Page 31 - DLIS002_KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION CLASSIFICATION AND CATALOGUING THEORY

Knowledge Organization: Classification and Cataloguing Theory

Notes Types of the Subject System

Numerous types of subject system are possible, binary, ternary, quaternary and so on. Some of
the binary, ternary and quaternary subject system types are enumerated below with examples.
The list is highly selective and not at all comprehensive.
Binary subject system types:
(i) Object-object subject system, e.g. Religion and philosophy
(ii) Object-action subject system, e.g. Classification of books
(iii) Object-space subject system, e.g. Geography of India

(iv) Object-time subject system, e.g. Medicine in 20th century
(v) Action-action subject system, e.g. Classification and cataloguing
(vi) Action-space subject system, e.g. Explosions in the galaxies
(vii) Action-time subject system, e.g. Political movement in 1970s

(viii) Space-space subject system, e.g. India and Pakistan
(ix) Space-time subject system, e.g. India after independence
(x) Time-time subject system, e.g. Year 2006 and year 2007 – a comparison

Ternary Subject System Types

(i) Object-object-object subject system, e.g. Geology, mining and metallurgy – the inseparable
trio
(ii) Object-object-time subject system, e.g. Electricity and magnetism in 20th century
(iii) Action-action-action subject system, e.g. Automation of classification and cataloguing
(iv) Space-space-space subject system, e.g. India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the perspective of
world politics
(v) Time-time-time subject system, e.g. Autumn, winter and spring – the lovely seasons

Quaternary Subject System Types

(i) Object-object-object-time subject system, e.g. Geology, mining and metallurgy in 20th
century
(ii) Time-time-time-space subject system, e.g. Autumn, winter and spring in England.
Ranganathan has identified this system as loose assemblage and considered the system as one of
the modes of formation of subjects. It should be noted that the formation of a subject and
formation of a subject system are two different processes. When two or more segments join
together loosely a subject system is born, say, physics in 20th century. In case they join together
firmly, another segment is formed, e.g. biochemistry.

Birth of a Subject

Ranganathan developed the idea of the formation of various subjects. Neelameghan dwelt on
Ranganathan’s ideas and presented them in a lucid way. The birth of a subject is associated with
the birth of a segment in the universe of knowledge. The birth and formation of various segments
have been described below that explain the formation of subjects.

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