Categorization: Describing Resource Classes and Types.

Glushko, R. J. (Ed.). (2013). The discipline of organizing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter 6.James Chuang

Outline6.1 Introdution6.2 The What and Why of categories6.3 Principle for creating categories6.4 Category design issue and implications6.5 Implementing categories

Introduction

Introduction✘分類無所不在✘什麼影響我們的分類方式 ?✘圖書館學與電腦科學

✘如何與為什麼建立分類✘哲學、邏輯、認知心理的重要理論

The What and Why of

categories

The What and Why of categories✘Categories are equivalence

classes, sets or groups of things or abstract entities that we treat same.

✘Include and Exclude✘Cognitive and Linguistic models

All human languages and cultures divide up the world

into categories.

Cultural

Institutional

Individual

Cultural CategoriesCultural

Individual

Institutional

Cultural Categories✘描述各種實體與人類各層面經驗✘Plato: “Carving nature at its

joints”✘Nature Language

E.g., Banana

Cultural CategoriesLinguistic Relativity (Whorf, 1956)

陳長益 (2000)。語言相對論。雙語詞彙、學術名詞暨辭書資訊網。取自 http://terms.naer.edu.tw/detail/1313416/

Hopi English

Cultural CategoriesLinguistic Relativity (Whorf, 1956)✘ 語言不僅是思考的「工具」而已，它同時也是思想的內容與思想的「塑造者」。✘ 愛斯基摩人用不同的字詞代表或指示不同類的雪。✘ 亞洲人以「稻」、「米」及「飯」指稱未剝殼的米、剝了殼的米及已煮熟的米。陳長益 (2000)。語言相對論。雙語詞彙、學術名詞暨辭書資訊網。取自 http://terms.naer.edu.tw/detail/1313416/

Cultural

Institutional

Individual

Individual Categories✘個人獨特的經驗、偏好與資源蒐集✘反映個人對於蒐集的偏好✘個人分類系統經常是無形且無法共享✘網路組織系統→文化分類與個人分類

Individual Categories

Individual Categories✘ 應付立即行動，處理緊急狀況✘ 具獨創性，可能跳脫文化的框架✘ 自個人經歷或成長歷史中融合文化分類

Cultural Categories✘ 需長時間且發展緩慢

Cultural

Institutional

Individual

Institutional Categories✘有邏輯地、明確地創造，由多人協作✘Information-intensive domain✘Laws , Regulation, Standards✘Classification:

the systematic assignment of resources to categories.

Institutional Categories✘Reconcile mismatches

betweenexisting Individual Categories.✘Overcome the vagueness and

inconsistency of Cultural Categories.

✘Collaboration of many individuals.

✘Different business or technical perspectives.

Credit: Serge Lachinov & Den fjättrade ankanhttps://www.wikiwand.com/en/Dmitri_Mendeleev

Categorization Continuum

Cultural

Institutional

Categorization Continuum

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/532972937125341485/

Linnaean taxonomy

human beingshomo sapiens

Categorization Continuum

Animal (Cultural / Institutional)

Mammal (Institutional)

Domestic short-hair (Institutional)

Cat (Cultural)

Trouble maker, favorite (Individual)

Categorization Continuum

Principle for creating categories

Principle for creating categories1. Enumeration2. Single properties3. Multiple properties and

Hierarchy4. Family resemblance5. Similarity6. Theory-based categorization7. Goal-based categorization

Enumeration✘ The simplest principle for

creating a category is enumeration.

✘Extensional definition✘Institutional Categorization✘Unambiguous, Impractical,

Inefficient.

Single properties✘Intrinsic static

properties✗ CDs, DVDs,

8-track cartridges, etc.

✗ Author, date, location, etc.

✘Extrinsic static properties✗Alphabetic✗Numeric

Single properties✘Extrinsic and Dynamics✘Usage or Behaviors→Context-

dependent1. Current owner or location of a resource2. Frequency of access3. Joint frequency of access with other

resources4. Current rating or preference with respect

to alternative resources

Single properties✘Numerical

properties values

Single properties✘Choice of properties✘A large number of items in a

system of categories→ lack coherence

Multiple properties and Hierarchy1. Multi-level or Hierarchical

Categories2. Different properties for subsets of

resources3. Necessary and sufficient

properties

Multi-level or Hierarchical Categories✘ Logical hierarchy✘ Inherited or inferred

How many properties and levels do we

need?

Logically complete

It’s complete for “all intents and purposes”

Different properties for subsets of resources

Intrinsic extrinsic

Static 依上衣、褲、襪，再依顏色 跟室友分衣櫃格子

Dynamic 依季節分 最常穿的放門邊

Necessary and sufficient properties ✘A large set of resource dose not

always require many properties and categories to organize it.

✘E.g. Prime number✘Every member of the category is an

equally good member or example of the category.

✘Monothetic ( 單設定 ) → Classical categories

黃震昇 (2008) 。被動綜合與單╱ 多設定：舒茲現象社會學意識界域的探討 ( 碩士論文 ) 。取自 http://nthur.lib.nthu.edu.tw/handle/987654321/4734

The Classical View of Categories

The limits of property-based categorization

✘Basing categories on easily perceived properties is often not effective.

✘Surface E.g. the size of a book, the color of its cover.

✘Aboutness

Family Resemblance✘Logical → Statistical

There are three related consequence:1. An effect of typicality or

centrality.2. It isn’t all properties creates

what we call family resemblance.E.g. What is a game? (Ludwig Wittgenstein)

3. The boundaries of the category are not fixed.

Similarity1. Featured- or Properties-based2. Geometry-based3. Alignment-based4. Transformational

Similarity1. Featured- or Properties-based2. Geometry-based3. Alignment-based4. Transformational

Similarity1. Featured- or Properties-based2. Geometry-based3. Alignment-based4. Transformational Things you need to feed

Similarity1. Featured- or Properties-based2. Geometry-based3. Alignment-based4. Transformational

Theory-based categories✘ Family resemblance and Similarity

→ Visible properties✘ Theory-based E.g. mammals✘ Origin or Causation

Goal-derived categories✘ Satisfy a goal.✘ A particular goal in some context.

Category design issue and

implications

1.Resource Properties

2.Similarity3.GoalsDepth and Breadth

Abstraction and Granularity✘ The size of class✘Context and Intent✘Find-grained categories

Basic or NaturalClothing

Shirts

White

shirt

Long-

sleeve

dress

shirt

Socks

Black hiking socks

Superordinate

Basic

Subordinate

Recall and Precision Tradeoff

Audience and Propose✘Goals, Breadth, Uses.✘Language E.g. Mandarin, Wu,

Cantonese.

Implementing categories

Implementing categories✘Sometimes invisible

Communicate, Solve problems, Organize

✘Sometimes apparentSigns, labels, Folders, etc.✘ Institutional Categories

Implementing classical categories✘Classical view of categories✘Decision tree Vehicles

Weight

Off-road capability

Maximum number of passengers

Implementing that do not Conform to the classical categories

✘Novel✘Stream of Consciousness

http://cwriter-creativewriter.blogspot.tw/2012/10/when-i-think-stream-of-consciousness-i.html

Stream of Consciousness (William James, 1842~1910)反對結構主義以意識是靜止的元素的說法，指出意識不是支離破碎的感覺原子，而是連續不絕經驗瀑流，人的思考活動與意識總在不斷流動之中。

意識流。雙語詞彙、學術名詞暨辭書資訊網。取自http://terms.naer.edu.tw/detail/1312051/http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/blog/tag/stream-of-consciousness/

Implementing that do not Conform to the classical categories

✘Machine learning✗ Supervised✗ Unsupervised (Statistical pattern

recognition)

https://www.lexalytics.com/technology/machine-learning

Implementing that do not Conform to the classical categories

✘Unsupervised→Clustering techniques1. Some measures of inter-item similarity

can be calculated.2. Hierarchical Clustering, K-means

clustering3. Refining the system of categories.

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