This paper analyses selected literature on basic-level categories, explores related theories and discusses theoretical explanations of the phenomenon of basic-level categories. A substantial body of research has proposed that basic-level categories are the first categories formed during perception of the environment, the first learned by children and those most used in language. Experimental studies suggest that high-level (or superordinate) categories lack informativeness because they are represented by only a few attributes and low-level (or subordinate) categories lack cognitive economy because they are represented by too many attributes. Studies in library and information science have demonstrated the prevalence of basic-level categories in knowledge organization and representation systems such as thesauri and in image indexing and retrieval; and it has been suggested that the universality of basic-level categories could be used for building crosswalks between classificatory systems and user-centred indexing. However, while there is evidence of the pervasiveness of basic-level categories, they may actually be unstable across individuals, domains or cultures and thus unable to support broad generalizations. This paper discusses application of Heidegger’s notion of handiness as a framework for understanding the relational nature of basic-level categories.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the representation of Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian) Hula Dance in traditional systems of representation and organization. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study analyzes the controlled and natural language vocabularies employed for the representation and organization of Hawaiian culture, in particular Hawaiian hula. The most widely accepted and used systems were examined: classification systems (Library of Congress Classification and Dewey Decimal Classification), subject heading systems (Library of Congress Subject Headings and authority files (Library of Congress and OCLC Authority Files), and citation indexing systems (Web of Science Social Sciences and Art and Humanities databases). Findings Analysis of various tools of representation and organization revealed biases and diasporization in depictions of Hawaiian culture. The study emphasizes the need to acknowledge the aesthetic perspective of indigenous people in their organization and presentation of their own cultural knowledge and advocates a decolonizing methodology to promote alternative information structures in indigenous communities. Originality/value This study contributes to the relatively limited scholarship on representation and organization for indigenous knowledge organization systems, in particular Hawaiian culture. Research suggests that access to Native Hawaiian cultural heritage will raise awareness among information professionals in Hawai’i to the beauty of Native Hawaiian epistemology.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of Goodreads’ user-generated book reviews from a linguistic perspective for insights into the psychological aspects of reviewers’ perceptions and behaviors. This examination of users’ language and perspectives may shed light on the role and value of user-generated reviews in complementing the traditional representation of resources and facilitating the discoverability of cultural objects. Design/methodology/approach This study involved a textual analysis of 474,803 unique reviews of Goodreads’ 2015 top-rated books generated by 9,335 Goodreads’ reviewers. In order to better understand the nuances of user-generated reviews, a content analysis was applied to 2,500 reviews of each of the five top-ranked titles in Goodreads’ Fiction Literature genre category. Findings The analysis of user-generated reviews demonstrates that language is a quite stable and reliable dimension across Goodreads’ users. The high rate of function words utilized, in particular I-words, coupled with positive emotion words, suggests that reviewers tended to convey their opinions in order to influence other individuals’ reading choices, or in Bourdieu’s (1985) terms, influence cultural production. In line with previous studies of user-generated reviews, the prevalence of positive reviews may also imply their unreliable nature. This study supports the importance of transparency regarding inclusion of user-generated reviews in traditional systems of knowledge representation, organization and discovery, such as WorldCat. Originality/value This study contributes to better understanding of linguistic characteristics of Goodreads’ reviews, including the role and value of user-generated reviews in complementing traditional representation of resources and facilitating discoverability of cultural objects.

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Purpose After reviewing cultural heritage institutions; crowdsourcing initiatives and tension between univocal and multivocal views of those who interact with cultural expressions, this paper argues that to support vibrant and effective crowdsourcing communities while ensuring the quality of the work of crowdsourcing project volunteers it is essential to reevaluate and transform the traditional univocal, top-down approach to representation and organization. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper applies Foucault’s power–knowledge construct and theories of representation to the processes and practices employed in cultural heritage crowdsourcing projects. Findings Viewed through the Foucauldian lens, cultural heritage professionals are regarded as active parts of the power–knowledge relationship due to their direct engagement in the representation, organization and dissemination of knowledge, exercised not only through the traditional role of cultural heritage institutions as gatekeepers of knowledge but, more importantly, through the power of representation and organization of the cultural heritage. Originality/value This paper provides a theoretical understanding of cultural heritage crowdsourcing initiatives and proposes a framework for multivocal representation of cultural heritage expressions in which the voices of volunteers have the same validity as the voices of cultural heritage professionals.

Development of Internet technologies has empowered ordinary users to create, contribute, share and connect with other members of the community. As users learn to exploit the potential of networked communications, they participate in a process, which facilitates a shift from individual to collective contributions and introduces an opportunity for multi-vocal and multifaceted representation of cultural heritage. Open access to crowdsourced collections requires reconsideration of the traditional authoritative approach of cultural heritage institutions. The arduous nature of the work rendered voluntarily in cultural heritage crowdsourcing initiatives calls for reconsideration of power relationships and giving power to devoted contributors supported by modern "intelligent" technology to regulate the process of representation and organization. Taking into consideration the fact that crowdsourced data are not without flaws, the question is how to better utilize the collective intelligence to create quality information. In this context, various issues such as power, control, trust, inter-contributor consensus, heterogeneity of opinions will be raised and discussed by the panelists. Each of the panelists comes from a different field of expertise (Computer science, Information science, Economics, Communication studies, cultural heritage) and various cultural backgrounds and geographical locations (United States, Europe and Israel). This diversity will be reflected in the presented perspectives on the crowdsourcing topic.

PurposeThis study aims to present a new framework for ethical creation and evaluation of multi-perspective knowledge organization systems.Design/methodology/approachApplying Held's understanding of the ethics of care, this paper proposes five operative criteria for ethical building and evaluation of multi-perspective knowledge representation and organization systems.FindingsThis paper argues that a carefully designed multipoint view of representation and organization conforms to the proposed ethical criteria and shifts concerns associated with the expectation of neutrality of library information professionals to the necessity to humanize and diversify the representation and organization of knowledge to build inclusive and equitable systems.Originality/valueThis paper presents multi-perspectiveness as key to ethical knowledge organization. The paper proposes a generic taxonomy of the main stages in the creation of multi-perspective knowledge representation and organization systems and demonstrates how to apply the proposed framework in each stage to ensure ethical outcomes.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis from an ethical perspective of how the concept of indigenous wayfinding and voyaging is mapped in knowledge representation, organization and discovery systems.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the Dewey Decimal Classification, the Library of Congress Subject Headings, the Library of Congress Classifications systems and the Web of Science citation database were methodically examined to determine how these systems represent and facilitate the discovery of indigenous knowledge of wayfinding and voyaging.FindingsThe analysis revealed that there was no dedicated representation of the indigenous practices of wayfinding and voyaging in the major knowledge representation, organization and discovery systems. By scattering indigenous practice across various, often very broad and unrelated classes, coherence in the record is disrupted, resulting in misrepresentation of these indigenous concepts.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a relatively limited research literature on representation and organization of indigenous knowledge of wayfinding and voyaging. This study calls to foster a better understanding and appreciation for the rich knowledge that indigenous cultures provide for an enlightened society.