The Discipline of Organizing is a seminal work coordinated by Robert J. Glushko, serving as a foundational manual within the international network of iSchools. First published by MIT Press in 2013[1] and revised until its fourth edition in 2016, it provides comprehensive guidance on organizing information and data, offering invaluable cross-domain insights for practitioners, scholars, and students alike. It is well known also as "TDO Book", was named the ASIST information science "book of the year" in 2014.
Overview edit
The Discipline of Organizing serves as a cornerstone resource within the interdisciplinary field of information science, addressing fundamental principles and methodologies for organizing diverse types of information and data. Developed in collaboration with leading experts, the book offers a systematic approach to understanding and implementing effective organizational strategies in various contexts. This handbook is widely used in the iSchools as a primary or supplemental text for courses in Information Organization, Knowledge Management, Digital Collections, Information Architecture, Information Systems Design, Data Science, and other related fields. One of the main contributions of the book is the concept of organization system, as "an intentionally arranged collection of resources and the interactions they support."[2]
A distinguishing feature of TDO Book is its commitment to open access and the principles of the Creative Commons license. The entire text is published under the Creative Commons Non-Commercial license, ensuring widespread accessibility and dissemination of knowledge. This approach has been endorsed by renowned institutions such as the University of Berkeley, Center for Open Education in the University of Minnesota or MIT, further solidifying the credibility and impact of the work.
Table of Contents edit
It is a lengthy book organized into 12 chapters, which are as follows: I. Foundations for Organizing Systems II. Design Decisions in Organizing Systems III. Activities in Organizing Systems IV. Resources in Organizing Systems V. Resource Description and Metadata VI. Describing Relationships and Structures VII. Categorization: Describing Resource Classes and Types VIII. Classification: Assigning Resources to Categories IX. The Forms of Resource Descriptions X. Interactions with Resources XI. The Organizing System Roadmap XII. Case Studies
Editions edit
The book is available in three primary editions tailored for different audiences:
Core Edition edit
This edition encapsulates essential content, focusing on key principles and strategies for organizing information. It serves as a concise yet comprehensive guide for individuals seeking a foundational understanding of the discipline.
Professional Edition edit
The professional edition expands upon the core content, providing additional depth and context through extensive bibliographic apparatus. It is tailored for professionals and researchers seeking comprehensive references and resources within the field.
Information Technology Edition edit
Tailored specifically for professionals and students within the realm of information technology, this edition emphasizes the application of organizing principles within technological contexts. It addresses contemporary challenges and opportunities related to information management in digital environments.
TDO for kids edit
In addition to these primary editions, in 2023, The Discipline of Organizing has been adapted to cater to younger audiences with the development of a version for children (10-12 year aged). This adaptation aims to introduce foundational concepts of organization and information management in an accessible and engaging manner, fostering early literacy and awareness in the field.
Reception edit
Since its initial publication, The Discipline of Organizing has garnered widespread recognition and adoption within the academic and professional communities. Its enduring relevance and applicability continue to shape the discourse and practice of information organization and management, making it an indispensable resource for individuals across diverse domains and disciplines.
As a seminal work within the iSchools network, The Discipline of Organizing underscores the interdisciplinary nature of information science and reinforces the importance of systematic approaches to information organization in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. There is a partial translation to Spanish promoted by FESABID in 2021, that conver only three chapters, and also there is a complete version in Basque language (Spanish co-official language). The Discipline of Organizing is a noble effort, but it attempted to do a very difficult thing, and it did not succeed. It has not invented a new discipline. Some authors have express concerns to this work, based in the idea that a too generic scope in which "it has renamed and reorganized parts of several previous disciplines, without succeeding in conceptualizing information work in a powerful new way".[3]
References edit
- ^ Glushko, Robert J. The Discipline of Organizing, MIT Press, 2023, ISBN 9780262518505
- ^ Glushko, R.J. (2013), The discipline of organizing. Bul. Am. Soc. Info. Sci. Tech., 40: 21-27.
- ^ Bates, Marcia J. (2015), Book Review. J Assn Inf Sci Tec, 66: 432-436
External links edit
- The discipline of organizing (online edition) 4th ed., Berkeley Library, California University, 2023
- The discipline of organizing (Downloadble edition) 4th ed., iSchools, 2016
- The discipline of organizing (online edition) 4th ed., Open Textbook Library
- Organización y descripción de recursos de información digital, (lite edition in spanish), FESABID, 2021
- Antolatzearen diziplina (euskera, core concepts edition), 4th ed, 2022
- The discipline of organizing for kids Berkeley Library, California University, 2023.