Faceted classification and logical division in information retrieval

Library Trends, Wntr, 2004 by Jack Mills

6.3. Classification of "Politics"

When classifying the subject "Politics," a document may be found entitled "The British Nuclear Deterrent: For and Against." Taking Politics as the summum genus, we first decide on an acceptable definition of the class; this may be something as follows: Politics is the process in a social system (not necessarily confined to the level of the nation state) by which the goals of that system are selected, ordered in terms of priority, both ideologically and as to resources allocation, and implemented. Collectively, these functions often are summarized as being the exercise of power within the political system. Bearing in mind the categories already recognized, the title is analyzed to reveal the hidden concepts implicit in it; for the purposes of this demonstration these could be stated in a string: Britain--Foreign relations--National security--Weapons systems--Nuclear-Policy-Deterrence. This string reflects the following category assignments: Britain is a particular state; although it could be assigned to a number of different species of political systems (parliamentary democracies, monarchies, etc.), its logical status (as defining a particular political system) is technically that of a member rather than a species of the genus. Foreign relations reflects the Subsystems, or Parts category; although the term "foreign relations" sounds like a process, it reflects the main concern of an integral part of the wider process of governing the political entity Britain. This analysis is consistent with that distinguishing other major subsystems in politics (e.g., legislative systems) that are defined by the political process. National security in the context of politics is special to foreign relations and is treated as a Kind of such relation. Weapon systems represent an Agent used in the exercise of the process implicit in national security and Nuclear weapons represent a Kind of weapons system. Policy is regarded as one of a number of general activities or operations (in this case defined by the social objectives sought) that may apply at every level of political activity. Deterrence is a kind of policy, applied here to the process of national security.

6.4. Classification of "Medicine"

"Medicine" may be defined as the technology concerned with the actions taken by the human person to maintain their health and treat their sickness. The definition of the subject leads directly to the primary category (the defining entity, the person), and all the other categories are realized in their relationship to this. The categories disclosed are

* Kinds of human persons (females, males, young, old ...)

* Parts of the person (anatomical and regional, and physiologically functional subsystems--trunk, circulatory, neurological ...)

* Processes in the person (normal physiology, pathology)

* Operations acting on the person (health maintaining or preventative, diagnostic, therapeutic)

* Agents of operations (medical personnel, instruments, institutions-hospitals, health services ...)