Using a general classification scheme and domain thesauri to build an organizational taxonomy for supporting navigation.

Abstract

Taxonomies are increasingly being chosen as knowledge organization systems to organize content within organizations and support navigation of web sites or digital repositories. They are becoming an essential component of knowledge management strategies within organizations. Researchers have recommended using classification schemes and thesauri as sources for building organizational taxonomies in order to leverage on terms, term relationships, and structures of these sophisticated systems and reduce the taxonomy construction effort. The purpose of the study was to examine how a general classification scheme and domain thesauri can be used as sources in the construction of an organizational taxonomy used for navigation of an organizational repository. In particular, the study sought to find out what support they provide in the construction of the hierarchical structure and categories of the taxonomy and steps to take in the construction process.

The study was conducted in the organizational context of a graduate school in the information studies domain, the Division of Information Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dewey Decimal Classification and three domain thesauri (ASIS&T, LISA, ERIC) were chosen as sources. An organizational taxonomy with multiple facets was developed for the Division. The taxonomy is designed to support the learning/teaching and research goals of the Division and tasks of the stakeholders, by supporting navigation of resources and knowledge discovery.