Special KOS

Special KOS (Knowledge Organizing Systems)

Special knowledge organizing system are opposed to general or universal KOS. Special KOS may be, for example:

· Special systems of subject headings

· Special enumerative systems such as NLM Classification

· Special faceted classifications

· Thesauri such as Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms

· Taxonomies

· Ontologies

· ....

Some general classifications are made-up by a system of special classifications. This is the case with, for example, Bliss, Library of Congress Classification and UASK.

What are the basic principles determining the structure of a special classification?

Basically this is a theory or view of that special field and considerations concerning the purpose of classifications. Different views on, for example, arts, tend to use (more or less) different units, (more or less) different characteristics and (more or less) different relations. Different purposes tend to classify things in accordance with those interest. (cf., bias).

General principles include principles such as the ordering of the field from the general to the specific, to aim at exhaustivity and exclusivity and to base the system on literary warrant. These principle applies also to general KOS.

An example of a review of a special classification system is given by Kolding Nielsen (1977, pp. 566-591) who presents and evaluates the classification system used in the Danish historical bibliography.

Literature:

Foskett, D. J. (1991). Concerning general and special classifications. International Classification, 18(2), 87-91.

Kolding Nielsen, E. (1977). Dansk historisk bibliografi. IN: Danske opslagsværker. Ed. By Axel Andersen. Copenhagen: G.E.C. Gad. (Pp. 533-610).

NLM Classification http://www.nlm.nih.gov/class/nlmclassintro.html

Vickery, B. C. (1960): Faceted Classification. A Guide to the Construction and Use of Special Schemes. London: ASLIB.