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Towards a High-level Thesaurus?. Dennis Nicholson: Centre for Digital Library Research, Strathclyde University. Models 11 and SCONE. Timing Earlier: no problem Later: results to report Opportunity: Official support and Illumination? Wider involvement?. SCONE Group.
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Towards a High-level Thesaurus? Dennis Nicholson: Centre for Digital Library Research, Strathclyde University
Models 11 and SCONE • Timing • Earlier: no problem • Later: results to report • Opportunity: • Official support and Illumination? • Wider involvement?
SCONE Group • SCONE, CAIRNS, RIDING, M25, MLO, BUBL • Cross-sectoral groups in Scotland: SAGIA: NGfL Scotland, SLAINTE, SCRAN, SUFI, GTN • Agreed way forward on a common subject scheme • Agreement to work together one achievement
Dynamic Clumping • Origin of problem: CAIRNS and dynamic clumping • Mechanism to aid user navigation • Based on Conspectus exercise • RCO database • CAIRNS and Dynamic clumping • http://wp338.lib.strath.ac.uk/cairns/dynatop.htm • Depth of hierarchy
Conspectus Hierarchy • 25 Divisions • 250 Categories • 7000 subjects • E.G.: PHYSICAL SCIENCES • PHY 78-125 PHYSICS • PHY 88 Relativity • Physics clump too large and ‘hides’ real strengths
Expanding CAIRNS • Already includes more than RCO • Aim is: Scottish cross-sectoral distributed union catalogue • An integrated part of a UK distributed catalogue • Large clumps: dynamic clumping: using a common subject scheme • But, Conspectus? Not likely: 3 reasons
Conspectus Divisions • AGRICULTURE • CARTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS • ECONOMICS AND SOCIOLOGY • EDUCATION • GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS • MILITARY SCIENCE • PHYSICAL SCIENCES • PSYCHOLOGY
Conspectus Categories • PHY 1-50 MATHEMATICS • PHY 51-77 ASTRONOMY • PHY 78-125 PHYSICS • PHY 126-164 CHEMISTRY • Not unusual • Best chance for mapping?
Conspectus Subjects • PHY 78 Physics (General) • PHY 79 Periodicals • PHY 80 History, biography • PHY 81 Mathematical physics • PHY 82 Study and teaching • PHY 83 Weights and measures • More unusual mix?
SCONE RSLP Project • Influence on SCONE: deliverables: • Expanding RCO/dynamic clumping • Examining alternative methods of measuring collection strength • Providing tools to support CCD • Mapping Conspectus to other subject schemes: Recognition
Mapping to what? • Alternative preferred scheme • UK orientation and control • Acceptable across sectors in Scotland and to other clumps • Preferably encompassing RAE headings • BUBL LINK subject scheme
BUBL scheme? • Not original intention but attractive: • Based on DDC and LC • Adapted to UK terminology • Covers all subject areas • Under community control • Live and developing; Examples • May solve maintenance problem
BUBL Subjects • 170 top level terms • 1400 loosely related ‘sub-terms’ • Used for 12,000 BUBL LINK internet resources • including subject gateways in RDN • Familiar to UK users within and beyond academic sector
BUBL Top Level • Accounting • Advertising • Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautics • Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries • Anatomy • Anthropology • Archaeology
BUBL Lower level • Minorities • Modern art • Molecular biology • Molecular modelling • Molluscs • Mixed: several levels: not perfect: will adjust
Initial agreement • Proposal put to clumps projects • RAE, M25 80% mappings • Music Libraries Online: depth • RIDING prepared to examine • SAGIA group general support • NERIS merge work: schools> • Approach worth examining further
What now? • SCONE work at early stage • BUBL funding not a problem • Detailed work needs to be done to tailor BUBL scheme to fit needs • This has to be done at subject terms level - can’t be done at a workshop like this • But: agree a structure?
Thesaurus needed? • Scone work: suggests thesaurus • BTs and NTs (various degrees) • Related terms (different approaches) • Grouped terms (shape and space) • Synonyms (geometry) • Document types/user levels etc
DDC Top 100? • Not adequate • Insufficient depth to cope with 3 level Conspectus hierarchy • Depth needed for dynamic clumping (think about MLO) • Even top level BUBL terms go deeper into Dewey e.g. Anatomy 611 Electronics 621
Requirements • General requirements: concerns: • Sustainable maintenance • Widely and officially accepted • Fit for purpose: user adaptability and effective navigation and…? • Last is most important and is still being researched within SCONE
MODELS 11 link • Key question: are we addressing the same problem? • If not, SCONE will take account of MODELS and aim for community input anyway • If we are, SCONE resources can help contribute to a solution • RSLP extension possible?