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Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/World War II task force/Category restructuring

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edit · changes

Welcome to the discussion on how to restructure the top-level operational categories, starting with Category:World War II. he reason this was created is because Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information.

Definition edit

Categorization is the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Categorization implies that objects are grouped into categories, usually for some specific purpose. Ideally, a category illuminates a relationship between the subjects and objects of knowledge. Categorization is fundamental in language, prediction, inference, decision making and in all kinds of environmental interaction.

There are many categorization theories and techniques. In a broader historical view, however, three general approaches to categorization may be identified:

  • Classical categorization
  • Conceptual clustering
  • Prototype theory

Wikipedia policy and guidelines edit

While the categorisation of articles is covered by a guideline, the need for categorisation is explicit in the very purpose for Wikipedia, to provide a free online reference source. It is the

  • Categories help users navigate through Wikipedia via multiple taxonomies
  • Categories are for defining characteristics, and should be specific, neutral, inclusive and follow certain conventions.

Rationale edit

Categories are used to provide a structure for completing the production of the reference work by identifying the areas of knowledge it contains. Ultimately in future Wikipedia will reach a stage when all the historical unique subjects of articles will be completed and to the FA level and the only additions will be the the new data being generated. While it is not necessary to create all possible categories as live categories with no articles, the Military History Project participants needs to be conscious of the fact that as a Project its ultimate goal is to be completed regardless of how far into the future that goal may be removed from now. As in any structures, the planning done before the building is the logical way to approach the construction of what is a large knowledge database. Quite simply, as with all structures, it is far easier to build it as a planned construct then to attempt periodic rebuilds during the process of the project.

The Second World War is an eminently easier subject area to deal with in terms of structuring then the Military History Project as a whole because it is chronologically limited and its subjects (participants) are relatively few in number. However, the categories used still need to conform to, and take a consistent approach in naming within the scope of the MilHist Project, their scheme explained here. Current MilHist Project for the Second World War categories are presented below.

Current system edit

The current system of article categorisation within the World War II task force subject area was created haphazardly until 2006, which is reflected in its taxonomy that exists as part of the general Military History Project category scheme which originates in two root categories—Category:War and Category:Military—and can be thought of as two tree structures that intersect at several points. For the purpose of the World War II category, the Category:War is the primary category, and the Category:Military is the support category. This is because the World War II is a specific reference to a war, while Military is only generally applied to further define the subjects within the scope of World War II.

As can be seen below, Military is not the only Project that impacts on the categorisation of articles.

In the current scheme two distinct approaches to categorisation are used: the general to specific ordering of keywords, and the specific to general. This is seen from the English language point of view which is read left to right.

The current taxonomy is executed to the fourth levels or strata of disambiguation within the ontological structure. it is not intended to be a tree structure.

Rather then tackling the whole big structure, I would suggest taking it in smaller and more manageable "bites" starting with the top categories and working our way down the hierarchies as we progress.--mrg3105 (comms) ♠♥♦♣ 04:35, 30 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Options 1 & 2 edit

Notes

  1. ^ (previously Strategies and doctrines; moved up one level)
  2. ^ (this is a double-up of Category:World War II orders of battle)

Final scheme edit

This is for the recording of accepted categories as discussion progresses and consensus is reached.

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