Methodological Challenges in Scheme Versioning and Subject Ontogeny Research

Abstract

This paper describes the philosophical and operational challenges to methodology in subject ontogeny research. The observation that indexing languages, comprising thesauri, classification schemes, taxonomies, and ontologies change over time has been a concern of the first order. The need to question the methods and aims of subject ontogeny and scheme change are second order work requiring ontological and epistemic assumptions. Operational concerns for the study of scheme change and subject ontogeny are species of one two-sided issue: isolation quantification. While some foundational issues make the study of the topic difficult, there may be some helpful techniques including phenomenology.

Keywords: subject ontogeny