Taxonomy Definition

1. Taxonomy Definition • Definition: • “A hierarchical organizational structure for the classification of concepts or things” • A good taxonomy is: • Intuitive • Consistent • Simple With thanks to Zach Wahl of PPC

2. Define the audience Define the audience’s mission What should the taxonomy do for the Web site’s users? Who/what are we? Why are we part of the Forum? Why would we use the Web site? Zack says, “Identify the Business Case” So… With thanks to Zach Wahl of PPC

3. Zack says, “Keep Your Audience in Mind” So… • Recognize that users may think about and look for information in different ways • Use familiar vocabulary and organizational schemas to ensure a logical browsing experience • How would you use the KM Forum Web site to find information? • What terms and scheme would you use to find information on the KM Forum Web site? With thanks to Zach Wahl of PPC

4. Facet-based Information categorized into multiple taxonomies or “stackonomies” based on unique but pervasive characteristics, including topic, function, etc. Wines by region France > Alsace Wines by type White>Chardonnay Subject-oriented Information categorized by subject or topic, with each child category is either instance of parent category or part of it Water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution… Functional Information categorized by its process Employment, training, staffing… Organizational Information categorized by corporate departments or business entities Accounting, human resources, marketing… Document Type Information categorized by the type of document Presentation, expense report, press release… Categorization Schemes Easiest Hardest Method Definition Examples With thanks to Zach Wahl of PPC