Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The need for classification
- 3 First principles of classification
- 4 The variety of classification: systems and structures
- 5 The classification scheme: internal structure
- 6 Types of classification scheme
- 7 Order in the classification scheme
- 8 Content analysis 1: document description
- 9 Content analysis 2: practical constraints
- 10 Controlled indexing languages
- 11 Word-based approaches to retrieval
- 12 Library of Congress Subject Headings 1: basic headings
- 13 Library of Congress Subject Headings 2: structured headings
- 14 Classification scheme application
- 15 Library of Congress Classification 1: basic classmark construction
- 16 Library of Congress Classification 2: use of tables
- 17 Dewey Decimal Classification 1: general properties and basic numbers
- 18 Dewey Decimal Classification 2: number building
- 19 Universal Decimal Classification 1: general properties and basic number building
- 20 Universal Decimal Classification 2: auxiliary tables
- 21 Faceted classification
- 22 Managing classification
- 23 Classification in digital space
- Glossary
- Bibliography and further reading
- Index
14 - Classification scheme application
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The need for classification
- 3 First principles of classification
- 4 The variety of classification: systems and structures
- 5 The classification scheme: internal structure
- 6 Types of classification scheme
- 7 Order in the classification scheme
- 8 Content analysis 1: document description
- 9 Content analysis 2: practical constraints
- 10 Controlled indexing languages
- 11 Word-based approaches to retrieval
- 12 Library of Congress Subject Headings 1: basic headings
- 13 Library of Congress Subject Headings 2: structured headings
- 14 Classification scheme application
- 15 Library of Congress Classification 1: basic classmark construction
- 16 Library of Congress Classification 2: use of tables
- 17 Dewey Decimal Classification 1: general properties and basic numbers
- 18 Dewey Decimal Classification 2: number building
- 19 Universal Decimal Classification 1: general properties and basic number building
- 20 Universal Decimal Classification 2: auxiliary tables
- 21 Faceted classification
- 22 Managing classification
- 23 Classification in digital space
- Glossary
- Bibliography and further reading
- Index
Summary
When the content of the document is decided, and the concept analysis made, the time has come to translate this into the specific language of your chosen scheme. We shall examine several of the general schemes in detail, but first we are going to look at the general appearance and features of a classification scheme, and how to go about using one.
For the beginner classifier one of the greatest difficulties lies in simply navigating the scheme. This is because at the outset you have little idea of the overall order and structure of the scheme, and no expectation of what you might find in terms of the vocabulary or level of detail. This feeling is multiplied if you're not familiar with any scheme, since the general idea of which topics belong in which discipline tends to be common to them all – what we call consensus – and knowledge of one system is helpful in second guessing the location of classes in another.
Don't therefore be alarmed, if, when you start cataloguing, you spend a long time looking for things – this is quite usual and you will soon speed up when you get to know the scheme better.
In this chapter we'll look at the various parts of a published schedule, and examine some ways to help you find your way round a big scheme.
The composition of the classification scheme
A classification scheme consists of two parts: the systematic display (or schedules) and the index. Both are important in the application of the scheme, and you should examine both carefully when classifying.
The index
We'll begin with the index, because this is where, as a novice, you will have to start.
In Chapter 4 we discussed how an aspect classification scatters the various aspects of an entity, using the rabbit as an example. The index is very important because it is where the distributed relatives are brought together in an aspect classification and where you find out all the possible places to put a book about rabbits. Although you might make an educated guess at where your subject occurs, you will need the index to discover for certain the various places where your subject is provided for. If you go straight to the schedule you may miss a better location for your document.
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- Information
- Essential Classification , pp. 153 - 160Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2015