Module 8a: Faceted Classification

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Module 8a Faceted Classification

• IMT530 Organization of Information Resources
• Winter 2008
• Michael Crandall

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Overview

• Enumerated vs. analytico-synthetic techniques
• History of faceted classification Ranganathan
  CRG
• Facets
• Examples
• Facet analysis
• Spiteris simplified model
• Process
• Use of facets in information systems

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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

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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

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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

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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 (1892 - 1972)
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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
  (Ranganathans is P-M-E-S-T)
• Establish a schedule order for the facets
• Apply the notational system
• Compile schedules generate an index

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Ranganathans 5 Facets

• Personality Who
• Matter What
• Energy How
• Space Where
• Time When

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Ranganathans Rule

• 46 Canons Must follow
• 13 Postulates Strongly recommended
• 22 Principles Strongly recommended

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Examples

• Ranganathan's Colon Classification
• research in the cure of tuberculosis of lungs by
  x-ray conducted in India in 1950
• L,454216253f.44'N5
• Medicine,LungsTuberculosisTreatmentX-rayResear
  ch.India'1950

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Classification Research Group (CRG)

• UK (1952)
• Produced classification systems for narrower,
  specialized areas
• Designed several subject-specific faceted
  classification systems

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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

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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).
  http//iainstitute.org/pg/a_simplified_model_for_f
  acet_analysis.php
• 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 http//www.musiclibraryassoc.org/BCC/BC
  C-Historical/BCC95/95WGFAM2.html

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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

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Epicurious.com

• Recipe collection on the web
• Cuisine
• Special considerations
• Meal/Course
• Dish
• Main Ingredients
• Preparation methods
• Season/Occasion

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Examples

• Faceted Classification
• Epicurious http//www.epicurious.com/recipes/find/
  advanced/
• Wine.com http//www.wine.com/wineshop/
• Flamenco http//flamenco.berkeley.edu/demos.html
• Images of England http//www.imagesofengland.org.u
  k
• lawforwa.org http//www.lawforwa.org/search/advsea
  rch.html
• FAT-HUM Project http//www.ucl.ac.uk/fatks/php/bro
  wse.php
• Tools
• FacetMaps Wine demonstration http//facetmap.com/
  download/starterKit.jsp
• Siderean software http//www.siderean.com/
• Endeca software http//endeca.com/

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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

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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

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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

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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 wouldnt work for chameleons

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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 Ranganathans universal PMEST

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Faceted Navigation
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Facet-based Advanced Search
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Combined
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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
• http//bailando.sims.berkeley.edu/flamenco.html

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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

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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

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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

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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
• Spiteris Idea Plane is where you do this work
• Try to apply terms from all facets to each object
  (webpage) youre tagging to see what happens
• If it doesnt make sense, you probably need to
  rethink your facets

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