Intellectual Work
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Classification & IA [Winter 2003]
My final paper in Classification Theory (LIS 535) represented my attempt to theoretically justify the use of faceted classification in web site design and content management. After that class, however, I wanted to put that theory into practice. Using the concepts culled from that paper, I created a conceptual design for a content management system based on facet analysis. When the ASIS&T Information Architecture Summit rolled through Portland, Oregon, I saw a unique opportunity to extend my intellectual argument from LIS 535. I submitted a proposal, was accepted, and authored a poster titled "Using Faceted Classification to Provide Structure for Information Architecture". ProcessThe thesis of my Classification Theory paper posited that the different epistemic, or paradigmatic, approaches involved in the creation of different classification systems leads directly to different uses of those classification systems on the web. For instance, a rationalist, logic-based view of the universe leads to the creation of mono-hierarchical subject listings in web directories such as Yahoo! and The Open Directory Project. On the other hand, an empiricist, evidence-based approach yields such methods as machine indexing and automated metadata harvesting, which are used in search engines such as Google and AltaVista.In the end of the paper, I suggested that a pragmatist, context-based approach should use faceted classification to create poly-hierarchical, multidimensional data structures, which could be used in the design and management of digital libraries. Faceted classification is, in a nutshell, the combination of all the epistemic approaches to designing classification systems. Using a technique called facet analysis, a collection of documents is described from as many perspectives (facets) as is necessary. Within each facet, a hierarchical list of concepts (isolates) is arranged. The result is a multidimensional representation of knowledge that more closely matches the state of real human knowledge. My idea was to use faceted classification as a basis for generating web site designs and for content management. I envisioned a faceted classification system paired with a collection of digital documents classified in that system. Each facet would provide a different way of viewing the collection, so each facet could be linked to a different navigation method. The order of the facets and hierarchies in each facet could be rearranged at any time, directly affecting how the collection was accessed. This is not a new idea. Several web sites, such as Wine.com, Epicurious.com, and Flamenco employ systems similar to what I have described. I tested the idea myself in my graduate assistantship with the PETTT zBento project. However, I did not feel that the link between classification theory and information architecture had not been properly established in the Information Architecture community. Information architecture (IA) is the art and science of organizing structures for document storage, use, and access -- most often in a digital environment. Since there are obvious commonalities between IA and LIS -- especially knowledge organization and representation -- a good number of professional information architects hold MLIS degrees. So, in January of 2003, I submitted a poster proposal to the American Society of Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) Information Architecture Summit, which was to take place in Portland, Oregon, in March. My proposal was accepted, and I went to work on the poster. It was to be presented as a case study of zBento, so I credited two of my PETTT teammates, Eric Maddox (zBento developer) and William Washington (zBento usability engineer), as 2nd & 3rd authors. However, I completed all of the intellectual work, graphic design, and production of the poster myself.
At the IA Summit, the poster was well received, in my opinion. I was able to chat with several people in the IA community about the poster, including Peter van Dijck, developer of XFML, an XML schema for representation and sharing of faceted metadata. Some conference attendees asked difficult questions, and others had some difficulty understanding the point of the poster. I suspect this was due to the fact that many in the IA profession have never heard of faceted classification. ReflectionThe experience of extending a class paper into a development project and a conference poster gave me a deeper understanding of the research and publishing process. I also began to see a great need for an elucidation of the theoretical foundations of Information Architecture. Much of IA tends to be based on best practices and guesswork, and none of the major works that define the discipline of IA attempt to synthesize the multitude of theories and assumptions that IA draws from. My intellectual work in connecting classification theory to IA was my first stab at filling that gap.What's NextIn the future, I hope to explore this issue further and submit a paper for presentation at an annual meeting. Meanwhile, I will continue my work with zBento and similar projects to refine my skills in practicing what I preach.Artifacts |
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