4. Subject Classification

Custom Categories

Anthropocene: the "end(s)" of humanity, climate emergency, human impact on the planet
Art+Aesthetics: books by/about artists
Autotheory: biographical approaches to the theoretical and theoretical approaches to biography
Biosphere: nature/ecology studies
Built Environments: architecture
Capital+Lucre: capitalism, economic theory, expenditure, surplus
Cultural Studies+Critical Theory: cultural studies and critical theory
Fabulations: fiction, poetry
History: history
Humanities+University: university studies, humanities
Languages+Translations: linguistics, translations, language philosophy
Literary Studies: literary studies
Manifesto!: manifestos, pamphlets, calls to action
Media+Technology: media studies, STS
Moving Image: film studies
Neurodiverse+Crip: neurodiverse and crip studies/authors
New Left Thought: political theory
Para-Academia: authors on academic margins, adjunctification, changing the university
Pedagogies: pedagogy
Philosophy: philosophy
Posthumanism: the post-, other-, and more-than-human. Books about the impact of humankind on the planet should go under Anthropocene.
Premodern: classical, medieval studies
Sex: sexuality, pornography
Sound+Noise: sound studies, music, noise
Thought Experiments: experimental writing, cross-genre publications
TransQueer: LGBTQIA+ studies, authors

Thema

Thema 1.6 is the currently most detailed open subject classification schema. Proper Thema classification is essential to book discoverability.

Thema's Six Golden Rules

Ensure the first subject category is the primary or main subject of the book (with ONIX, use <MainSubject/>) Select further categories that together best describe the subject and scope of the book: use broader codes for wide-ranging approaches; use more precise codes for works that focus on specific topics

Don’t assign both a detailed category and a broader ancestor of that category (eg both FJH and FJ) In general, top level codes (eg F or V) are not suitable for use – choose more detailed codes beginning with F or V Assign as many categories as are required to describe the overall content of the work (within reason)

It’s very unusual to require more than three or four subject categories (codes beginning A–Y), and often, just one or two categories are enough Observe any scope notes and instructions (see the ✽ symbols above) Add qualifiers (codes beginning 1–6) whenever appropriate, to refine the meaning of the subject categories

Qualifiers cannot be used alone, without at least one subject category Always consider the context of the categories within the hierarchy

Furthermore

Select codes based on what the publication is about

Use one or multiple codes from category headings A–Y If the publication concerns a specific place, choose a heading from category 1 If the publication concerns a language other than English, choose a heading from category 2 If the publication concerns a specific time period, choose a heading from category 3 If the publication concerns a specific interest group, choose a heading from category 5

5P categories for LGBTQIA+, intersex, trans, disabled, indigenous, Black, etc. 5T for literature of a specific country (used for translations) If the publication concerns a specific artistic, literary, or musical style, choose a heading from category 6

BISAC

BISAC is a very rough ad outdated subject classification scheme that inexplicably is still widely used in the book industry. KDP and Asterism Books have this as their standard classification system.