Data-Driven Development of the Dewey Decimal Classification

Abstract

Changes involved in maintaining the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), a general classification system, have derived in the past from many distinct sources. Without disregarding these sources, the DDC editorial team is also considering data-driven methods of (1) identifying existing areas of the DDC warranting further development or (2) identifying topics with sufficient literary warrant to justify explicit inclusion in the DDC. The use of two sources of data is under investigation. The first data source reflects the assignment of recently created Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSHs) to resources described in WorldCat records (i.e., LCSHs added within the past 5 years). The second data source reflects the assignment of numbers from the current full edition of Dewey to WorldCat records. The topics and schedule areas identified through these means require investigation to ascertain if they are viable candidates for further development. Preliminary work with these data sources reveals that the strategies hold promise.