Sue, I'm not sure you'll find a three part example such as you're seeking, which seems to me to perhaps mix the concept of subject classication with functional classification. My organization has gone from a departmental to a functional method of scheduling records, which has worked very well for us. I wouldn't know how to begin to formulate a subject classification scheme (in the sense of a taxonomy/Dewey Decimal sort of meaning of classification) that would function as a records schedule, since records are created and maintained in the normal course of business and that usually means either by office or by function (and I much prefer by function to avoid all the issues with re-organizations mentioned by other respondants.). Groups of records below the functional level might, however, be arranged by subject, such as:
Congressman Jane Doe--
Constituant Services--
Correspondence--
Appointments to West Point
Health issues
Invitations
Roads
Taxes
Visas
West Point, Appointments to
Thus the functional approach is used down to the level below "Correspondence" (the management of which is itself an office function) and then there might be "subject files". And here the need for a taxonomy of some sort will quickly manifest itself (or not as demonstrated in the case of "Appointments to West Point" and "West Point, Appointments to"). How to control these terms is a taxonomy/indexing issue, but not a records scheduling issue.
Anyway, good luck. I'd be interesting in seeing such a tripartate example if you find one.
Regards,
Tom
J. Thomas Converse, CA, CRM
Chief, Records Management Section
Inter-American Development Bank
1300 New York AV., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20577
(202) 623-3010
(202) 312-4051 (fax)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [ mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Sue Medhurst
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 10:34 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Classification Schemes
Thanks to all of you who have replied to date. What I am really looking
for is a live\working example to illustrate how the same record series
would appear under a functional, departmental and subject classification
scheme. As a reference to the types of possible schemes, I am using
"The Truth about Taxonomies by Denise Bruno, MLS and Heather Richmond,
CRM, The Information Management Journal March/April 2003 p.48
>>> [log in to unmask] 3/10/2005 9:01:44 AM >>>
I agree with Elizabeth. She has summarized the concept of function, and
why
a functions-based classification system is better than other systems,
very
nicely and very succinctly. <snip>
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