Describes the construction of classification and discusses the development of spatial imagery as a metaphorical mechanism with the ability to discover the processes by which powerful and privileged discourses shape information and with the potential to inform change. Presents a theoretical framework based on spatial conceptions in the context of a…

Proposes a revised model of a taxonomy for theory building in library and information studies research, called Circuits of Theory, that includes both the taxonomy and the critical contextual modules researchers consider in their work. Encompasses the concepts of individual as well as social knowledge, both discovered and undiscovered. (Author/LRW)

Presents a background on theory in knowledge organization, which has moved from an epistemic stance of pragmatism and rationalism (based on observation of the construction of retrieval tools), to empiricism (based on the results of empirical research). Discusses historicism, external validity, classification, user-interface design, and…

The link between classification and knowledge is explored. The strengths and limitations of four classificatory approaches (hierarchies, trees, paradigms, and faceted analysis) are described in terms of their ability to reflect, discover, and create new knowledge. Examples are provided of the way in which knowledge and the classification process…

Presents an overview of the developments and dilemmas related to the cataloging and classification of maps, addressing the areas of online library systems, cooperative cataloging, descriptive cataloging, subject access, and the improvement of network capabilities. Seventeen references are cited. (FM)

Discusses the need for accurate documentation of museum holdings and the feasibility of using online library catalogs as models for automated cataloging in museums. The description of museum computer projects covers problems that have impeded automation in the past and the current status of several projects. (34 references) (CLB)

Describes work in progress at the Smithsonian Institution in developing a system to understand and articulate the information needed to support collection related functions. The discussion covers the data modeling methodology used and the advantages of this methodology in structuring museum collections information. (one reference) (CLB)

Compares the qualitative method of grounded theory (GT) with Ranganathan's construction of faceted classifications (FC) in library and information science. Both struggle with a core problem--the representation of vernacular words and processes, empirically discovered, which will, although ethnographically faithful, be powerful beyond the single…

Discusses the problems involved in assigning descriptors to works of art for online museum catalogs. The topics covered include the subjectivity of the analysis of art, factors that affect the cataloging of museum collections, and the online systems developed by various museums. (17 references) (CLB)

Describes four approaches to art historical scholarship, including iconography, and identifies the common characteristics of several iconographical research collections. Topics discussed include the reasons for the limitation of some collections to secondary subject matter, and future directions in subject access to iconographic research…

Elaborates on a theoretical framework for analyzing the operation of the official classification system within the mental health professions. Uses the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM) to explicate agency in structuration theory and structuration theory to illuminate the structure/use of the DSM. (Author/AEF)

Explores the underlying concepts involved in the design of art scholarly databases and describes three systems definition projects currently in progress. The discussion covers the revisions of MARC formats and authority controls used in bibliographic information networks that might support an art scholarly database. (eight references) (CLB)

Examines some medical classification systems with a long history--notably the "International Classification of Diseases (ICD)." States that this classification scheme retains many traces of its own administrative and organizational past in its current form. Suggests that ICD, like other large-scale classification systems, performs so…

Describes a project at the British Architectural Library to automate all of its systems into one integrated database, maintaining the specific requirements of the architectural curator while introducing systems and standards accepted by the librarian. The discussion covers the methods used to achieve a link between objects and documentation. (CLB)

The body of knowledge associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) represents complexity not present in any other disease. A controlled vocabulary and classification structure used to organize the body of knowledge associated with HIV/AIDS is discussed. (Author/AEF)