1. Module 8a: Faceted Classification
IMT530: Organization of Information Resources
Winter 2008
Michael Crandall

2. Overview Enumerated vs. analytico-synthetic techniques
4/16/2017
Overview
Enumerated vs. analytico-synthetic techniques
History of faceted classification – Ranganathan & CRG
Facets
Examples
Facet analysis
Spiteri’s simplified model
Process
Use of facets in information systems
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

3. Enumerated Classification vs. Faceted Classification
4/16/2017
Enumerated Classification vs. Faceted Classification
Enumerated classification
One-dimensional
Dewey Decimal Classification System
Library of Congress Classification System
Rigid hierarchical approach
Gives a single schedule that enumerates fully the classes and their ready-made class numbers
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

4. Enumerated Classification vs. Faceted Classification
4/16/2017
Enumerated Classification vs. Faceted Classification
Analytico-Synthetic (Faceted Classification)
Multi-dimensional
Clearly defined, mutually exclusive, and collectively exhaustive aspects, properties, or characteristics of a class or specific subject
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

5. Faceted Classification
4/16/2017
Faceted Classification
FA (Facet Analysis) - (analytical technique)
Listing of characteristics of the entities in a universe (exhaustive, mutually exclusive)
FC (Facet Classification) - (synthetic structure)
Structure – division of entities in a universe (by one characteristic at a time)
Synthesis – combination of relevant facets:
Schedule of terms for description
Assignment of notation
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

6. Origin of Faceted Classification
4/16/2017
Origin of Faceted Classification
A Hindu mathematician
Worked as a librarian
Started from the limits of traditional enumerative classification systems
Attempted to describe the entire universe of ideas
1930s
Colon Classification – Analytico-synthetic classification system (1933)
Ranganathan ( )
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

7. Basic Ranganathan Analyze each document
4/16/2017
Basic Ranganathan
Analyze each document
Group isolates (simple-concept subjects) into the facets
Order the isolates within the facets
Establish a citation order for facets (Ranganathan’s is P-M-E-S-T)
Establish a schedule order for the facets
Apply the notational system
Compile schedules & generate an index
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

8. Ranganathan’s 5 Facets Personality : Who Matter: What Energy: How
4/16/2017
Ranganathan’s 5 Facets
Personality : Who
Matter: What
Energy: How
Space: Where
Time: When
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

9. Ranganathan’s Rule 46 Canons : Must follow
4/16/2017
Ranganathan’s Rule
46 Canons : Must follow
13 Postulates : Strongly recommended
22 Principles : Strongly recommended
Canons: most
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

10. Examples Ranganathan's Colon Classification
4/16/2017
Examples
Ranganathan's Colon Classification
research in the cure of tuberculosis of lungs by x-ray conducted in India in 1950
L,45;421:6;253:f.44'N5
Medicine,Lungs;Tuberculosis:Treatment;X-ray:Research.India'1950
Ranganathan’s approach to developing a universal classification system with a fine level of granularity didn’t meet with universal appreciation
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

11. Classification Research Group (CRG)
4/16/2017
Classification Research Group (CRG)
UK (1952)
Produced classification systems for narrower, specialized areas
Designed several subject-specific faceted classification systems
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

12. Ranganathan & the CRG Agree about the essential qualities of a facet
Mutually exclusive; each facet represents a characteristic not found in any other facet
Relationships between facets are non-hierarchical
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

13. 4/16/2017
Facets
The broad categories into which the subject area is divided. A facet consists “... of a group of terms that represents one, and only one, characteristic of division of a subject field....no two facets may contain terms that could represent the same concepts.” Spiteri, L. (1998) A Simplified Model for Facet Analysis. Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science v23, 1-30 (April-July 1998).
“Clearly defined, mutually exclusive, and collectively exhaustive aspects, properties or characteristics of a class or specific subject" Maple, A. (1995) Faceted Access: A Review of the Literature
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

14. Examples of Facets Petersen (1994) – the Art & Architecture Thesaurus
4/16/2017
Examples of Facets
Petersen (1994) – the Art & Architecture Thesaurus
Associated Concepts/ Physical Attributes/ Styles and Periods/ Agents / Activities/ Materials/ Objects
Business
Products/ Applications/ Organizations/ People/ Domain objects/ Events/ Publications
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

15. Epicurious.com Recipe collection on the web Cuisine
Special considerations
Meal/Course
Dish
Main Ingredients
Preparation methods
Season/Occasion
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

16. Examples Faceted Classification Tools
4/16/2017
Examples
Faceted Classification
Epicurious
Wine.com
Flamenco
Images of England
lawforwa.org
FAT-HUM Project
Tools
FacetMap’s Wine demonstration
Siderean software
Endeca software
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

17. Characteristics of a Faceted Classification System
4/16/2017
Characteristics of a Faceted Classification System
Based on the important, essential or persistent characteristics of content objects
More than hierarchies
Easy to extend by adding a new facet
Flexibility
Easier to construct
Easy to formulate composite subjects
Easy to accommodate new concepts
Provides multiple access points to content
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

18. 4/16/2017
Facet Analysis
“Facet analysis is a mental process involving analysis of a subject into its facets based on a set of postulates, canons and principles. It provides a framework to accommodate various types of terms, along with rules for their combination.”—K. Kumar
Facet analysis is the sorting of terms in a given field of knowledge into “homogenous, mutually exclusive facets, each derived from the parent universe by a single characteristic of division ... every distinctive logical category should be isolated, every new characteristic of division should be clearly indicated.” —B. C. Vickery
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

19. 4/16/2017
Planes of Work
The Idea Plane – the process of analyzing a subject field into its component parts
The Verbal Plane – the process of choosing appropriate terminology
The Notational Plane – the process of expressing these component parts by means of a notational device
Terminology to express these component parts
Idea: The work of FA takes place in the Idea plane, where an entity is analyzed into component parts
Verbal: FA continues here as further sorting and transformation of the selected categories/facets or terms occur.
Notational: work of FC -- translating selected terms into notation.
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

20. Idea Plane: Principles for the Choice of Facets
4/16/2017
Idea Plane: Principles for the Choice of Facets
Differentiation
Divide by a clearly defined characteristic of division
E.g., Humans by Gender
Relevance
Reflect the purpose and scope of the classification system
E.g., Children by Grade, but not for Dogs
Ascertainability
Definite and ascertainable facts
E.g., Date of birth for Humans, Breed for Dogs
Permanence
Permanent qualities of the entity
E.g., Color wouldn’t work for chameleons
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

21. Idea Plane: Principles for the Choice of Facets
Homogeneity
Facets must not overlap
E.g., geography and product names
Mutual Exclusivity
Facets represent only one characteristic
Fundamental Categories
Categories should be derived from the domain
Disagrees with Ranganathan’s universal PMEST
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

22. Idea Plane: Principles for the Citation Order of Facets and Foci
Relevant Succession
Chronological Order
Alphabetical Order
Spatial/Geometric Order
Simple to Complex Order (or Complex to Simple)
Canonical Order
Increasing Quantity (or Decreasing Quantity)
Consistent Succession
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

23. Principles for the Verbal Plane
Context
Meaning is determined by position in the system
Grain dishes
Rice dishes
White rice dishes
With raisins
Brown rice dishes
Currency
Should use terminology appropriate for the language in use at time of indexing
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

24. Guidelines for Faceted Classification
4/16/2017
Guidelines for Faceted Classification
Study the domain
(Context) Examine the domain
(Content) Study information objects
(Users) Who? Information Needs?
Entity listing
Facet creation
Facet arrangement
Citation order
Classification
Revision, testing, and maintenance
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

25. Use of the Facet Approach
4/16/2017
Use of the Facet Approach
Traditional Use
Classification
Thesaurus
Indexing
Information Systems
Information Architecture & User-Centered Design
Navigation and browse
Information Retrieval
Individual facets can be accessed and retrieved either alone or in any desired combination
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

26. Faceted Approach in IS Simple in structure Flexible in application
4/16/2017
Faceted Approach in IS
Simple in structure
Flexible in application
Amenable to software applications
Amenable to computer assisted indexing and validation
Interoperable with the majority of modern indexing vocabularies
Easier and more economical to maintain than enumerated vocabularies
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

27. Faceted Navigation
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

28. Facet-based Advanced Search
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

29. Combined
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

30. Usability Testing of Faceted Approaches
Flamenco developed by Marty Hearst and others to test facets for images
Built an interface to support both direct search and browsing
Supports search usability guidelines
Nine facets
Opening – Middle Game – Endgame
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

31. Usability Studies – Flamenco (Hearst et al., 2003)
4/16/2017
Usability Studies – Flamenco (Hearst et al., 2003)
Usability Study for Search
32 art history students
Search by Faceted Metadata vs Baseline
More Successful
More usage time
90% - Preferred the metadata approach overall
97% - Helped users learn more about the collection
75% - More flexible
72% - Easier to use
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

32. Problems of Faceted Approach
4/16/2017
Problems of Faceted Approach
Mismatched labeling
Inconsistent category metadata
Difficulty in deciding on the correct or appropriate facet
Challenges in defining a useful and usable collection of facets
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

33. Recap Enumerated classification (Hierarchical)
4/16/2017
Recap
Enumerated classification (Hierarchical)
One-dimensional
Dewey Decimal Classification System
Library of Congress Classification System
Rigid Hierarchy
Gives a single schedule that enumerates fully the classes and their ready-made class numbers.
Analytico-Synthetic (Faceted Classification)
Multi-dimensional
Clearly defined, mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive aspects, properties, or characteristics of a class or specific subject
Note that facets are
Mutually exclusive
Collectively exhaustive
This means you should try to cover the territory of your domain and users’ needs with your high level facet divisions- it helps to think of this when you’re building them to make sure that you’re not missing something, or that they don’t overlap in use.
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530

34. Recap Hierarchical and faceted approaches are not mutually exclusive
You can use hierarchies under facets to help with entry vocabulary and cross references
You may not always be able to apply mutual exclusion and exhaustivity to facets, but you should use these principles to help clarify
Spiteri’s Idea Plane is where you do this work
Try to apply terms from all facets to each object (webpage) you’re tagging to see what happens
If it doesn’t make sense, you probably need to rethink your facets
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources

35. Note that the facets are Mutually exclusive Collectively exhaustive
4/16/2017
Note that the facets are
Mutually exclusive
Collectively exhaustive
For the domain and users covered by Epicurious
IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
IMT530