Trekkie Taxonomy

You know my fascination with unique applications of taxonomies. What you don’t know is how much of a sci-fi fan my husband is. So if I failed to report on this little gem, well, I might have to sleep on your couch for a while. As the third story in a multi-part series on taxonomy and speciation, this look at the infamous tricorder and how it relates to taxonomies is an interesting read.

This exciting and, oh, so interesting information was found on Boing Boing in their article, “The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek.” On Star Trek: The Original Series, the tricorder is a clunky, black device that in today’s techno-centric world would look like a toy and not even a cool one. What made the tricorder a great piece of fictional technology was its performance.

A portable tool that could quickly identify any species anywhere was captivating, but it isn’t much different from what a solid taxonomy can do today. A strong standards-based taxonomy is one with true integrity. Access Innovations is one of a very small number of companies able to help its clients generate ANSI/ISO/W3C-compliant taxonomies.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.

The Building of Taxonomies

Developing a classification system organized into conceptually similar categories can help users gain a better understanding of the taxonomy subject area. For instance, a recently developed taxonomy on communication interventions to improve childhood vaccination is expected to provide these outcomes: understanding the relationships between different types of communication interventions; facilitating conceptual mapping of these interventions; clarifying the key purposes and features of interventions to aid implementation and evaluation; and identifying areas where evidence is strong and where there are gaps.

This interesting topic was found on 7th Space Interactive in their article, ”Communicate to vaccinate”: the development of a taxonomy of communication interventions to improve routine childhood vaccination.”

How the content is classified impacts the findability of your data. Professionals should look for an experienced builder of solid standards-based taxonomies to associate content for appropriate machine-assisted indexing. Access Innovations can provide solutions that are ANSI compliant.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Access Innovations, the world leader in thesaurus, ontology, and taxonomy creation and metadata application.

The Clues We Follow

Implementing a digital asset management (DAM) system can be challenging. Many factors pose hurdles of varying degrees: asset ingestion, building the database, relevant and descriptive metadata, to name a few. It is key to make the assets descriptive enough to make them worth the time to search and find them. Image & Data Manager brought this information to our attention in their article, “Designing a Controlled Vocabulary for DAM.”

There is no limit as to the criteria by which we organize data. Your descriptors can include genre, subject, identify visual clues, geographic and time spatial clues, as well as synonyms. Search results can be enhanced by the clues we leave on the data.

Another tool that enhances your search experience is a taxonomy. A strong standards-based taxonomy is one with true integrity. Access Innovations is one of a very small number of companies able to help its clients generate ANSI/ISO/W3C-compliant taxonomies.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.

Recycling Treasures

Once again my search for the odd and illusive taxonomies have resulted in a treasure. “Taxonomy of trash” was brought to us by Philly.com and it didn’t fail to entertain and intrigue me.

We have all heard the saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” and that may apply to not just the subject of this taxonomy, but this taxonomy itself. Others may not find the joy in these special little gems like I do; they are my treasures. This particular trash is sound, video, biology, and photography subjects.

Triumph Learning Partners with Access Innovations on Common Core Standards-Integrated Taxonomy

Triumph Learning LLC, a New York-based print and digital educational content company, has partnered with Access Innovations, Inc., a leader in taxonomy development, to create a new, state-of-the-art taxonomy designed to precisely align standards-based instructional content for all grades in the K– 12 education market.

To help Triumph Learning manage its content development more effectively, Access Innovations designed and built a structured vocabulary relevant for teaching mathematics and English language arts. The taxonomy contains terms reflecting concepts, skills, and learning standards in a hierarchical structure.

“Standards-aligned vocabulary provided one major axis for the integrated taxonomy,” noted Kirk Sanders, project manager at Access Innovations. “We tied Triumph’s robust publishing terminology with Common Core progressive standards in a dynamic new format that will make the content both more searchable and more discoverable.”

The Common Core State Standards provide concepts and terminology that Triumph Learning writers and editors can use to link pieces of content such as instruction and practice activities, as well as other supplemental material, to corresponding grade-level standards.

“By using Access Innovations expertise we will be able to properly align our content for both teachers and students,” said Aoife Dempsey, Chief Technology Officer at Triumph Learning.  “These new taxonomies, along with our backend recommendation application, helps assure the right content, aligned to the right standards, get to the right students.”

Using the taxonomy tools from Access Innovations, creator of the Data Harmony software suite, Triumph Learning can quickly and accurately absorb state-specific standards so it can rapidly develop targeted products as individual states and educator groups seek curriculum materials based on the Common Core and other state standards.

About Access Innovations, Inc. – www.accessinn.com, www.dataharmony.com, www.taxodiary.com

Founded in 1978, Access Innovations has extensive experience with Internet technology applications, master data management, database creation, thesaurus/taxonomy creation, and semantic integration. Access Innovations’ Data Harmony software includes automatic indexing, thesaurus management, an XML Intranet System (XIS), and metadata extraction for content creation developed to meet production environment needs.  Data Harmony is used by publishers, governments, and corporate clients throughout the world.

 

About Triumph Learning LLC – www.triumphlearning.com

Triumph Learning, LLC, is the leading publisher of K-12 Common Core resources, standards-aligned instructional materials, and effective literacy programs.  Our state-customized products increase student achievement and raise scores on high-stakes exams.  We offer unique student solutions, robust teacher support, and professional development opportunities.  Imprints include Triumph Online, Coach, Buckle Down, Options, Plugged-in to Reading, and The BookJam.  Triumph Learning is committed to serving 21^st-century learners with a mix of interactive digital tools and innovative student texts.

 

About the Common Core State Standards Initiative – www.corestandards.org

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

Taxonomy Adds Value to Content

If you have been a reader for any time at all, you know by now that I find taxonomies of alternate topics very intriguing, and I wasn’t disappointed by this latest find.

Popsci brought this intriguing find to my attention in their post, “A Taxonomy Of More Than 4,000 LEGO Figures.” Using science to classify toys may seem trivial to some, but toys are as valuable to some as animals, plants, or chocolate.

The creator of this comprehensive taxonomy shows great creativity, and the impressive attention to detail is commendable. They also created a catalog based on the system, and it features an interactive map.

This very thorough categorization would be even more dynamic if they could manage to encourage children to keep them their LEGOs this organized, or organized at all.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.

Managing All That Data

Big data. Unstructured data. Semi-structured data. Data, data, data. It seems like everyone is talking about data and the challenges that come with it.

Besides overwhelming organizations and requiring them to revisit their operations and processes, it is also forcing a non-connectional, isolated environment with regards to data. Organizations are finding themselves with piles of information, locked away in silos (different systems, different departments, different geographies). All this makes it very difficult to connect the dots and make sense of critical business information. This information overload forces companies to revisit and redefine how they index and store their information.

KMWorld brought this topic to our attention in their article, “Advanced Indexing Technology.”

We know that indexing against a strong, standards-based taxonomy can ensure comprehensive search results. Access Innovations is one of a very small number of companies able to help its clients generate ISO/ANSI/NISO compliant taxonomies to produce comprehensive results.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.

Ranganathan, Classification, and British Toys

I’ve mentioned Ranganathan briefly in some earlier posts. Let’s look at his innovations and influence from a historical perspective.

Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan (1892-1972) was an Indian mathematician and librarian. His academic training was in mathematics, in which subject he earned two degrees. He taught mathematics and wrote several articles on the history of mathematics. These articles worked to his advantage when the University of Madras was seeking someone with a research background to fill the post of University Librarian. Ranganathan applied because the job paid better than his professorship at the same university.

And what about Ranganathan’s background in librarianship? Well, a few days before the interview, he had read up on the subject in the Encyclopædia Britannica.

He got the job, but he found that it didn’t offer much intellectual stimulation or professional interaction with students and colleagues. In short, he was bored stiff. So he asked for his prior position as a math professor back. The position was held for him until he returned from his training in modern librarianship at the University College London. He would be allowed to choose which position to stay with after returning from his librarianship studies. After nine months of study in London, Ranganathan received an honors certificate from the University College. His mathematical training gave him a unique perspective on the problems of classification and other library matters, and he returned to his library position eager to put his ideas into practice.

During his time in England, Ranganathan visited over 100 libraries to observe their operation. His observations of both their shortcomings and the overall superiority of their methods over those of India led him to develop some egalitarian principles, published in 1931 as The Five Laws of Library Science. The five laws are as follows:

1) Books are for use.

2) Every reader his book.

3) Every book its reader.

4) Save the time of the reader.

5) A library is a growing organism.

In the five laws, we can see Ranganathan’s interest in access to information for everyone. This interest dovetailed with his work in classification science. He perceived that existing classification systems were not entirely suited for accommodating new areas of knowledge. He knew that a new, flexible approach was needed.

What happened next (well, actually, in 1924), as described by noted information scientist Eugene Garfield in his first essay on Ranganathan, was pure inspiration:

“As so often happens in scientific discovery, this vague notion was fully conceptualized only with the help of an unlikely catalyst. For Isaac Newton, according to legend, the catalyst was a falling apple. For Friedrich Kekulé, discoverer of the benzene ring, it was a snake with a tail in its mouth that appeared to him in a dream. For Ranganathan, it was a toy erector set at Selfridge’s, the London department store. There he saw a salesperson create an entirely new toy with each new combination of metal strips, nuts, and bolts. This experience made Ranganathan realize that his classification scheme should likewise consist of elements that could be freely combined to meet the needs of each specific subject.”*

As it happened, the classification system that Ranganathan devised, known as Colon Classification, was never widely adopted. However, the theory behind it had enormous impact on classification and indexing science. According to Garfield, in his second essay on the famed librarian, “Ranganathan is to library science what Einstein is to physics.”**

Thanks, in part, to Meccano toys, Ranganathan is widely regarded these days as the father of library science.

Marjorie M.K. Hlava, President Access Innovations

 

Note: The above posting is one of a series based on a presentation, The Theory of Knowledge, given at the Data Harmony Users Group meeting in February of 2011. The presentation covered the theory of knowledge as it relates to search and taxonomies.

*Eugene Garfield. “A Tribute to S.R. Ranganathan, the Father of Indian Library Science. Part 1. Life and Works,” Current Contents No. 6, pp. 5-12 (February 6, 1984). Reprinted in Essays of an Information Scientist, Volume 7. Philadelphia: ISI Press, pp. 37-44 (1985).

**Eugene Garfield. “A Tribute to S.R. Ranganathan, the Father Library Science. Part 2. Contribution to Indian and International Library Science,” Current Contents No. 7, pp. 3-7 (February 13, 1984). Reprinted in Essays of an Information Scientist, Volume 7. Philadelphia: ISI Press, pp. 45-49 (1985).

Metadata Providing Structure

M-Files has received a cash infusion to further their growth. The Finnish enterprise content management platform does away with traditional folder structures by relying entirely on metadata to help people find documents. Gigaom brought this news to our attention in their article, “Metadata-centric enterprise content management firm M-Files scores €6M in funding.” M-Files works across the cloud as well as on-premise or hybrid installations.

“Everyone says that metadata is important, but quite often it’s something users have to add when they are storing documents,” CEO Miika Mäkitalo commented. Metadata can be considered bread crumbs, but it works best when referenced against a solid taxonomy. Access Innovations wants you to have access to your data. They are one of a very small number of companies able to help its clients generate ANSI/ISO/W3C-compliant taxonomies.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.

Working Together for Development

A new joint initiative launched by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) will help researchers have access to improved metadata and new tools as they search through and analyze the General Social Survey (GSS) and the American National Election Studies (ANES). The two-year project, named Metadata Portal for the Social Sciences, is supported by a collaborative research grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

This interesting news was brought to us by PRWeb in their article, “Metadata Technology Collaborating with NORC, ICPSR, and Partners on Improving Researchers Access to GSS and ANES Surveys.”

Metadata is a valuable digital tool to make search results as comprehensive as possible. Another tool that enhances your search experience is a taxonomy. A strong standards-based taxonomy is one with true integrity. Access Innovations is one of a very small number of companies able to help its clients generate ANSI/ISO/W3C-compliant taxonomies.

Melody K. Smith

Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.

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