Product Classification

By providing product classifications, you are able to describe the content of your product. Product classifications serve mainly to simplify searching and finding products. The bookselling trade uses product classifications to systematically suggest products to customers.

• BISAC
• Thema classification
• Keywords

In ONIX 3.0, there is now only one subject composite.

Main Subject Typing

• In ONIX 3.0, a subject composite is marked by the empty tag MainSubject or x425. The type of product classification is specified in SubjectSchemeIdentifier or b067 using a value from code list 27.

Subject Typing

• All other product classifications are given in subject composites in ONIX 3.0, wherein the type of product classification is specified in SubjectSchemeIdentifier bzw. b067 using a value from code list 27.

BISAC is a international classification system founded by the BISG. It is used all around the globe by companies related to the book industry. You can find a complete list of all BISAC Subject Headings here.

For Metabooks the BISAC classification is mandatory. It is integrated in the ONIX file like this:

<subject>
 <x425/>
 <b067>10</b067>
 <b069>ART000000</b069>
</subject>

<Subject>
 <MainSubject/>
 <SubjectSchemeIdentifier>10</SubjectSchemeIdentifier>
 <SubjectCode>ART000000</SubjectCode>
</Subject>

Thema classification is a product classification system, which allows you to unambiguously describe a book’s content using international coding. EDItEUR has created thema classification to better include national needs in a classification system. Various local groups are responsible for the respective translations, but also for organising and contributing possible supplements. Thema classification offers considerable advantages to the German market compared to classification systems like BIC or BISAC. In Germany, the Metabooks Marketing- und Verlagsservice des Buchhandels GmbH is responsible for developing the thema-classification further. Additional information on the deployment and use of thema can be found on the EDItEUR Website.

• thema-subjects, to be used for a fundamental description of a title.
• thema-qualifiers, to provide supplementary information, e. g. on the interest group, or a geographic reference.

Using the interactive browser , you will be able to quickly and easily search for terms in the thema-classification. Please note also any updates from thema. Unlike with product groups, EDItEUR provides an adapted version of thema annually or biannually. This will primarily include expansions with new thema codes and smaller improvements in the German names of existing thema codes.

Precisely one thema-subject must be specified as the primary and preferred product category, so that booksellers to primarily assign your product to this category. This thema-subject must be declared the MainSubject.

All other thema-subjects and all thema qualifiers are entered as subject composites. Please be aware that thema has seven SubjectSchemeIdentifiers: one for the thema subjects and six for the various thema qualifiers. You can find these in code list 27.

The SubjectSchemeIdentifier is to be entered according to the selected thema code. The thema code is to be entered in SubjectCode bzw. b069. Metabooks will automatically amend the value for SubjectHeadingText bzw. b070 and SubjectSchemeVersion bzw. b068.

The thema entry for a biographical novel dealing with political corruption in Brazil is to be entered as follows.

Keywords allow the description of content and so improve the chances of finding a given product. This is not limited to retrieving information from Metabooks. In particular, the presence of suitable keywords enables customers of shop systems to quickly and easily find a desired title.

Metabooks allows an unlimited number of keywords. In practice, however, providing only between three and ten keywords brings best results.

Each keyword is to be entered in a subject composite with a SubjectSchemeIdentifier or b067 with a value of 20. The keyword itself is stored in SubjectHeadingText or b070.

<subject>
 <b067>20</b067>
 <b070>Seeler, Uwe</b070>
</subject>
<subject>
 <b067>20</b067>
 <b070>Fußballspieler</b070>
</subject>
<subject>
 <b067>20</b067>
 <b070>Biografie</b070>
</subject>

<Subject>
 <SubjectSchemeIdentifier>20</SubjectSchemeIdentifier>
 <SubjectHeadingText>Seeler, Uwe</SubjectHeadingText>
</Subject>
<Subject>
 <SubjectSchemeIdentifier>20</SubjectSchemeIdentifier>
 <SubjectHeadingText>Fußballspieler</SubjectHeadingText>
</Subject>
<Subject>
 <SubjectSchemeIdentifier>20</SubjectSchemeIdentifier>
 <SubjectHeadingText>Biografie</SubjectHeadingText>
</Subject>

You also have the option of sending multiple keywords within a subject composite to Metabooks. For this to work, individual keywords must be separated by a semicolon. The individual keywords are automatically rendered into individual composites by the system.