Use and evaluation of three mathematics subject classifications by mathematics professors :a grounded theory study.

Abstract

This information user study questions mathematics professors about the usefulness of three mathematics subject classification schemes when performing research. The researcher asked the participants questions about the Library of Congress Classification, Dewey Decimal Classification, and American Mathematical Society Mathematics Subject Classification. The eight participants, identified by a group of contact persons at three Midwestern public universities, were chosen based on representation of mathematical expertise, interest by the participants in this study, and the researcher's access to the participants. The participants were interviewed and surveyed about the accuracy of knowledge structure, level of detail, and usefulness of the notation of each of the three classification schemes. The interview transcriptions were analyzed using an analytic-inductive process inspired by grounded theory techniques. The survey, using a Likert scale to quantify responses, was analyzed using spreadsheet software. Data from interviews and surveys were used to create a rich picture of the mathematics professors' perceptions of the usefulness of the three classification schemes.