© 2012 by ContextualAnalysis 1
Presented by Fred Leise
SLA 2012
July 16
Taxonomy Designfor the Short on Time
© 2012 by ContextualAnalysis 2
About Me
Owner and principal, ContextualAnalysis, providing taxonomy and user experience consulting services since 1995.
Back-of-book indexer and indexing instructor (UC Berkeley Extension Online)
Past-president, American Society for Indexing
Manager, taxonomy team, Sears Holdings Corporation
Bio available at: www.contextualanalysis.com
© 2012 by ContextualAnalysis 3
Overview
This session will not cover the details of creating the taxonomy itself, but focuses on the organizational structures and processes needed to establish a taxonomy program.
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Overview
For an optimized taxonomy design project you need to know:
What your goals are
What tasks you are performing
Why you are doing them
Who is working with you and what they are responsible for
When you need to be finished
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Overview
The clearer you are on these, the faster you can work without the need to redo work you have already completed.
You will also be able to delegate more work and keep the project on track.
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Overview
Planning/proof of concept/buy-in
Taxonomy design process
Change management
Project documentation
Standards and other resources
Feel free to ask questions at any time
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Overview
Work smarter
Do your most unpleasant task first
Do your most important tasks after that
Make progress on the big project every day
Don’t try to multitask; it doesn’t work
Plan the project; work the checklist
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Planning/Proof of Concept/Buy-In
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Planning/Proof of Concept/Buy-In
Sponsorship
Ownership
Stakeholders
Scope
Context
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Planning/Proof of Concept/Buy-In
Cost
Benefits
Proof of concept
Building the case
Getting buy-in
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Sponsorship
An executive who will:
put his or her active support behind the project
actively recommend the project to other executives
obtain necessary budget and other resources
provide appropriate visibility for the project to executive leadership
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Sponsorship
Strong sponsorship helps you navigate the political waters and ensures success
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Sponsorship: Action Steps
Identify potential sponsors; meet with them to discuss project.
Identify the single best individual to champion your project and get their agreement to be the sponsor.
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Ownership
The individual responsible for actively managing or overseeing the project. You?
Helps plan project
Helps manage resources
Keeps project on track
Supports individuals working on the project
Enlists help from sponsor when necessary to remove barriers
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Ownership: Action Steps
With help of sponsor, identify the individual with the passion and the drive necessary to ensure successful completion of the project.
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Stakeholders
Anyone impacted by the project or who needs to be consulted or informed about the project
Content creators
Content users
IT
Customers/Members/Public
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Stakeholders: Action Steps
Identify all project stakeholders. Involve them as necessary/appropriate.
Establish appropriate communication plan for stakeholders.
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Scope
Failure to properly determine project scope is one of the major reasons for failure
Agree to scope before the project starts
Beware of scope creep
Do not be afraid of calling a request “out of scope for phase 1”
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Scope
Elements of scope
Divisions/departments to be included (enterprise taxonomy?)
Number and types of taxonomies required
Use of taxonomies: across enterprise or within individual departments/units? Which departments?
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Scope
Elements of scope
Content types that will be covered by taxonomy: documents? images? video?
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Scope
Elements of scope
Documents: reports, white papers, research papers, product manuals, contracts, material safety data sheets, user-generated content (UGC)
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Scope
Elements of scope
Images: product images, employees, museum collections
Videos: educational, training, product use
Extent of metadata (depends on how content will be stored/used)
Phased approach
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Scope
Factors affecting scope
Desired implementation date
Available resources
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Scope: Action Steps
Work with sponsor, owner, and stakeholders to establish and commit to project scope
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Context
The milieu in which the project will be conducted: items outside of the project itself that will have significant impact on it.
Understanding the context mitigates against surprises
Purpose
Project drivers/pain points
Desired project outcome
Technical limitations
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Context
Tools used to build and maintain the taxonomy: existing/new; internally/externally sourced
Format for taxonomy: Excel? XML?
Related technology and its metadata capabilities, e.g., DAM, CMS
Users of the taxonomy (internal/external)
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Context
Does content exist or does it need to be created/acquired as part of the project?
Sources of content: users, 3rd party content providers, internally generated
Taxonomy sources: existing internal, new internal, free, purchased
Existing internal taxonomy capabilities, e.g., existing, need to be expanded, or need to engage external resources?
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Context: Action Steps
Be sure you understand and document the context of your taxonomy project so there are no surprises as you move forward.
Better to know things now than to have to spend time redoing parts of the project.
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Costs
Time: How long will the project take?
Resources: Who will be working on the project and creating the taxonomy? What is the cost of those resources?
Software: Will software development/ purchase costs be included?
Don’t forget to include integration costs if purchasing new taxonomy software.
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Benefits
Who benefits and how?
Find information faster = Time savings = cost savings
Reduced duplication of effort = greater efficiency = cost savings
Get customers to content/products faster = increased revenue
Quantify benefits for building the case.
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Costs/Benefits: Action Steps
Prepare a cost/benefit analysis to help make the case for your project.
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Proof of Concept
A demonstration or smaller scope project proving the benefits of your taxonomy project
Consider completing a proof of concept project to help promote buy-in if your taxonomy project is large, expensive, or involves multiple resources
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Proof of Concept
Consider using a limited set of documents, those from a single department, or within a single general subject area
Perform relevant user testing to establish benefits of using the taxonomy
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Building the Case
Costs/benefits
Stakeholder needs
Pain points
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Getting Buy-In
With proof of concept and cost/benefit information in hand, it should be easy to get executive buy-in for the taxonomy program.
Schedule a meeting with the executive sponsor. Get their buy-in and let that individual set meetings with additional decision-makers.
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Getting Buy-In
Present the facts in a logical, concise manner.
Help those unfamiliar with your project understand how it can benefit their department/division/unit.
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Taxonomy Design Process
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Taxonomy Design Process
Operational requirements
Processes
Parallelism
Project Management
Communication
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Processes
Define in detail exactly what steps you will take in what order to create your taxonomy.
See “Process Documentation” later
Knowing what you will be doing when helps ensure there are no surprises along the way that cause delays in development
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Parallelism
Whenever possible, use multiple teams to work parts of the taxonomy development process in parallel, shortening overall development time.
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Project Management
If available, engage a project manager to move the process forward, making sure teams stay on track.
This saves your time to focus on the taxonomy development.
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Communication
Because teams will be working in parallel and no one individual will have all of the knowledge gathered, good communication among the teams is important
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Communication: Action Steps
Establish weekly meetings at which all teams report on progress, identify possible barriers, and share findings and knowledge gained.
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Taxonomy Design Process
Understand stakeholder needs
Understand users
Comparative analysis
Build/buy
Validate/Modify
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Taxonomy Design Process
Implement
Maintain
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Understand Stakeholder Needs
What content areas are of primary importance? (Helps identify scope, implementation phases)
Are there new content/product areas planned?
Current content/product areas that will no longer be supported?
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Understand Stakeholder Needs
What are their pain points?
For taxonomy revisions: what do they like/not like about the current taxonomy? What can you change? What can you not change?
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Understand Users
Are your users heterogeneous or homogenous? (Multiple audiences or single audience)
What are the different audiences?
How do their information needs differ?
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Understand Users
Explore mental models: how do users understand your information space?
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Understand Users
Methods: user interviews, surveys, card sorting, task analysis (in person/remote)
Reflecting users’ mental models in your taxonomy means users will find information or products faster
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Understand Users
If you have multiple audiences, be sure users you interview or test represent those different audiences
Challenge: identifying and scheduling users.
Consider using a recruiting company with experience in your field.
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Comparative Analysis
What do other similar organizations/ competitors use for their taxonomies?
Check publicly available websites, trade/professional associations
What are the commonalities?
What do you like about the taxonomies?
What do you not like?
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Build/Buy
Do you build your own taxonomy or buy/license an existing one?
Are there any existing taxonomies that would serve you needs with little or only minor modifications?
For example the taxonomy the covers most of your content except for one top-level subject category. Buy that, build the missing piece.
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Build/Buy
Or, the taxonomy covers most of your subject areas, but you need a deeper vocabulary in a specific area. Again, you can modify the original to meet your needs.
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Build/Buy
Other considerations:
What is the cost to buy/license?
One-time fee?
Annual updates?
Subscription basis?
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Build/Buy
Sources
Taxonomywarehouse.com
Thesauri on-line (http://www.fbi.fh-koeln.de/institut/labor/Bir/thesauri_new/thesen.htm#AG)
Thesauri A-Z (http://hilt.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/hilt2web/Sources/thesauri.html)
Willpower Information (http://www.willpowerinfo.co.uk/thesbibl.htm#taxonomies
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Build/Buy
Does your organization have the internal expertise/resources available to create your own taxonomy?
Will you need to engage a taxonomy consultant?
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Create/Buy the Taxonomy
See Jean Aitchison, Thesaurus Construction and Use: A Practical Manual
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Create/Buy the Taxonomy
Be sure your taxonomy meets relevant standards, e.g., Dublin Core.
Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (dublincore3.org/documents/dces/)
Are there other metadata standards for your organization that you need to meet?
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Validate/Modify
With you taxonomy in place, validate it with the appropriate stakeholders and modify as appropriate based on their input.
Test with content creators: can they appropriately tag content?
Test with users: can they browse to relevant content or products based on the taxonomy
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Implement
The complete, revised taxonomy is now implemented in the various systems in which it will be used.
You have consulted with IT about their format needs, right? So you know if they can handle and Excel file or need XML.
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Maintain
No taxonomy is every “complete” or “final.”
There will always be a need to change or update the vocabulary.
Establish triggers for taxonomy review:
Mergers
Acquisitions
Change in mission
New audiences
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Maintain
Be sure you have a maintenance process in place.
Who can suggest new terms?
How do they do that?
Who has the authority to modify the vocabulary?
How are stakeholders notified of changes?
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Change Management
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Change Management
What processes and workflows will the new taxonomy affect and how will they be affected?
Who are all of the individuals impacted by the changes?
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Change Management
Communicate early and often to constituents (internal and external)
Project updates
What changes are coming
When the changes will happen
What will it mean for them
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Change Management
Provide training in new processes/ workflows/methodologies
In-person or online workshops
Asynchronous training materials (podcasts)
Training documentation
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Project Documentation
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Project Documentation
Creating and following two documents ensures that your project can be completed in the shortest amount of time:
Process flow (what happens in what order)
Work plan (who does what when)
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Project Documentation
Possible optional documentation:
RACI chart
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Process Flow
Linear, sequential list of all tasks in the project
May include time period/dates
Names of individuals responsible for task
Importance (H, M, L)
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Process FlowTaxonomy Development Process
ItemIndividual
Responsible DurationStart Date H, M, L Notes
1. Identify potential sponsors
1.1. Contact potential sponsors and discuss project 2 days
1.2. Review discussions and identify project sponsor 1 day
2. Identify project owner 1 day
3. Establish project scope (meet with sponsor/owner) 1 hr
4. Identify stakeholders 2 days
5. Identify project team 3 days
5.1. Hold project kickoff meeting 2 hrs
5.2. Establish roles/responsibilities 1 hr
6. Interview stakeholders
6.1. Create questionnaire 8 hrs
6.2. Schedule interviews 2 hrs
6.3. Perform interviews 10 hrs
6.4. Analyze interviews 10 hrs
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Work Plan: Swim Lane Document
Graphical display of:
What teams/individuals are involved
What tasks each performs
Order of tasks
Dependencies/timing
(same tasks as process flow)
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Work Plan: Swim Lane DocumentTaxonomy Process
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RACI Chart
Responsible for completing that step in the process
Accountable for ensuring step is completed/decision authority
Consulted prior to completion of step
Informed of results once step is completed
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RACI Chart
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Resources
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Resources
Dublin Core Metadata Element Set
dublincore3.org/documents/dces/
Organising Knowledge: Taxonomies, Knowledge and Organisational Effectiveness, Patrick Lambe (organizingknowledge.com)
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Resources
Metadata for Still Images
http://www.niso.org/apps/group_public/project/details.php?project_id=69 (ANSI/NISO standards for digital still images)
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Resources
Spencer, Donna, Card Sorting, Rosenfeld Media, 2009
Taxonomies and Other Resources
www.taxonomywarehouse.com (owned by Dow Jones)
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Resources
Taxonomy Software
www.willpowerinfo.co.uk/thessoft.htm (list of thesaurus software)
Thesaurus Standards
http://www.niso.org/apps/group_public/project/details.php?project_id=46 (ANSI/NISO guidelines for monolingual thesauri)
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Resources
Young, Indi, Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior, Rosenfeld Media, 2008
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Resources
Wax, Dustin “50 Tricks to Get Things Done Faster, Better, and More Easily.” Available at:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/50-tricks-to-get-things-done-faster-better-and-more-easily.html
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Contact Information
Fred Leise
www.contextualanalysis.com
773.764.2588
@ChicagoIndexer
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