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
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Literary warrant.
Use warrant.
Structural warrant.
Cultural warrant.
Others?
Example of structural warrant
From the MDA
Railway Object Name
thesaurus
<railways by means of propulsion>
<railways by power source>
<stationary traction source>
atmospheric railway
cable haulage railway
counterbalanced railway
water balance railway
rope haulage railway
gravity railway
<traction source moving with train>
animal powered railway
horse railway
locomotive railway
<self-propelled using externally supplied
power>
electric railway
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:
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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!