Rachel Lau

509 Portfolio

Classification - Analyze

Learning opportunity

For this assignment, we were asked to analyze an existing classification system. We were tasked to describe, analyze, and critique the system. The analysis should include details about who owns and maintains the system, contexts and use cases for the system, and strengths and shortcomings of the system. I chose to analyze the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) system.

First attempt

Peer review feedback

The feedback I received from my peers about my analysis of UDC can be summarized as follows:

  • Writing was clear and detailed with well-cited sources

  • Use of visual examples was helpful for understanding

  • Questions:

    • Opportunities for members of the public to suggest revisions?

    • How is the “vacant” classification assigned to Notation #4 used?

    • How often are visions typically suggested?

    • How does UDC organize fiction?

    • With improvements made to the UDC to address its Euro-centric biases, could it be a truly universal classification system? Or is it important to consider regional history and contexts when designing classification systems?

Revisions

Given more time, I would further research the revisions process of UDC to better understand the protocol for how the UDC Editorial Team handles revisions, how often revisions are suggested by UDC membership, and whether public revisions are accepted. I would also be interested to explore how UDC organizes fiction and perhaps compare it to how the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) system classifies fiction. The most challenging but rewarding aspect of UDC to explore would be whether it can be truly universal. In order to provide a genuine analysis of this, it would require a better understanding of knowledge organizing systems worldwide and whether the structure of UDC can support this diversity.

Reflection

The process of analyzing the UDC for this assignment was helpful for learning more about the infrastructure that supports widely used classification systems and how they evolve and change over time. It was also informative to learn where to search for this information and what aspects of a classification system are important to review in order to gain understanding of one. I interface with DDC regularly at work, so I was motivated to analyze a different classification system to expand my perspective. My key takeaway from this assignment is that any classification system requires a certain level of compromise, whether it is acknowledged or not. Classification systems do not exist in a vacuum and invariably reflect the biases of its creators and stewards. I thought the question some of my peers posed about whether true universality of knowledge organization can be achieved with UDC was an interesting one. Instinctually, I think the diversity of knowledge systems disallows any one classification system to fully encompass and organize the universe of knowledge, let alone UDC. Nonetheless, I understand that I will likely encounter certain types of classification systems in any given North American and/or English-speaking institution that will have some level of Eurocentricity and bias.

Rachel LauLIBR509, classific, analyze, UDC