Knowl. Org. 31(2004)No.3 KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION KO Official Quarterly Journal of the International Society for Knowledge Organization ISSN 0943 – 7444 International Journal devoted to Concept Theory, Classification, Indexing and Knowledge Representation Contents Editor’s Message ............................................................. 133 Report Williamson, Nancy J. Eighth International Obituary: Dr. Arthur Steven Pollitt .............................. 134 ISKO Conference, London UK, 13-16 July, 2004.........188 Book Review Articles SATIJA, M.P. A Dictionary of Knowledge López-Huertas, María José, and Evaristo Jiménez Organization. Amritsar, India: Guru Nanak Dev Contreras. Spanish Research in Knowledge University, 2004. (248 p.) ISBN 81-7770-101-0. ...........196 Organization (1992-2001).............................................. 136 Gnoli, Claudio, and Roberto Poli. Levels of Reality Letter to the Editor and Levels of Representation.......................................... 151 Nicolaisen, Jeppe, and Birger Hjørland. Coleman, Anita S.. A Code for Classifiers: A Rejoinder to Beghtol (2004)........................................199 Whatever Happened to Merrill’s Code?......................... 161 Thellefsen, Torkild L., and Martin M. Thellefsen. Knowledge Organization Literature Pragmatic Semiotics and Knowledge Organization. ..... 177 31 (2004) No.3.................................................................202 Personal Author Index 31 (2004) No.3.................................................................210 Knowl. Org. 31(2004) No.3 KO KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION Official Quarterly Journal of the International Society for Knowledge Organization ISSN 0943 – 7444 International Journal devoted to Concept Theory, Classification, Indexing and Knowledge Representation Contents page López-Huertas, María and Evaristo Jiménez Contreras. Coleman, Anita S.. (2004). A Code for Classifiers: What- (2004). Spanish Research in Knowledge Organization ever Happened to Merrill’s Code? Knowledge Organiza- (1992-2001). Knowledge Organization, 31(3). 136-150. 15 tion, 31(3). 161-176. 32 refs. refs. ABSTRACT: The work titled Code for Classifiers by Wil- ABSTRACT: This study gives an initial appraisal of re- liam Stetson Merrill is examined. The development of search activity in Spain surrounding “knowledge organiza- Merrill's Code over a period of 27 years, 1912-1939 is tion.” The sample comprises articles, monographs and traced by examining bibliographic, attribution, conceptual PhD. dissertations identified in the following data bases: and contextual differences. The general principles advo- ISI, LISA, ISOC, REBIUN, RUECA and TESEO. In cated, the differences between variants, and three contro- Spain, “knowledge organization” is a consolidated subject versial features of the Code: 1) the distinction between area that shows increasing productivity, although it cannot classifying vs. classification, 2) borrowing of the biblio- be considered well developed by any means. A small num- graphic principle of authorial intention, and 3) use of ber of highly productive authors are responsible for the Dewey Decimal class numbers for classified sequence of bulk of output. Most research activity stems from univer- topics, are also discussed. The paper reveals the importance sity departments and schools of library science, in particu- of the Code in its own time, the complexities of its presen- lar the Universities of Madrid and Zaragoza. A general in- tation and assessment by its contemporaries, and it’s status terest in the theoretical aspects of classification systems, today. documentary languages and thesauri can be seen. Thellefsen, Martin and Torkild Thellefsen. (2004). Prag- Gnoli, Claudio and Roberto Poli. (2004). Levels of Reality matic Semiotics and Knowledge Organization. Knowl- and Levels of Representation. Knowledge Organization, edge Organization, 31(3). 177-187. 18 refs. 31(3). 151-160. 45 refs. ABSTRACT: The present paper presents a philosophical ABSTRACT: Ontology, in its philosophical meaning, is approach to knowledge organization, proposing the prag- the discipline investigating the structure of reality. Its find- matic doctrine of C.S. Peirce as basic analytical framework ings can be relevant to knowledge organization, and mod- for knowledge domains. The theoretical framework dis- els of knowledge can, in turn, offer relevant ontological cussed is related to the qualitative branch of knowledge or- suggestions. Several philosophers in time have pointed out ganization theory i.e. within scope of Hjørland’s domain that reality is structured into a series of integrative levels, analytical view (Hjørland and Albrechtsen 1995; Hjørland like the physical, the biological, the mental, and the cul- 2002; Hjørland 2004), and promote a general framework tural, and that each level plays as a base for the emergence for analyzing domain knowledge and concepts. However, of more complex levels. More detailed theories of levels the concept of knowledge organization can be viewed in at have been developed by Nicolai Hartmann and James K. least two perspectives, one that defines knowledge organi- Feibleman, and these have been considered as a source for zation as an activity performed by a human actor e.g. an in- structuring principles in bibliographic classification by formation specialist, and secondly a view that has the per- both the Classification Research Group (CRG) and spective of the inherent self-organizing structure of a Ingetraut Dahlberg. CRG’s analysis of levels and of their knowledge domain the latter being investigated in the pa- possible application to a new general classification scheme per. based on phenomena instead of disciplines, as it was for- mulated by Derek Austin in 1969, is examined in detail. Both benefits and open problems in applying integrative levels to bibliographic classification are pointed out. This contents page may be reproduced without charge. Knowl. Org. 31(2004)No.3 KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION KO Official Quarterly Journal of the International Society for Knowledge Organization ISSN 0943 – 7444 International Journal devoted to Concept Theory, Classification, Indexing and Knowledge Representation KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION Dr. Rebecca GREEN, College of Information Studies, Hornbake Bldg. (So. Wing), Room 4105, University of Maryland, College This journal is the organ of the INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY Park, MD 20742-4345 USA. Email: [email protected] FOR KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION (General Secretariat: Dr. Gerhard RIESTHUIS (Literature Editor), Liendenhof 60, Dr. Norbert HENRICHS, Im Luftfeld 80, D-40489 Düsseldorf, NL-1108 HB Amsterdam, Netherlands). Germany Dr. Roland HJERPPE, Dept. of Computer and Information Sci- ence, Linköping University, S-58183 Linköping, Sweden Editors Dr. Barbara H. KWASNIK, Professor, School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 USA, (315) 443-4547 voice, (315) 443-4506 fax. Email: [email protected] Dr. Richard P. SMIRAGLIA (Editor-in-Chief), Palmer School of Dr. Ia MCILWAINE, Director, School of Library, Archive & In- Library and Information Science, Long Island University, 720 formation Studies, University College London, Gower Street, Northern Blvd., Brookville NY 11548 USA. London WC1E 6BT U.K. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Prof. Dr. Francis MIKSA, Graduate School of Library and Infor- Dr. Clément ARSENAULT (Book Review Editor), École de bib- mation Science, University of Texas at Austin, SZB 564, Austin, liothéconomie et des sciences de l’information, Université de TX 78712-1276 Montréal, C.P. 6128, succ. Centre-ville, Montréal (QC) H3C 3J7, Canada. Email: [email protected] Ms. Joan S. MITCHELL, Editor in Chief, Dewey Decimal Classi- fication, OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., 6565 Dr. Gerhard RIESTHUIS (Literature Editor), Liendenhof 60, Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-3395 USA. NL-1108 HB Amsterdam, Netherlands. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Dr. Widad MUSTAFA el HADI, URF IDIST, Université Charles Dr. Nancy WILLIAMSON (Classification Research News Edi- de Gaulle Lille 3, BP 149, 59653 Villeneuve D’Ascq, France tor), Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto, 140 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G6 Canada. Dr. Giliola NEGRINI, Consiglio Nazionale della Ricerche, Ist. di Email: [email protected] Studi sulla Ricerca e Doc. Scientifica, Via Cesare De Lollis, 12, I- 00185 Rome, Italy Hanne ALBRECHTSEN (Communications Editor), Risø Na- tional Laboratory, Roskilde, Denmark. Dr. Hope A. OLSON, School of Information Studies, 522 Bolton E-mail: [email protected] Hall, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201 USA. Email: [email protected] Matthew F. AINSWORTH (Editorial Assistant), Palmer School of Library and Information Science, Long Island University. Ms. Annelise Mark PEJTERSEN, Systems Analysis Dept., Risoe National Laboratory, P.O. Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark Dr. M. P. SATIJA, Guru Nanak Dev University, School of Li- brary and Information Science, Amritsar-143 005, India Consulting Editors Dr. J.F. (Jos) SCHREINEMAKERS, Section Business Informat- ics, School of Computer Science, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Uni- Prof. Dr. Ulf G. BARANOW, Rua Ubaldino do Amaral 580, versiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Email: [email protected] Apto. 51, BR-80060-190, Curitiba - PR, Brazil Dr. Otto SECHSER, In der Ey 37, CH-8047 Zürich, Switzerland Prof. Clare BEGHTOL, Faculty of Information Studies, Univer- Dr. Winfried SCHMITZ-ESSER, Rothenbaumchaussee