Since books are not their primary source materials, as they are for research in the humanities, most scientists prefer to spend their time on experim… - Douglas John Foskett

Classification is thought of by many librarians as either a fearful complication of a very simply act, or an outmoded, almost prehistoric, method of doing a very complex mathematical task.

The (C.R.G.) in London has been discussing for some years the theory of documentary classification, and several papers have been published which reflect the course of the discussions (1–8). Beginning with an explicit disavowal of allegiance to any one published system, the Group has considered the well-known schemes, both general and special, and the work being published by those in other countries who have also been studying the subject theoretically. It has not, unfortunately, had the opportunity so far of seeing the system developed in the U.S.S.R. on the basis of the philosophy of dialectical materialism. While the Group has not been particularly satisfied with the development of the itself, we have nevertheless come to the conclusion that the method of facet analysis, first used systematically by , though sometimes occurring previously as it were by intuition, should form the basis of all forms of information retrieval.

The discovery of new knowledge for ourselves, then, means the assimilation of public information into our unique context of thought. ie can establish relations between ideas and concepts which are not available to anyone else, because no-one else has precisely the same system of information available.