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Relative Index Headings in the Dewey Decimal Classification

Relative Index Headings in the Dewey Decimal Classification. Taxonomy Tuesday July 22, 2008 Rebecca Green Assistant Editor, DDC. Outline. Introduction/review Taxonomic structure of DDC schedules Role of Relative Index as a controlled vocabulary

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Relative Index Headings in the Dewey Decimal Classification

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  1. Relative Index Headings in theDewey Decimal Classification Taxonomy Tuesday July 22, 2008 Rebecca Green Assistant Editor, DDC

  2. Outline • Introduction/review • Taxonomic structure of DDC schedules • Role of Relative Index as a controlled vocabulary • Project to clarify nature of relationship of Relative Index terms to classes they index

  3. Parts of the DDC • Schedules 000-999 > 26,000 • Tables 1-6 > 9,000 • Manual ca. 350 • Relative Index > 72,000

  4. Disciplinary basis (1) • DDC is arranged by discipline • Any given subject may be treated in more than one discipline ... • ... and thus may appear in more than one place in DDC.

  5. Disciplinary basis (2) • 400 Language • 500 Science • 600 Technology • 700 Arts & recreation • 800 Literature • 900 History & geography • DDC main classes • 000 Computer science, • information & • general works • 100 Philosophy & • psychology • 200 Religion • 300 Social sciences

  6. Hierarchy • Expressed through notation • Expressed through structure

  7. Notational hierarchy (1) • Expressed by length of notation • Any given subject usually subordinate to topic whose notation is one digit shorter

  8. Notational hierarchy (2) • Children—psychology • 100 Philosophy, parapsychology and occultism, • psychology • 150 Psychology • 155 Differential and developmental psychology • 155.4 Child psychology

  9. Structural hierarchy (1) • Every subject subordinate to (i.e., part of) all the broader subjects above it • Hierarchical force: whatever is true of the whole is true of the parts

  10. Structural hierarchy (2) • Drawing children • 743.4 Drawing human figures • 743.45 Children • Thus, drawing children classed in 743.45

  11. Structural and notational hierarchy • For most part structural and notational hierarchies coincide • Among exceptions: • Centered entries • See references

  12. Centered entries • Casualty insurance > 368.5-368.8 Casualty insurance Class comprehensive works in 368.5 368.5 Liability insurance 368.6 Glass insurance 368.7 Insurance against industrial casualties (accidents) 368.8 Other casualty insurance

  13. See references • Used to indicate that, although subject is logically part of hierarchy where reference appears, it is classed elsewhere • 570 Life sciences Biology For paleontology, see 560; for plants, see 580; for animals, see 590; for medical sciences, see 610

  14. Tools for locating classes in taxonomy • Hierarchical organization • Summaries • Class elsewhere notes • See and See also references • Relative Index

  15. Class-elsewhere notes • 552 Petrology • Class structural geology in 551.8 • 662.625 Uses of coal Class a specific use with the use, e.g., metallurgical use 669.81

  16. See references • 331.893 Other labor measures Class here comprehensive works on labor violence For violence in strikes, see 331.892

  17. See-also references • 364.15554 Child abuse • See also 364.1536 for incest; also 364.174 for pornography

  18. Relative Index (1) • Clothing 391 • arts 746.92 • customs 391 • home sewing 646.4 • product safety 363.19 • psychological influence 155.95

  19. Relative Index (2) • Internet 004.678 • information systems 025.04 • sociology 302.231 • see also Computer communications • see also Manual at 004.678 vs. 006.7, 025.04, 384.33

  20. Relative Index (3) • Significant effort goes into: • Maintaining consistency among headings and subheadings • Maintaining relationships among Relative Index terms • Mapping Relative Index terms to Schedule and Table classes

  21. Project • Clarify nature of relationship of Relative Index terms to classes they index

  22. DDC classes • Class as gathering point for set of topics • Caption • Including concepts • Class here concepts

  23. Example class • 796.86 Fencing • Including bojutsu, kendo • Class here sword fighting

  24. Topics in classes (1) • Some topics approximate the whole of the meaning of the class • Some topics are in standing room in the class

  25. Topics in classes (2) • Approximating the whole vs. standing room: • Standard subdivisions can only be added for topics that approximate the whole of the class, not for those in standing room • Future expansion anticipated for topics in standing room, not for those that approximate the whole • Topics in class-here notes approximate the whole of the class; topics in including notes are in standing room

  26. Class-here notes (1) • Class-here notes • List major subjects included in a class • List subjects that approximate the whole of the class, even if broader or narrower than the caption; also used to indicate comprehensive or interdisciplinary numbers • Have hierarchical force • Standard subdivisions can be added; other number-building techniques allowed

  27. Class-here notes (2) • Class-here notes—examples • 333.95 Biological resources • Class here biodiversity, biosphere • T2—71133 Greater Vancouver Regional District • Class here Vancouver

  28. Class-here notes (3) DDC structure • Class-here notes—examples—cont. • 306.9 Institutions pertaining to death • Class here interdisciplinary works on death • 368.82 Burglary, robbery, theft insurance • Class here comprehensive works on crime insurance

  29. Including notes (1) • Including notes • List subjects in standing room at a number • Do not have hierarchical force • Standard subdivisions cannot be added • Other number-building techniques not allowed

  30. Including notes (2) • Including notes—example • 577.699 Seashore ecology • Including ecology of rock pools, sea caves, tidal flats, tide pools • Note: Standard subdivisions can be added for seashore ecology, but not for, e.g., ecology of tide pools.

  31. Relative Index terms and class topics • Explicitly: Relative Index terms index class as whole • Implicitly: Relative Index terms associated with specific topics in class • Specific associations not recorded • Don’t know if Relative Index term topic approximates the whole of the class or is in standing room there • Project attempts to make this designation automatically

  32. Motivation • Correct decision on addition of standard subdivisions • Maintenance of scheme: if topic moves to another class, associated Relative Index term should, too • Support automated reasoning in scheme, e.g., discover parallelisms in scheme

  33. Difficulties • Identification of topics • Topics in caption • Some approximate whole • Some in standing room • Paraphrase relationship between topics in schedules and Relative Index terms (morphological, syntactic, semantic)

  34. Captions • Number of topics in caption • Single-topic • No subclasses • Generalization of subclasses • Multitopic • Dual headings • Caption as series • Parentheticals in captions

  35. Example • 133.3 Divinatory arts • Including fortune-telling by bones, • dice, pendulum • Relative Index terms: • Bones—divination • Dice—divination • Pendulums—divination

  36. Example—Cont. • 133.3 Divinatory arts • Class here . . . occult methods of foretelling the future • Relative Index terms: • Forecasting—occultism • Predictions—occultism • Prophecies—occultism

  37. Two-phase approach • In schedules Isolate topics Determine if topics approximate whole of class (AW) or are in standing room (SR) • Match Relative Index terms to schedule topics

  38. Topic isolation • Sign languages used primarily for purposes other than communication of deaf people • Systems programsOperating systems • Satellites and rings; eclipses, transits, occultations • Religious experience, life, practice [can’t parse reliably]

  39. Approximates-the-whole topics • Topic in single topic caption • All topics in class-here note • Topic in multitopic caption, with note that standard subdivisions are added for: Any and all topics in heading Either or both topics in heading The specific topic alone

  40. Standing room topics • All topics in including notes • Topic in multitopic caption, with note for adding standard subdivisions, not meeting criteria for approximating the whole • Topic in multitopic caption, without note for adding standard subdivisions, that matches topic in subordinate caption

  41. Standard subdivisions note • 749 Furniture and accessories Standard subdivisions are added for furniture and accessories together, for furniture alone

  42. Matching RI terms to topics:EXACT match 149.94 Linguistic philosophies Including ordinary language philosophy RI: Ordinary language philosophy (SR)

  43. Matching RI terms to topics:EXACT match 121 Epistemology (Theory of knowledge) 121.63      Certainty and probability Standard subdivisions are added for either or both topics in heading RI: Probabilities—epistemology (AW)

  44. Matching RI terms to topics:IN match • 620 Engineering • 627.52      Irrigation • Class here construction and use of irrigation canals • RI: Irrigationcanals—engineering(AW)

  45. Matching RI terms to topics:KEYWORD match • 384.14      *Activities and services • Including Morse and other code telegraphy, printing telegraphy; stock tickers, teletype, telex; comprehensive works on facsimile transmission • RI: Morsecode telegraphy (SR)

  46. Matching RI terms to topics:KEYWORD match • 384.51      *Satellitecommunication • RI: Communicationssatellites (AW) • 384.54      *Radiobroadcasting • Class here public broadcasting (noncommercial broadcasting), public aspects of amateur radio, interdisciplinary works on radiobroadcasting and television broadcasting • RI: Noncommercialradio(AW)

  47. Matching RI terms to topics:PARTIAL (50%+) match • 748    Glass • 748.6      Methods of decoration • RI: Decorative treatment—glass(AW)

  48. Results

  49. Future work (1) • Observe hierarchical force • 302 Social interaction • Class here . . . social psychology • 302.24 Content • Including gossip, rumor • RI: Rumor—social psychology

  50. Future work (2) • Don’t require match on Relative Index qualifier • 335.2 Systems of French origin • Including Babouvism, Icarianism • RI: Babouvism (Socialist school)

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