacks(sm) are full-text, hypertext, or, hypermedia, and of a research or scholarly nature.

 

Using an abridged Library of Congress Classification number, Cyberstacks(sm) allows users to browse through a virtual library stacks to identify potentially relevant information resources. Resources are categorized:

 

*  first within a broad classification,

 

*  then within narrower subclasses,

 

*    and then finally listed under a specific classification range and associated subject description that best match the content and coverage of the resource.

 

For each resource, a brief summary is provided, and when necessary, specific instructions on using the resource are also included. Where appropriate, the mode of access to the resource is noted, as is the subject coverage and scope; notable features, where applicable, are also included. At present, CyberStacks(sm) is a prototype demonstration service and is limited to significant WWW and other Internet resources in selected fields of Science and Technology.

 

7.3. The Scout Report Archives

 

Provider: University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Letters and Sciences

This weekly publication offers a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators. The Scout Report Archives is a searchable and browse-able database to over nine years’ worth of the Scout Report and subject-specific Scout Reports. It contains over 25,000 critical annotations of carefully selected Internet sites and mailing lists.

 

7.4. Webrary

 

Webrary is a service provided by the Morton GrovePublic Library, IL, USA (www.mgpl.org).It provides links to what are claimed to be the most useful reference and informational Web sites

 

Acknowledgement: Most of the ideas and words in this module have been taken unabashedly from Eric J Hunter’s classic book Classification MadeSimple,3rd ed(2009)

 

8.Glossary

 

 E-documents

 

It is an abbreviated term for electronic documents, are documents that exist only in electronic or digital form such as data stored on a computer, network, backup, archive or other storage media. Examples of documents subject to e-discovery are e-mails, voicemails, instant messages, audio files, data on handheld devices, animation, metadata, graphics, photographs, spreadsheets, websites, drawings and other types of digital data. An electronic document is any electronic media content (other than computer programs or system files) that are intended to be used in either an electronic form or as printed output.

 

Internet

 

Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to link several billion devices worldwide. It is an international network of networks that consists of millions of private, public, academic, business, and government packet switched networks, linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless, and optical networking technologies. The Internet carries an extensive range of information resources and services, such as the inter-linked hypertext documents and applications of the World Wide Web (WWW), the infrastructure to support email, and peer-to-peer networks for file sharing and telephony.

 

Web directory

 

Web directory, also called link directory, is a directory on the World Wide Web.It specializes in linking to other web sites and in categorizing those links.A web directory is not a search engine and does not display lists of web pages based on keywords; instead, it lists web sites by category and subcategory.Most web directory entries are also not found by web crawlers but by humans. The categorization is usually based on the whole web site rather than one page or a set of keywords, and sites are often limited to inclusion in only a few categories. Web directories often allow site owners to submit their site for inclusion, and have editors who review submissions for fitness.

 

Web search engine

 

It is a software system that is designed to search for information on the World Wide Web. The search results are generally presented in a ranked list of results often referred to as search engine results pages (SERPs). The information may be a mix of web pages, images, and other types of files

 

World WideWeb

 

Abbreviated as WWW or W3 commonly known as the Web, is a system of interlinked hypertext documents that are accessed via the Internet. With a web browser, one can view web pages that may contain text, images, videos, and other multimedia and navigate between them via hyperlinks. SirTim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist and former CERN employee, is considered the inventor of the Web whose1989 proposal was meant for a more effective CERN communication system. Later Berners-Lee eventually realised the concept could be implemented throughout the world.

 

9. References and further Readings:

 

  • Batley, Sue .2005. Classification in Theory and Practice. Oxford: Chandos Publishing.
  • Broughton, Vanda .2004. Essential Classification. London: Facet Publishing.
  • Chan, Lois Mai .1995.Classification: present and future.Cat &Classif. Qly, 21(2): 5-17.
  • Eddings, David .1967. King of Murgos. New York: Ballitine Books
  • Ellis, David and Concelos, Vas .1999. “Ranganathan and Net: Using facet analysis to search and organize the World Wide Web”Aslib Proceedings 51(1) 3-11.
  • Glassel, Aimee .1998. “Was Ranganathan a Yahoo” http://scout .wisc.edu/project.(accessed 10 October 2013)
  • Gnoli,C and Mei,H .2006.Freely faceted classification for web based information retrieval. New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 12(1),63-81
  • Hartley, R.J. 2002. “Information Retrieval in the Electronic Environment” In: International Yearbook on Library and Information Management” e.d. by Gary Gorman. London: Library Association Publishing pp. 143-165.
  • Hartman, Tracy .2007. The Changing of US libraries. Libri. 57(1),1-8.
  • Harvey, Ross and Hider, Phillip(2004). Organising Knowledge in a Global Society: Principles and Practices in Libraries and Information Centres. Waga, Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.
  • Hunter, Eric J .2009. Classification Made Simple, 3rded. Aldershot, Haunts(UK): Ashgate Publishing.
  • Irwin, Susan .2001. Classification Theory and Internet: A move toward Multidimensional Classification. www.du.edu/lisa/students/student_papers/Irwin.htm. (accessed on 20 November, 2013).
  • Liu, Ziming .2004. The evolution of documents and its impacts. Jl of Documentation 60(3): 279-288.
  • MacLennan, Alan .2000.Classification and the Internet”, In Marcella, Rita and Maltby Arthur, eds: The Future of Classification. Aldershot: Gower,pp. 59-67.
  • Mann, Thomas, “Will Google’s keyword searching eliminate the need for LC cataloging and classification”, www. guild2910.org/searching .htm.(Accessed on 10 October 2013).
  • Newton, Robert .2000.Information technology and new dimensions. In: Marcella andMaltby(eds.), Future of Classification. Aldershot,UK: Gower,pp. 43-45.
  • Ranganathan, S. R .1967. Prolegomena to Library Classification. Bombay: Asia.
  • Satija, M.P.1999.Technical services in the electronic information environment. Desidoc Bulletin, 19(3): 15-21.
  • Satija,    M.P.1998.Classification:    some     fundamentals     some     myths.      Knowledge Organisation, 25 (1-2): 32-35.
  • Slavic,A. 2006. “UDC in Subject gateways: experiments or opportunity?”,Knowledge Organisation 33(2): 67-85
  • SparckJones,K. 2005. “Revisiting classification for retrieval”. Jl of Documentation,61(5): 598-601
  • Svenonius, Elaine. 1983. “Use of Classification in online retrieval” Lib. Resources & Tech. Serv. 27 (1): 76-80.
  • www.webrary.org
  • www.bubl.ac.uk
  • www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/
  • www.scout.wisc.edu/Archives/
  • Yogeshwar, R. S. R. Ranganathan(2001). Pragmatic Philosopher of Information Science:
  • A Personal Biography. Mumbai: BhartiyaVidyaBhavan.

Learn More:

 

Module LIS/KOP – C/17: Classification and Information Technology

  1. Do you know
  • There is no computerized retrieval but only computer assisted information retrieval systems (CAIRS).
  • In 1970s, the computer enthusiasts had erroneously begun to think that classification has become irrelevant in automated libraries. They thought keywords are quite effective in retrieval. This has been proved wrong.
  1. Points to remember
  • Every set of resource in a library, be it print, AV or electronic needs organisation for its optimum use.
  • Digital documents have many additional useful features and magical properties which allow multipronged access.
  • In the e-environment the KO has become highly dynamic. In fact it is passing through its second golden age.
  • We can construct multidimensional and polyhierarchical classifications with hypertexts.
  • In OPACs and online databases Boolean searches, thesauri, truncation, combining class numbers with subject headings are easily possible.
  • Internet is a vast but chaotic sea of information. It has more chaff than grains.
  • It needs organisations more than the traditional libraries.
  • Hypermedia cannot be effectively classified with traditional classification with static hierarchy.
  • Traditional tools like the DDC or LCSH along with new tools can be used effectively for its organisation and retrieval.
  • Use of traditional methods is very elemental or half-baked in organising the web.
  • Ranganathan’s approach if used fully can be very effective to solve the problem of organising web resources.