Page 39 - DLIS405_INFORMATION_STORAGE_AND_RETRIEVAL

Information Storage and Retrieval

Notes Publications of the CRG:

• there are a number of bibliographic and bibliometric studies of the CRG
• joint publications of the Group are relatively few
• regular (although not frequent) Bulletins were published in the Journal of Documentation
• three of these contained bibliographies of members’ publications
• Vickery is by far the most prolific author, as he continued to be throughout his life.

The new general classification scheme:
• in the late 1950s and 1960s the main focus of CRG work was the proposed new general scheme
of classification
• several papers were written, and a conference held, on this topic
• a grant from NATO subsidised the original work which never produced a classification, but
did result in the PRECIS indexing system
• throughout the 1970s and later the objective was pursued through the revision of Bliss’s Bib-
liographic Classification.

Divergence of classification and IR:
• during the 1960s ‘classification’ and ‘information retrieval’ begin to develop as distinct and
separate fields
• this happens in both the US and UK
• it’s at this time that Vickery ceases to contribute to the CRG’s activities and his name disap-
pears from the record.

Factors in the ‘split’:
• there are distinct ‘library’ and ‘information science’ groupings within the CRG
• bibliometric analysis of the CRG publications show quite clear associations of scholars
• at some stage the ideas of ‘classification’ and ‘information retrieval’ were uncoupled
• the main group continue with work on a classification scheme and on classification for orga-
nization
• Vickery’s agenda is somewhat different and he turns in other directions.

Faceted classification today:

• over the last twenty years facet analysis has become increasingly important as a methodologi-
cal approach for all kinds of organizational and retrieval tools
• it features in classification, subject heading lists, thesauri, search interfaces, in taxonomies,
ontologies, and semantic web applications
• a number of researchers are attempting to model faceted structures using representation lan-
guages and mathematical logic
• it looks as if ‘classification’ and ‘information retrieval’ have been reconciled and re-united.

An evaluation of Vickery’s contribution:
• a driving force in uniting and stimulating the study and understanding of classification
• two intellectual achievements:

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