UDC, or universal decimal classification, is a special code that is designed to facilitate the search for literature on a particular subject in a library or electronic catalog.
The concept of the universal decimal classification index
The UDC index has existed for over 100 years. Melville Dewey, an American librarian and bibliographer, in 1876 proposed a structure for organizing library collections based on a decimal classification of concepts and ideas. Over the years, the system has undergone significant changes and has been significantly improved. Even in the era of universal computerization and the massive transfer of information to digital media, the UDC index does not lose its relevance.
The universal decimal classification has several basic properties. The name of the index itself reflects two main parameters: versatility and decimal. It should also be noted that the classification is multidimensional, which can cover many concepts in all existing fields of activity or knowledge. The UDC index is used by almost all libraries and information catalogs in the world.
Structure and principles of UDC
The UDC index is a hierarchical classification of scientific works, publications and other publications, which is designed to simplify the search for the necessary material and systematize knowledge in different fields of science. The principle of the organization of the system is that each section or subsection includes ten numbers. The structure is built on the transition from the general to the more specific. Thus, each area of knowledge has its own cell, marked with an Arabic numeral. For readability, the three characters of the code are separated by periods to create a cipher.
In the structure of the universal decimal classification, the subordination and subordination of the combined classes are traced. For example, section 32 "Politics" is subject to such subsections as 323 "Domestic policy", 325 "Migration of the population. Colonization. The colonial question ", 329" Political parties and movements ", etc. Each subsection, in turn, is also divided into segments that detail knowledge.
Each class at the first stage of division includes a group of more or less closely related branches of knowledge. For example, in grade 5 mathematics and natural sciences are presented, while grade 6 combines applied sciences: medicine, agriculture, engineering. Further detailing occurs by lengthening the indices. The UDC code is constructed in such a way that each subsequent digit does not change the meaning of the previous ones, but only clarifies it, pointing to a more particular concept.
