Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- About the authors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 A Brief History of the Dewey Decimal Classification
- 2 Governance and Revision of the DDC
- 3 Introduction to the Text
- 4 Basic Plan and Structure
- 5 Subject Analysis and Locating Class Numbers
- 6 Tables and Rules for Precedence and Citation Order
- 7 Number Building
- 8 Use of Table 1 Standard Subdivisions
- 9 Use of Table 2 Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Biography
- 10 Use of Table 4 Subdivisions of Individual Languages and Table 6 Languages
- 11 Use of Table 3 Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms
- 12 Use of Table 5 Ethnic and National Groups
- 13 Multiple Synthesis: Deeper Subject Analysis
- 14 Classification of General Statistics, Law, Geology, Geography and History
- 15 Using the Relative Index
- 16 WebDewey
- 17 Options and Local Adaptations
- 18 Current Developments in the DDC and Future Trends
- Appendix 1 A Broad Chronology of the DDC, 1851–2022
- Appendix 2 History of Other Versions of the DDC
- Appendix 3 Table of DDC Editors
- Appendix 4 Editors of the DDC
- Appendix 5 Takeaways
- Further resources
- Glossary
- Index
14 - Classification of General Statistics, Law, Geology, Geography and History
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 October 2023
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Figures and Tables
- About the authors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 A Brief History of the Dewey Decimal Classification
- 2 Governance and Revision of the DDC
- 3 Introduction to the Text
- 4 Basic Plan and Structure
- 5 Subject Analysis and Locating Class Numbers
- 6 Tables and Rules for Precedence and Citation Order
- 7 Number Building
- 8 Use of Table 1 Standard Subdivisions
- 9 Use of Table 2 Geographic Areas, Historical Periods, Biography
- 10 Use of Table 4 Subdivisions of Individual Languages and Table 6 Languages
- 11 Use of Table 3 Subdivisions for the Arts, for Individual Literatures, for Specific Literary Forms
- 12 Use of Table 5 Ethnic and National Groups
- 13 Multiple Synthesis: Deeper Subject Analysis
- 14 Classification of General Statistics, Law, Geology, Geography and History
- 15 Using the Relative Index
- 16 WebDewey
- 17 Options and Local Adaptations
- 18 Current Developments in the DDC and Future Trends
- Appendix 1 A Broad Chronology of the DDC, 1851–2022
- Appendix 2 History of Other Versions of the DDC
- Appendix 3 Table of DDC Editors
- Appendix 4 Editors of the DDC
- Appendix 5 Takeaways
- Further resources
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
Introduction
The topics in this chapter title may sound disparate, but they share a common feature: they all use Table 2 notation as a subject division and usually as an intervening facet instead of the last one. In many cases, Table 2 notation is even embedded in the section-level number. Here, the geographic area functions like a subject.
Except for geography and travel, these topics only use Table 2 notation for the modern world (T2–4–9), not the ancient (T2–3).
General statistics
The 310s are an odd division, for collections of general statistics. Notes at 310 remind classifiers of a standard subdivision (T1–021) that can be used for statistics of most specific topics and point to several classes in 001 for statistics in research in general.
Most of the division is filled out with Table 2 notation, at 314–319 General statistics of specific continents, countries, localities in modern world.
The formula here is Table 2 notation added directly to base number 31. While only the six section-level numbers are given, more specific numbers can be built using the add instruction at 314–319. For example:
General statistics of Africa 316
General statistics of West Africa 316.6
General statistics of Ghana 316.67
Standard subdivisions can be added to these numbers if appropriate, e.g. serial publications of general statistics of Ghana 316.6705.
Law
In contrast, the law division is first divided by major branches, e.g. constitutional law 342, criminal law 345. Each branch is further divided by topic, with a zero as facet indicator separating branch and topic, e.g. 344.01 labor law, 344.02 social insurance law. A work on labor law generally just classes at 344.01. But the DDC's preferred arrangement inserts area between branch and topic when applicable, since jurisdictional considerations are so crucial to law.
The basic pattern is 34X + Table 2 + 0Y, where X is the branch of law and Y is the topic in that branch. When using standard DDC, it would be a mistake to add geographic notation in the usual way (via T1–093–099) to a number like 344.01, e.g. do not use 344.01095957 for labor law of Singapore. Instead, follow instructions at spans such as 344.3–344.9, which enumerate this basic pattern. Here is the correct number for labor law of Singapore:
344.3–344.9 + T2–5957 + 344.3–344.9:01–09 + 344.01 = 344.595701
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- A Handbook of History, Theory and Practice of the Dewey Decimal Classification System , pp. 131 - 136Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2023