Class T "Economics" in Bliss Bibliografic Classification

Abstract

Starting from some general thoughts on the relationship discipline-phenomenon within the Bliss bibliographic classification (2. ed.), the article offers an overview of the architecture of a specific field: economics.

The difficulties in systematizing the discipline, and the quick diffusion of acronyms and new definitions - created by abbreviation or combination of existing words - lead to a full structural revision of the T entry, Economics & Management of economic enterprise, that at the moment is organized into categories, facets, and subfacets, offering a strict citation order. The system has a linear order, a notation to maintain the listing order, and an alphabetic list of the terms. BC2 is the only example of a classifying analytic-concise architecture fully faceted, updated and coherently developed, even though it is few used outside the United Kingdom, and it still lacks a web interface representing the semantic relations of the system.

The influence of BC2 structure on computer science is shown by the FATKS project of the University College London, a project that studies the use of analytic-concise classification systems as the basis for digital resources indexing. Moreover, some ongoing experimentations are demonstrating the potential of this classification to be converted into a thesaurus; in addition, a software for supporting the semi-automatic generation of a thesaurus starting from the input files used for producing the classification and the alphabetic list, is under consideration.
The author would thank Alberto Cheti, Claudio Gnoli and Anna Lucarelli for the precise reading and valued suggestions.