Digitized Schemes for Subject Classification and Thesauri: Complementary Roles

Knowledge organization tools, such as, schemes for classification and thesauri can play useful complementary roles in information systems, for example, mapping the concepts of a subject area, indicating the relationships among them in the particular subject context; designing and using user-interfaces for an information system; vocabulary management at the input, search, and retrieval stages; and designing subject classification and indexing tools. The abundance of information sources accessible, thanks to developments in information and communication technologies, raises issues such as: (1) the need to filter and select information relevant to a user's interest at the moment; (2) to provide the means of organizing the embodied information and also the retrieved information; and (3) to develop and provide facilities to assist system users to intelligently interact with the information system so as to select relevant information from the offerings. This paper discusses issues 2 and 3 with demonstrated examples.