Arriving at a Standard Set of Categories

See DcSubject for a place to list different categories in use by Indymedia sites.

Problem statement

How can we create a standard set of categories between IMCs spread out over 6 continents in dozens of different languages?

Necessary features:

• Multi-lingual
• Unique reference to heavily overlapping categories
• Extendable for local topics
• Can easily add new terms that we didn't thing of at first
• Matches de-centralized nature of Indymedia; avoiding central repository?

Similar Problems

• Cataloging reference materials
• Finding file types (the MIME system)

Possible Approaches

• Use external source
• Generate exhaustive list and combine duplicated subjects
• Don't define exhaustive list -- just a way to reference which IMC defined the category (e.g., if UK defines a category for environmentalism, it would be uk.indymedia.org / Environmentalism)
• Allow multiple definitions of the same subjects, using different controlled vocabularies and the dc:subject scheme to separate them. This website gives a good example of this approach.

Starting Points

• Library of Congress Subject Headings (but not internationalized?)
• Dewey Decimal Classification
• NewsML/IPTC Newscodes -- 1300 subject terms translated into german, english, french and spanish.
• http://www.lub.lu.se/metadata/subject-help.html
• http://www.thegateway.org/about/documentation/metadataElements/subjectRefinements/subject-6-6-04

Examples

IPTC classifications for news articles

The broad categories: many, many subdivisions.

01000000	Arts, culture, and entertainment
02000000	crime, law and justice
03000000	disaster and accident
04000000	economy, business and finance
05000000	education
06000000	environmental issue
07000000	health
08000000	human interest
09000000	labour
10000000	lifestyle and leisure
11000000	politics
12000000	religion and belief
13000000	science and technology
14000000	social issue
15000000	sport
16000000	unrest, conflicts and war (incl. protest and social movements)
17000000	weather (incl. climate change)

Example: LOC Classification Numbers

(without sub-headings)

A	GENERAL WORKS
B	PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY. RELIGION
C	AUXILIARY SCIENCES OF HISTORY
D	HISTORY (GENERAL) AND HISTORY OF EUROPE
E	HISTORY: AMERICA
F	HISTORY: AMERICA
G	GEOGRAPHY. ANTHROPOLOGY. RECREATION
H	SOCIAL SCIENCES
J	POLITICAL SCIENCE
K	LAW
L	EDUCATION
M	MUSIC AND BOOKS ON MUSIC
N	FINE ARTS
P	LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Q	SCIENCE
R	MEDICINE
S	AGRICULTURE
T	TECHNOLOGY
U	MILITARY SCIENCE
V	NAVAL SCIENCE
Z	BIBLIOGRAPHY. LIBRARY SCIENCE. INFORMATION RESOURCES (GENERAL)

Dewey Decimal

000	Generalities
100	Philosophy & psychology
200	Religion
300	Social sciences
400	Language
500	Natural sciences & mathematics
600	Technology (Applied sciences)
700	The arts
800	Literature & rhetoric
900	Geography & history

Universal Decimal Classification

0	GENERALITIES
1	PHILOSOPHY. PSYCHOLOGY
2	RELIGION. THEOLOGY
3	SOCIAL SCIENCES
4	VACANT
5	NATURAL SCIENCES
6	TECHNOLOGY
7	THE ARTS
8	LANGUAGE. LINGUISTICS. LITERATURE
9	GEOGRAPHY. BIOGRAPHY. HISTORY

First pass at an IMC Controlled Vocabulary

This approach uses the IPTC newscodes as a starting point. It moves protest (a subset of the 16s) to their own category and adds a few other new categories, including one for Indymedia. Categories with a ? are less likely to be used.

General approach: up to 99 broad categories, 01-99, with sub-categories. E.g., broad category: 01000000. Subcategory: 01100000. No need for "synthetic" classification approach since each article/feature can have multiple associated categories.

Goal: make a sensible hierarchy, without leaving out any important IMC categories. Secondary goal: make at least part of our hierarchy compatible with the IPTC newscodes.

Code	English
01000000	Arts, culture, and entertainment
02000000	crime, law and justice
03000000	disaster and accident
04000000	Capitalism , Corporations, economy and Business
04100000	globalization, e.g.
05000000	education
06000000	environmental issue
07000000	health
08000000	human interest?
09000000	labor
10000000	lifestyle and leisure?
11000000	politics and governments
12000000	religion and belief
13000000	science and technology
14000000	social issues - this category contains homelessness, racism, gender, lbtiq issues, etc
14003000	demographics, e.g.
14003002	immigration, e.g.
15000000	sport?
16000000	unrest, conflicts and war - incl. political dissent, protest, etc
17000000	weather (incl. climate change)
18000000	Social Movements
18100000	Zapatista, e.g.
19000000	Indymedia
19100000	Indymedia global, e.g.
20000000	Repression?
20100000	State Authority, e.g.
20200000	Police Authority, e.g.
22000000	Analysis/Commentary/Tactical Discussion