Updated June 1, 2008

San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science
LIBR202, Information Retrieval - dr. joanne twining
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Individual Assignment 2: Classification Scheme

Total Points Available: 50

The purpose of this assignment is to explore the process of developing a classification scheme and an accompanying notation system to support information retrieval.

The classification system you will create for this exercise will be based on the collection of refrigerator objects you used for Assignment #1.  

There are several types of classification scheme.  Your classification scheme must be hierarchical in nature. Here's why.

A hierarchy, in the most simple form, shows a strict, linear relationship(s) between things, such as a family tree shows the relationship between a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter.  

Reflecting on the aggregated database of Refrigerator objects that your group created for Assignment #1  (You don’t need to have the actual objects; the database records you created plus your own memory should be sufficient...and you can fudge some details if you want to,) create a SIMPLE hierarchical classification scheme and accompanying notation system for a collection of items that might be found in any generic personal refrigerator.  Your hierarchical relationships should all be of the class/order/family/genus/species type used for biological classification.    If you absolutely cannot make a genus/species relationship work, you may substitute one of the other types of relationship, but make sure you indicate what it is, and why you've used it.  You may add categories either above or below (broader or narrower than) your actual collection. Your scheme should be at least three layers "deep" ...for instance, if it were a family tree, it should show at least the grandmother/mother/daughter relationship.

When you’re happy with your categories and the structure of the classification system, work out a notation system for it.  Keep it simple. Remember that a strictly hierarchical classification system can’t capture anywhere near as many attributes of your collection as your database fields did, and it shouldn’t. Neither should it be redundant – that is, if it captures the same attributes as your datastructure, then there’s no reason to have both.  A classification system may be based on a completely different attribute or premise from its datastructure.  For instance, attributes for your database might include color, size, and shape; while your classification system might be based on taste, with categories for “sweet” “tart” and “sour.”  It may help to think of how you would arrange your collection  – how would you group them into categories?  A second principle to keep in mind is that the purpose of the classification system is to assign the same class or category to all the items in the collection which share an attribute – to aggregate and discriminate.  This means that often more than one item will have the same class number.

Write a brief paper presenting your classification scheme and addressing the following questions. Deposit the paper, in .rtf format, in the Blackboard discussion forum, "Assignment 2: Classification Schemes." Name your post and the file yourlastname_yourfirstname_scheme.rtf . 
Read, and where appropriate, comment on other students' papers.

Questions to consider:

1.  What attribute of your collection was the classification scheme based on?  What other attributes might you have used as the basis for the classification?   Would this classification system be useful to the user group you envisioned when you created your database in Assignment #1?

2.   What are the advantages and disadvantages of classification systems for retrieving information, compared to a fields and values you created for Assignment #1?  

3.  What was the hardest part of creating the classification system?   Why?  

4.  What do the difficulties you encountered in creating the system indicate about classification in general?  

 5.  Other than in libraries, what classification systems form part of your everyday life?

LIBR202, Information Retrieval - dr. joanne twining
Welcome / Greensheet / Class Schedule & Assignments / Grading / Blackboard