11th International ISKO Conference Paradigms and conceptual systems in KO Rome 23-26 February 2010 Knowledge organization of fiction and narrative documents:

11th International ISKO Conference11th International ISKO ConferenceParadigms and conceptual systems in KOParadigms and conceptual systems in KO

Rome 23-26 February 2010Rome 23-26 February 2010

Knowledge organization of fiction and Knowledge organization of fiction and narrative documents: a challenge in the narrative documents: a challenge in the

age of the multimedia revolutionage of the multimedia revolution

Francisco-Javier García-Marco (Universidad de Zaragoza, ZaragozaFrancisco-Javier García-Marco (Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain), Spain)João Batista Ernesto de Moraes (São Paulo João Batista Ernesto de Moraes (São Paulo State UniversityState University, Marília, São Paulo, , Marília, São Paulo, BrazilBrazil))))

Luis-Fernando García-Marco (Gobierno de Aragón, Zaragoza Luis-Fernando García-Marco (Gobierno de Aragón, Zaragoza , Spain), Spain)José Augusto Chaves Guimarães José Augusto Chaves Guimarães ((São Paulo São Paulo State UniversityState University, Marília, São Paulo, , Marília, São Paulo, BraziBrazill))

CONTENT

Aims, methodology, scopeContext: the growing importance of narrativeFiction and non fictional narrativesThe specificity of fictions documents:

emotion as informationAnother level of complexity:

intertextuality and reception aestheticsThe theory of literature and subject indexingA model for KO of narrative documentsThe problem of a canonical orderConclusions, recommendations and future research

11th International ISKO Conference: Paradigms and conceptual systems in KO 11th International ISKO Conference: Paradigms and conceptual systems in KO Rome 23-26 February 2010 Rome 23-26 February 2010

AIMS AND METHODOLOGY

To integrate the models of content analysis and knowledge organization developed in two fields:

(a)Library and Information Science: analytic-synthetic tradition

(b)Literature Theory: Narratology and Thematology



Elements for a Elements for a knowledge organization knowledge organization modelmodel

DEFINITION OF NARRATION

We understand narration as a communicative strategy, deeply ingrained in the functioning of human mind and social communication, by which a sender offers—and a receiver gets—a message conveyed in a story, that is, an account of a course of events happening to a being or group of beings


1. CONTEXT: THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF NARRATIVE IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE

Knowledge organization researchers — and in general Information Science researchers — have been more concerned about scientific documents

Narrative based communications are gaining considerable room in disciplines like education, psychology and even in fields like business and management in general (story-telling), pop culture and cultural industries (reusing cultural artifacts and themes)

Our culture is reinvigorating stories as a tool of communication

Multimedia is nearer narration


THE POWER OF STORIES

are easy to remember,

produce a better “closing” or Gestalt of understanding,

and have a direct access to other non-logical intelligences, like emotional or aesthetical intelligence,

Which are being accepted—with all their virtues and faults—as a key part of human learning, or, at least by those more critical of them, as unavoidable ones


2. FICTION AND NON FICTIONAL NARRATIVES

A very important part of narrative information is fiction If a researcher considers information to be only actual facts, fiction will not

be considered information, but … Fiction conveys cultural and—at the end—very pragmatic information

Fiction is an artistic manifestation, present in all civilizations There are many narrative documents that are not fiction, viceversa There is a blurring frontier between fiction and non-fiction that is evident,

and affects both sides of the line (e. g., journalism)


3: THE SPECIFICITY OF FICTION DOCUMENTS

In fictional narrative documents, sense is considered implicit or even voluntarily conveyed or blurred, so analysis is very important

It is also very interesting to note that “fictionality” is a property that accepts grades, in the sense of Aristotle’s verisimilitude

Sometimes, fictional documents have been considered divided in two groups: the first conveying information and … the second one, whose sole purpose would be to amuse or generate emotions

(Lancaster, 2003, p. 200)


3: EMOTIONS ARE INFORMATION

But this division should not be used to demote the importance of the second group of texts,

for emotions are informational processes,

very important for example in creating public opinions and ideological positions,

and amusement is one of the biggest industries of our time,

which, in addition, serves also the development of group and public opinion.


3: The specificity of fiction documents

In any case (García, 2006), With the multimedia revolution, a growing percentage of content is leaving

the relatively unambiguous path of scientific and journalistic genres and approaching the semantic jungles of creative literature. This kind of material requires the complex kind of content analysis that is characteristic of artistic disciplines, that can be summarized in the simplified model that was proposed by the Art historian Panofsky (1955) —also applicable analogically to the analysis of fiction—: description of common subjects; identification of the specific names and exemplars of these common subjects; and interpretation of the abstract subjects that are being represented through the former.


4: Another level of complexity: intertextuality and reception aesthetics

Narrative documents sense is always a result of the interaction among creators, publishers and readers (reception aesthetics)

So indexing must be open to incorporate permanently new uses and users, with their specific thematic representations at that special moment

If any narrative text survives the occasional market, it becomes literature, and gets part of the literary tradition, and so it becomes an argument of authority


5: The theory of literature and subject indexing

A very interesting aspect for knowledge organization is the existence of thematic “universals”, which are truly cross-cultural topics that exist in different spaces and times of history

Formalists (Tomachevski, 1982) detect a more analytic level of thematic analysis

Topics are anyway expressed through specific and changing conceptual and aesthetical structures, called motives


5: The theory of literature and subject indexing

In Narratology, the subject becomes very connected with the way in which it is developed throughout narrative techniques to produce a story

There are many classifications of this kind of structures

According Ronald Tobias (1989, 1993), there are twenty master plots that are subjacent to any work of fiction: quest, adventure, pursuit, rescue, escape, revenge, riddle, rivalry, underdog, temptation, metamorphosis, transformation, maturation, love, forbidden love, sacrifice, discovery, wretched excess, ascension, and descension


Models of narrative and fiction KO

Genre

Author

Literature generations

Movements


6: A MODEL FOR KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION OF NARRATIVE DOCUMENTS

Literature world The relation among authors and works, literature movements, genres, styles, narrative structures, etc.

Universals Human relations, personality development…

Connoted world When using a story as a mirror of a subjacent one

Motives world The creative expression of the denoted world

Denoted world Entities, objects, persons, etc. (common/ identified)

Potential uses Different uses in education, research, creation, etc., both intended by the authors or not.

Media Different communication channels

Personality Energy Matter Space Time

Table I. Levels of facet analysis


Some keys

The analysis of uses of fiction is a mustThe analysis of uses of fiction is a must

educational, recreational, cultural, academic, scientific and business oriented

Subgenres can be effectively connected with the specific needs of the general Subgenres can be effectively connected with the specific needs of the general publicpublic

There are facets in genres: satirical, historical, etc. may permeate other genres There are facets in genres: satirical, historical, etc. may permeate other genres classificationclassification

Universals codify the main approaches that users take toward narrationUniversals codify the main approaches that users take toward narration

Connoted world is key for academics and others interested in interpretations Connoted world is key for academics and others interested in interpretations (authors)(authors)

Motives are key for cultural industries (producing plots)Motives are key for cultural industries (producing plots)


7: THE PROBLEM OF A CANONICAL ORDER

Any knowledge organization set of principles is of little interest if it is unable to Any knowledge organization set of principles is of little interest if it is unable to produce some kind of canonical order of the world of subjects in a systematic produce some kind of canonical order of the world of subjects in a systematic arrangement, but…arrangement, but…

Different schemas should be developed for each kind of users, as flexible faceted Different schemas should be developed for each kind of users, as flexible faceted systems usually ensuresystems usually ensure

For general use, a schema that prioritizes the hierarchy genre-subgenre-basic For general use, a schema that prioritizes the hierarchy genre-subgenre-basic plots, with auxiliary facets for places, personages, ages and dates, literary plots, with auxiliary facets for places, personages, ages and dates, literary movements, and narrative methodologies should workmovements, and narrative methodologies should work

Information about the complexity of the narration, the level of fictionality and Information about the complexity of the narration, the level of fictionality and potential audiences should be availablepotential audiences should be available


8: CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH

Addressing narrative knowledge organization on the era of Internet means Addressing narrative knowledge organization on the era of Internet means imagining models for integrating the very different uses that a narration can haveimagining models for integrating the very different uses that a narration can have

Though this information is increasingly important and widespread, many times Though this information is increasingly important and widespread, many times classification systems lack the needed granularity to ensure proper retrieval (v. g. classification systems lack the needed granularity to ensure proper retrieval (v. g. Moraes and Guimarães, 2007)Moraes and Guimarães, 2007)

Such a model would be especially useful for the design of systems capable of Such a model would be especially useful for the design of systems capable of facilitating the interchange of information among systems that have been designed facilitating the interchange of information among systems that have been designed for a specific purpose (functioning as “spines”)for a specific purpose (functioning as “spines”)

There is not such a thing as a single classificatory approach to fictionThere is not such a thing as a single classificatory approach to fiction

A working canonical order is needed as a point of encounter among the different A working canonical order is needed as a point of encounter among the different information needs that are expressed in subjectsinformation needs that are expressed in subjects

An interesting approach in the age of the semantic web would be to connect such An interesting approach in the age of the semantic web would be to connect such alternative thematic views around a canonical one as interrelated vocabularies, in alternative thematic views around a canonical one as interrelated vocabularies, in the way that the new standards, as BS 8723, make possiblethe way that the new standards, as BS 8723, make possible


Much work must be done in clarifying each of the big levels of analysis that have been proposed in this paper

Studying users and uses is a key aspect

One of our next steps will be a pilot study with teenagers and their teachers in secondary educations centres in Brazil and Spain

Finally, there is a need of continuing research in how content analysis —the previous phase to actual classification and indexing— is done

The set of procedures involved in identifying, extracting and selecting contents of documents (1) requires further research. In spite of a long tradition in cataloguing documents in libraries, it is not totally clear how the process of determining subject effectively occurs (Sauperl, 2002, p. 1), what leads to the need of investigating its methodological dimension.


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11th International ISKO Conference Paradigms and conceptual systems in KO Rome 23-26 February 2010 Knowledge organization of fiction and narrative documents: