Subject languages, part 1 Scope

Goals of subject languages Ranganathan: To provide a helpful sequence of documents, so that: Readers discover topics that may be useful. Books can display their potential to readers. Svenonius: To improve collocation in retrieval; to navigate the bibliographic universe; to represent knowledge (as opposed to information).

Components of subject languages Subject languages contain concepts represented as terms. The concept of “pH of water components of soil, and the effects of this pH on the soil’s use in supporting plant life,” may be represented as the term “soil acidity.”

Defining subject language scope What marks the extent of a subject? Should a classification of “information organization” as a subject include information retrieval? Should it include philosophy of language? Should it include critical theory? How does one make such decisions?

Rationale for including concepts in subject languages Literary warrant. Use warrant. Structural warrant. Cultural warrant. Others?

Example of structural warrant atmospheric railway cable haulage railway counterbalanced railway water balance railway rope haulage railway gravity railway animal powered railway horse railway locomotive railway electric railway From the MDA Railway Object Name thesaurus

Defining subject domains as discourse communities Hjorland and Albrechtsen argue that information systems should be based on discourse communities of academic disciplines. Psychology = what psychology researchers say, because this is the closest we can get to the “reality” of psychology.

Representing competing ideas in a subject domain But a behaviorist psychologist and a psychologist who adopts a psychoanalytic perspective may have widely differing views, even on basic concepts. Hjorland and Albrechtsen contend that a domain analysis should uncover these schools of thought that exist within a discipline, in order to represent them within an information system.

Understanding the significance of domain analysis The domain analytic approach acknowledges problems with the semantic validity of information systems and asserts the need for systematic and rigorous justification for knowledge representations. The domain analytic approach clarifies that a subject may have many interpretations and provides a means for validating some of those interpretations.

Understanding the limitations of domain analysis The domain analytic approach ignores concerns related to an information system’s audience and purpose. The domain analytic approach doesn’t explain how a designer of subject languages should decide between competing approaches to the subject.

Understanding your responsibility as a classificationist A domain analysis won’t actually make decisions for you; it will just provide information for you to use, in concert with your audience description, classification purpose, and your own goals and editorial judgment. Every classification is a type of argument for a particular interpretation of a subject. You need to own that!

Performing a domain analysis Find documents that help you determine ontology (important things), epistemology (important problems, theories, methods and practices), and social structures in the selected domain. For example: –FAQs, beginners’ guides, and textbooks. –Bibliographies. –Professional organizations. –Online user forums. –Actual people!

For your assignment: Domain research will help you figure out the potential shapes of a subject: meaning, scope, extent. A defined audience and purpose will help you decide which of various shapes to implement. Your goals matter too!