The Quiet Politics of Voice: A Comparative Study of Classification and Information Infrastructure

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Very large information systems embody invisible values, embedded in layers of infrastructure, that impact on people's lives yet are often inaccessible to public debate. This project analyzes two such infrastructural tools, seeking to understand their politics, values, and how they tie together infrastructure, work and knowledge. In order to understand how and where values are embedded into these systems, the investigators will conduct systematic comparisons. Primarily, they will examine the design, development and use of two classification systems, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). The first is about one hundred years old, while the second originated only 20 some years ago. For comparative purposes and depth of analysis, the team will look at similar developments in library and racial classification schemes. Routine, even boring aspects of information encoding may have important public and scientific consequences that can only be identified by careful attention to these procedures and their outcomes. The investigators draw empirical material from several sources. They have collected archival material on the ICD from WHO and UN archives and secondary material from WHO and USPHS documents. For NIC, they have been conducting an ongoing ethnographic investigation with its designers and developers, nursing researchers at the University of Iowa. They have collected and archived interview and fieldnote transcripts and electronic bulletin board material. This research will allow them to conplete data collection and analysis and conduct systematic comparisons. Results will include a monograph as well as articles and presentations to audiences in science studies, library and information science, nursing and informatics.