A GENERAL MODEL FOR INDEXING LANGUAGES: THE BASIS FOR COMPATIBILITY AND INTEGRATION

Classification theory is divided into two areas: analysis of conceptual structure and file organization, and the primacy of the first is stressed, A model for conceptual structure in terms of concept coordination and polyhierarchy is sketched, Some problems of file organization, namely post-coordination vs. pre-coordination and synthetic vs. enumerative schemes are discussed in relation to this model. A model for a classification scheme for different kinds of file organization is then proposed. The scheme would consist of a "core classification scheme" made up of elemental concepts and an "extended classification scheme" made up of combinations of elemental concepts. While the core scheme would be universal, extended schemes would be developed as needed in a specific application. This would make for flexibility while maintaining inter-system compatibility.