The National Library of Medicine (NLM) classification system is a
library indexing system covering the fields of
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
and preclinical basic sciences. The
NLM classification is patterned after the
Library of Congress (LC) Classification system:
alphabetical letters denote broad subject categories which are subdivided by numbers.
For example, ''QW 279'' would indicate a book on an aspect of
microbiology
Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...
or
immunology
Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...
.
The one- or two-letter alphabetical codes in the NLM classification use a limited range of letters: only QS–QZ and W–WZ. This allows the NLM system to co-exist with the larger LC coding scheme as neither of these ranges are used in the LC system. There are, however, three pre-existing codes in the LC system which overlap with the NLM: ''Human Anatomy'' (QM), ''Microbiology'' (QR), and ''Medicine'' (R). To avoid further confusion, these three codes are not used in the NLM.
The headings for the individual ''schedules'' (letters or letter pairs) are given in brief form (e.g., QW - ''Microbiology and Immunology''; WG - ''Cardiovascular System'') and together they provide an outline of the subjects covered by the NLM classification. Headings are interpreted broadly and include the
physiological
Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...
system, the specialties connected with them, the regions of the body chiefly concerned and subordinate related fields. The NLM system is
hierarchical
A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
, and within each schedule, division by
organ usually has priority. Each main schedule, as well as some sub-sections, begins with a group of form numbers ranging generally from 1–49 which classify materials by publication type, e.g.,
dictionaries
A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies, p ...
,
atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth.
Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...
es, laboratory manuals, etc.
The main schedules QS-QZ, W-WY, and WZ (excluding the range WZ 220–270) classify works published after 1913; the 19th century schedule is used for works published 1801–1913; and WZ 220-270 is used to provide century groupings for works published before 1801.
Overview of the NLM Classification categories
Preclinical Sciences
* QS Human Anatomy
* QT Physiology
* QU Biochemistry
* QV Pharmacology
* QW Microbiology & Immunology
* QX Parasitology
* QY Clinical Pathology
* QZ Pathology
Medicine and Related Subjects
* W Health Professions
* WA Public Health
* WB Practice of Medicine
* WC Communicable Diseases
* WD Disorders of Systemic, Metabolic, or Environmental Origin, etc.
* WE Musculoskeletal System
* WF Respiratory System
* WG Cardiovascular System
* WH Hemic and Lymphatic Systems
* WI Digestive System
* WJ Urogenital System
* WK Endocrine System
* WL Nervous System
* WM Psychiatry
* WN Radiology. Diagnostic Imaging
* WO Surgery
* WP Gynecology
* WQ Obstetrics
* WR Dermatology
* WS Pediatrics
* WT Geriatrics. Chronic Disease
* WU Dentistry. Oral Surgery
* WV Otolaryngology
* WW Ophthalmology
* WX Hospitals & Other Health Facilities
* WY Nursing
* WZ History of Medicine
* 19th Century Schedule
See also
*
Dewey Decimal Classification
The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), colloquially known as the Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject.
Section 4.1 ...
*
Colon Classification
*
Library of Congress Classification The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress in the United States, which can be used for shelving books in a library. LCC is mainly used by large research and academic librar ...
*
Universal Decimal Classification
The Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) is a bibliographic and library classification representing the systematic arrangement of all branches of human knowledge organized as a coherent system in which knowledge fields are related and inter-link ...
References
Citations
Sources
*
{{refend
Medical classification
Knowledge representation
Library cataloging and classification