Faceted Knowledge Organization
Properties of facets
facets represent viewpoints or aspects
facets are based on the insight that universal classification
schemes usually fail due to the cultural and social nature of
classification
facets are modules that can be combined
each single facet is consistent and exhaustive; different
facets are independent of each other which means that changes
to one facet do not affect other facets; the knowledge
represented by a combination of facets can be incomplete and
inconsistent
History of facets
Ranganathan (1940's) invented "facets" to represent different aspects
in a library classification scheme. He suggested the main facets
"personality, matter, energy, space, time"
Guttman (1950's) invented "facets" independently of Ranganathan as
a means of structuring sociological surveys