ISO/IEC 11179, Part 2: Classification Schemes

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ISO/IEC 11179, Part 2 Classification Schemes

• Jim Carpenter
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

Metatopia 2001 Conference September 20 21, 2001
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Agenda
Within the context of a ISO 11179 Metadata
Registry,answer three questions

• What is a classification scheme?
• What is a well-formed classification scheme?
• How to register a classification scheme?

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Classification Groups
Items to classify
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What is a classification scheme?
Simplification of the model
Anything with parts that can be related to
registered items
Thing
RegisteredItem
Part
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Trivial Example

• Classification scheme bag of potato chips
• Part a potato chip
• Registered items data elements in EPAs registry

Clearly, this is slicing a bit thin. More
characteristics are needed fora well-formed
classification scheme
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Must be an Information System Artifact

• Describes subject domain or other IS artifacts
• Data model, org chart, activity diagram, computer
  program, database, key word list, thesaurus,
  ontology,
• Has statements that use designations to represent
  concepts (ISO 704 and 1087)

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Additional Characteristics

• Consistent with the intensions of the registry
• Globally unique identifier
• Unique name within each language
• Clear application scope (Name Context)
• Parts cover the scope of application

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Characteristics of Parts

• Uniquely identified parts (globally)
• Descriptive names
• Clear boundaries
• Appropriate granularity

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Characteristics of Relationships Among Parts

• Clear and unambiguous
• Are subtypes of
• Hierarchy
• Generic, or
• Partitive
• Association

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How to Register a Classification Scheme

• Record a set of attributes
• Administrative attributes
• Classification scheme attributes
• Attributes of each part
• Attributes of each relationship between parts.

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Administrative Attributes

• Globally unique identifier
• Many other attributes described in part 3

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Classification Scheme Attributes

• Name
• Language of the Name
• Description of subject field (context)
• Language of description of subject field
• Type of structure

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Attributes of the Part

• Type of part
• Value

Attributes of the Part Relationship

• Type of relationship

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Summary

• What is a classification scheme?
• A thing with parts that can be related to items
• What is a well-formed classification scheme?
• A classification scheme with characteristics that
  are useful for good classification
• How to register a classification scheme
• Record attributes that are useful for sharing