SIG/CR Classification Research
What is SIG/CR?
SIG/CR is a special interest group in the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) focused on classification research.
What does SIG/CR study?
SIG/CR studies the fundamental principles, underlying processes, and analytic constructs of classification schemes and procedures by humans or automata. It is concerned with organizing information, and includes indexing, index construction, indexing language, thesaurus construction, terminology, classification of information in any form, and testing and evaluating the effectiveness of these products. It is also concerned with the ability to develop abstractions from perceived reality. Theoretical emphases include cognition, grouping and organization of groupings, and linguistics.
Why is there a platypus on your website?
The platypus, or Ornithorhynchus anatinus, is a notoriously difficult animal to classify because it shares many properties with mammals but also lays eggs and has a duck-bill. Because of these unique properties, the platypus is grouped with echidnas in the order of mammals known as monotremes. SIG/CR loves considering these difficult classification decisions and the processes used to make and reflect them.