All
Just thought this is now getting intetesting
In 1998 I produced the following for a paper given at Document 98 on themes
processing
What are Themes
Ask anyone what is needed to do their job and the reply will include large
amounts of information. Also ask how long they spend each day on finding
useful information and the answer will be considerable. Ask how long it
takes to learn all the nuances of the job so that it is done to the same
quality as the last person who did the job. It will become apparent from
the answers that most jobs will have repeatable themes running within them.
Information themes, learning themes and productivity lessons learnt.
So what is a theme and why is it different from a keyword ? If you read
the back page of a tabloid newspaper you are likely to find sports reports,
in particular football reports. Yet if you read the report it is quite rare
to find the word football. The theme therefore is football ( or soccer) and
does not need to be present in the report. Keywords might be Aston Villa,
Stan Collymore, referee, goal, yellow card etc. In traditional retrieval
systems keywords could be searched indicating some prior knowledge of the
subject matter. The above is an example of a PULL approach, I need this
information and I will pull it from a computer or manual file. The problem
with this approach is the results are held by the individual not within the
intellectual capital of the role. However, an Arsenal fan would not find the
report and then not know how other teams are playing at the moment.
So what if it was possible to recognise information content on its way into
an organisation, irrespective of its source. This is where 'themes
processing' comes into its own. Assuming that all the information roles
within an organisation were defined and it was known what information was
important to that role then themes processing could take place. The
incoming information could be searched for themes ( and if necessary
keywords ) and where it matches a role the individual in that role is
notified that information has arrived within the corporate boundary of the
organisation. This is the basis of a PUSH approach, where information is
pushed to the incumbent of a role and retained within the role.
As individuals add value to the information and deposit reports etc. the
themes processing routine kicks in again creating the automatic sharing
element of Knowledge Management.
Pushing the Information
A key technology component of themes processing is the ability to push the
result to an individual in such a manner as to start the information as an
asset process. Several companies have produced Intranets as a first step in
their Knowledge \Management approach. Some of these solutions will have the
capability to push email based on intelligent tests. Organisations that
have sensitive data may choose to examine only a precis of the information
and then email based upon the testing against the precis. Should they then
need to see the all the information they could make a case to the custodian
of the information asset.
Tom Wilson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Donald Henderson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: Definition of Classification
Surely the general concept of an EDRMS embodies the ideas you are
thinking about. It should be looked on as a large bucket of "stuff".
Each thing has a number of metadata tags. The "stuff" can then be
ordered (searched) in multiple ways by choosing different sequences of
metadata tags.
Donald
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Dodgson
Sent: 06 September 2006 08:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Definition of Classification
Stuart
Very interesting.
This brings me to another issue.
I have been musing about the proper use of metadata. If one uses
metadata in accordance with acknowledged standards and applies the likes
of subject based metadata accurately (I am thinking here about the IPSV
v2) will we find ourselves in an environment when search engines become
sufficiently well designed to render classification by traditional
(hierarchical means) redundant? I think so and believe we are not too
far away. The argument against is the need to use a consistent
framework to ensure that the customer gets what they want irrespective
of source, and we all know how well we communicate!
I am of the opinion that traditional classification is now time limited
and we will not need to group things systematically save in a virtual
environment. I would be interested to learn more about developing such
a virtual environment.
Views/argument much appreciated.
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: The UK Records Management mailing list
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stuart Orr
Sent: 06 September 2006 07:59
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Definition of Classification
Paul
I used to work in the Old Bailey and your question about classification
reminds me of those lawyers that insisted a witness replied either Yes
or No to a question that could not be answered so simply. I therefore do
not think my response will win your lollipop.
Classification is simply grouping things systematically. The latter
element is the bit that is usually missing in records management
classifications I have seen. Aristotle talked about classes or
categories:
"...a category was like [a] container with things either inside or
outside the container...the properties the things inside the container
had in common were what defined the category" (Taylor. 'The organisation
of information'). Bowker & Starr talking about classification in its
broadest sense described it as "...a set of boxes (metaphorical or
literal)
into which things can be put to do some kind of work - bureaucratic or
knowledge production...".
Various people of the past twenty years have suggested that records
managers have misunderstood and misused the term classification and I
think that was right and is still in part right. Much older US and UK
literature seems to have used the word to describe filing order.
Two of the classic principles of classification are firstly that each
scheme (or at least each level in a hierarchical scheme) should be based
on a single classificatory principle, such as classification by size,
and secondly that the classes should be mutually exclusive. These
elements are frequently missing and the schemes fail to add value.
Stuart Orr
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