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
_______________________________________________________________________
Leicestershire County Council - rated a 'four-star' council by the Audit Commission
_______________________________________________________________________
This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, any reading, printing, storage, disclosure, copying or any other action taken in respect of this e-mail is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by using the reply function and then permanently delete what you have received.
Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance with Leicestershire County Council's policy on the use of electronic communications. The contents of e-mails may have to be disclosed to a request under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
The views expressed by the author may not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Leicestershire County Council.
Attachments to e-mail messages may contain viruses that may damage your system. Whilst Leicestershire County Council has taken every reasonable precaution to minimise this risk, we cannot accept any liability for any damage which you sustain as a result of these factors. You are advised to carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment.
|