Classification scheme

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In metadata a classification scheme is the descriptive information for an arrangement or division of objects into groups based on characteristics which the objects have in common.

The ISO/IEC 11179 metadata registry standard uses classification schemes as a way to classify administered items, such as data elements, in a metadata registry.

Contents

[edit] Benefits of using classification schemes

Setting up one or more classification schemes for a collection of objects has many benefits. Some of these include:

  • allows a user to quickly find an object in a large object collection
  • makes it easier to detect duplicate objects
  • conveys semantics (meaning) of an object that is not conveyed by the object name or definition

[edit] Examples of classification schemes

The following are examples of different classification schemes. This list is in approximate order from informal to more formal:

  • keyword - a list of uncategorised words or phrases associated with an object
  • thesaurus - a list of categorized words or phrases associated with an object
  • taxonomy - a formal list of controlled words arranged from abstract to specific
  • data model - an arrangement of words or phrases that have complex many-to-many relationships
  • network (mathematics) - an arrangement of objects in a random graph
  • ontology - an arrangement of objects in a directed acyclic graph with multiple inheritance

One example of a classification scheme for data elements is a representation term.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links