Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Facets, Levels and Semantic Factoring


Affiliations
1 University of Pavia. Science and Technology Library, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) can be constructed on the basis of three main kinds of relationships: classical hierarchies; facets; and concepts related in some other relevant way. Among related concepts, of special interest are semantic factors, that is concepts occurring in the definition of a term or class. In an evolutionary perspective, factors can combine, leading to the emergence of a new class of phenomena at a higher integrative level. Recording factors in the schedules of a KOS can make it more sound in ontological terms, and allow for additional functionalities in its application to information retrieval, like query expansion. Some aspects and problems of this are discussed, including of the extent of the semantic network to be considered for each search, and fuzzy relationships with concepts concurring to the definition of terms or classes. Examples are provided from UDC, ILC, and the ISO standard for thesaurus interoperability. It is concluded that facets and semantic factors should be reconsidered as powerful components in KOS development, as well as in KOS representation in the context of the Semantic Web.

Keywords

Concept Definition, Facet Analysis, Integrative Levels, Knowledge Organization Systems, Prototype Theory, Relationships.
User
About The Author

C. Gnoli
University of Pavia. Science and Technology Library, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia
Italy


Notifications

  • Dahlberg, I. (1978) Ontical structures and universal classification, Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science, Bangalore, Manipal Power Press, 1-64.
  • Bhattacharyya, G. (1982) Classaurus: its fundamentals, design and use, In Universal classification: subject analysis and ordering systems: proceeding of the 4th International Study Conference on Classification Research - 6th Annual Conference of Gesellshaft für Klassifikation, Augsburg, 28 June–2 July 1982, I Dahlberg ed., Indeks, Frankfurt 1982, 1: 139-148.
  • ISO DIS 25964-2: Information and documentation. Thesauri and interoperability with other vocabularies. Part 1: Thesauri for information retrieval, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva 2011.
  • Soergel, D. (1985) Organizing information: principles of data base and retrieval systems, Academic Press, Orlando.
  • Szostak, R. (2011) Complex concepts into basic concepts, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 62(11): 2247-2265.
  • Goddard, C. (2002) A Wierzbicka, Meaning and universal grammar: theory and empirical findings, 2 v., John Benjamins, Amsterdam-Philadelphia.
  • Will, L. Rigorous facet analysis as the basis for constructing knowledge organization schemes of all kinds, In Knowledge organization: pushing the boundaries: ISKO UK biennial conference, 8th-9th July 2013, London. http://iskouk.org/conf2013/papers/WillPaper.pdf
  • Gnoli, C. (2006) The meaning of facets in nondisciplinary classifications, In Knowledge organization for a global learning society: proceedings of the Ninth international ISKO conference, July 4th-7th, 2006, Vienna, G Budin - C Swertz - K Mitgutsch eds., Ergon, Würzburg, 11-18.
  • Austin, D. (1976) The CRG research into a freely faceted scheme, In Classification in the 1970s: a second look, A Maltby ed., Bingley, London, 158-194.
  • Gnoli, C. (2012) Per una demarcazione ontologica dei concetti nell'organizzazione della conoscenza [For an ontological demarcation of concepts in knowledge organization], In Prospettive ontologiche: proceedings of the conference held in Trento on 8-10 November 2012, R Poli ed., Morcelliana, Brescia in press.
  • Austin, D. (1969) The theory of integrative levels reconsidered as the basis of a general classification, in Classification Research Group, Classification and information control, Library Association, London, 81-95.
  • Blitz, D. (1992) Emergent evolution: qualitative novelty and the levels of reality, Kluwer, Dordrecht-Boston-London.
  • Foskett, D.J. (1961) Classification and integrative levels, In The Sayers memorial volume, DJ Foskett - BI Palmer eds., Library Association, London 1961, p. 136-150, republished In Theory of subject analysis, LM Chan - PA Richmond - E Svenonius, eds., Libraries Unlimited, Littleton 1985, p. 210-220.
  • Gnoli, C.; Bosch, M. and Mazzocchi, F. (2007) A new relationship for multidisciplinary knowledge organization systems: dependence, In La interdisciplinariedad y la transdisciplinariedad en la organización del conoscimiento científico: actas del VIII Congreso ISKO-España: León, 18, 19 y 20 de Abril de 2007, B Rodríguez Bravo - ML Alvite Díez eds., Universidad de León, León, 399-409.
  • Gnoli, C. (2010) Levels, types, facets: three structuring principles for KO, In Paradigms and conceptual systems in knowledge organization: proceedings Eleventh International ISKO conference, August 23-26, 2010, Rome, C Gnoli - F Mazzocchi eds., Ergon, Würzburg, 129-137.
  • Tudhope, D.; Alani, H. and Jones, C. (2001) Augmenting thesaurus relationships: possibilities for retrieval, Journal of Digital Information, 1(8), http://journals.tdl.org/jodi/article/view/ 181/160
  • Tudhope, D.; Binding, C.; Blocks, D. and Cunliffe, D. (2006) Query expansion via conceptual distance in thesaurus indexed collections, Journal of Documentation, 62(4): 509-533.
  • Lopez-Pellicer, F.J.; Lacasta, J.; Florczyk, A.; Nogueras-Iso, J. and Zarazaga-Soria, F.J. (2012) An ontology for the representation of spatiotemporal jurisdictional domains in information retrieval systems, International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 26(4): 579-597.
  • Rakhmatullaev, S.; Huneau, F.; Kazbekov, J.; Le Coustumer, P.; Jumanov, J.; El Oifi, B.; Motelica-Heino, M. and Hrkal, Z. (2010) Groundwater resources use and management in the Amu Darya River Basin (Central Asia), Environmental Earth Sciences, 59(6): 1183-1193.
  • Cheti, A. (1996) Testo e contesto nell'analisi concettuale dei documenti [Text and context in the conceptual analysis of documents], In Il linguaggio della biblioteca: scritti in onore di Diego Maltese, M Guerrini ed., Editrice Bibliografica, Milano, 833-855.
  • Szostak, R. and Gnoli, C. (2008) Classifying by phenomena, theories and methods: examples with focused social science theories, In Culture and identity in knowledge organization: Proceedings of the Tenth International ISKO Conference, 5-8 August 2008, Montréal, C Arsénault and JT Tennis eds., Ergon, Würzburg, 203-209.
  • Rosch, E. and Lloyd, B.L. eds. (1978) Cognition and categorization, Erlbaum, Hillsdale.
  • Integrative Levels Classification: research project, ISKO Italia, http://www.iskoi.org/ilc/ 2004-.
  • Dextre Clarke, S. Types of mapping recommended in ISO 25964, and the question of reciprocity, 9th European NKOS Workshop, Glasgow, 9-10 September 2010.
  • ISO DIS 25964-2: Information and documentation. Thesauri and interoperability with other vocabularies. Part 2: Interoperability with other vocabularies, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva 2013.

Abstract Views: 583

PDF Views: 12




  • Facets, Levels and Semantic Factoring

Abstract Views: 583  |  PDF Views: 12

Authors

C. Gnoli
University of Pavia. Science and Technology Library, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy

Abstract


Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) can be constructed on the basis of three main kinds of relationships: classical hierarchies; facets; and concepts related in some other relevant way. Among related concepts, of special interest are semantic factors, that is concepts occurring in the definition of a term or class. In an evolutionary perspective, factors can combine, leading to the emergence of a new class of phenomena at a higher integrative level. Recording factors in the schedules of a KOS can make it more sound in ontological terms, and allow for additional functionalities in its application to information retrieval, like query expansion. Some aspects and problems of this are discussed, including of the extent of the semantic network to be considered for each search, and fuzzy relationships with concepts concurring to the definition of terms or classes. Examples are provided from UDC, ILC, and the ISO standard for thesaurus interoperability. It is concluded that facets and semantic factors should be reconsidered as powerful components in KOS development, as well as in KOS representation in the context of the Semantic Web.

Keywords


Concept Definition, Facet Analysis, Integrative Levels, Knowledge Organization Systems, Prototype Theory, Relationships.

References