Paper Type
Complete
Description
Digitization creates digital artefacts that represent physical objects but with augmented and novel characteristics. The ways in which we interact with these digital artefacts necessarily change, including the way we classify them. Classification is the fundamental human activity of grouping, naming, and describing objects in order to make sense of the world. Classification is therefore fundamental to research as it underpins theory. In this paper we introduce classification and the role of classification as background, followed by an analysis of the way in which classification is adopted within Information Systems (IS). The results of this analysis indicate that IS research adopted the classical classification approaches even though often not explicitly stated. We then analyze digital classification and results indicate that, even though digital classification is classification, existing classification approaches, and by extension, IS classification literature, does not support digital classification sufficiently despite the need due to contemporary and digitized socio-technical developments. Finally, classical classification is contrasted with digital classification requirements of digital classification regarding key characteristics, purpose, and approach. The comparison also includes suggestions that indicate how existing classification approaches could be extended.
Paper Number
1810
Recommended Citation
Gerber, Aurona, "Digital Classification" (2023). AMCIS 2023 Proceedings. 20.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2023/sig_odis/sig_odis/20
Digital Classification
Digitization creates digital artefacts that represent physical objects but with augmented and novel characteristics. The ways in which we interact with these digital artefacts necessarily change, including the way we classify them. Classification is the fundamental human activity of grouping, naming, and describing objects in order to make sense of the world. Classification is therefore fundamental to research as it underpins theory. In this paper we introduce classification and the role of classification as background, followed by an analysis of the way in which classification is adopted within Information Systems (IS). The results of this analysis indicate that IS research adopted the classical classification approaches even though often not explicitly stated. We then analyze digital classification and results indicate that, even though digital classification is classification, existing classification approaches, and by extension, IS classification literature, does not support digital classification sufficiently despite the need due to contemporary and digitized socio-technical developments. Finally, classical classification is contrasted with digital classification requirements of digital classification regarding key characteristics, purpose, and approach. The comparison also includes suggestions that indicate how existing classification approaches could be extended.
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