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Classification schemesClassification schemes
Classifications are fixed values which users add to content instead of free text. This allows institutions to control the input of certain data in Pure according to their policies, resulting in increased data quality and making it faster for users to enter data.
Classifications are grouped together in classification schemes, which are curated lists of values that appear in certain places throughout an institution’s Pure, typically in drop-down lists.
Examples
When adding a country value to an External organisation record, the country value “Denmark” is a
classification, and the whole list of countries that can be added is the classification scheme.
Illustrated above is the the classification "Denmark" within the classification scheme "Countries (ISO3166-1)".
Another example is using values as keywords on a specific content type. When those keywords comes from a predefined list, this equals a classification scheme.
Two examples of keywords are the ASJC Scopus Subject Areas, that is a default keyword on Research outputs, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Finding classification schemes
All classification schemes are found in Master Data > Classification schemes.
The best way to search for a scheme is by name (description) of it, the URI or any (distinct) value from the scheme.
Classification scheme editor
Note, only Administrators of Pure has access to the classification scheme editor.
A classification scheme has two key areas as seen in the classification editor:
- Scheme
- This is where the scheme metadata fields exist.
- Classifications
- This is where the related values (classifications) to the scheme exist.
Scheme
The table below describes in more detail these fields.
| Field | Description | More information |
|---|---|---|
| URI |
The URI always starts with this /dk/atira/pure/keywords/ followed by a given name relevant for what it contains:
|
Classification Schemes: URI Validation on Special Characters |
| Type | Has no practical consequences, this is just for categorisation of the classification schemes. | Type Field in Classification Schemes |
| Description | This is the name the scheme is found/listed/searchable by. Consider it the title of the scheme. |
Classifications
This is where you can add the individual values that the scheme holds.
Please be aware of the limit of possible values: Classification/Structured Keyword Volume Limits
Adding classifications manually
see Create Custom Classification Scheme for Use as Keywords for a detailed example of this. This approach works best if it is a limited amount of values.
Adding classifications by import
If you have a bigger set of values you should consider Import a Controlled Vocabulary/Taxonomy
Deleting or disabling a classification
If a scheme has a classification that is not intended to be used anymore, you can either delete it, or disable it from the list of classifications.
Deleting a classification
If you are looking for deleting of an entire scheme, please see below this section.
- If you are certain that a classification never will be used again, you can delete it using the - icon next to the entry. In this example the the value Professor should be deleted.
- And then save the scheme again.
- If you attempt to delete a classification that is already in use and press Save, you will get a message that there is a dependency (relation) to existing content, where this classification is used.
See this example where the classification Professor is attempted to be deleted from the scheme Job title:
- To resolve this you need to visit the content, in this case the two Persons and remove/replace the Professor value from the Job title metadata field.
Disabling a classification
This may be useful as the value, and any content that has been related to it remains intact, but disabling it makes sure no user can select the value anymore.
Preserving the classification means that you can still do reports on it, for example.
- To disable a classification press Edit next to the entry
- Toggle Classification enabled to Off
- Press Update to get back to the scheme
- The classification will now be labled like this:
- Press Save in bottom of scheme to make it work.
Enabling a classification
- To enable a classification press Edit next to the entry
- Toggle Classification enabled to On
- Press Update
- Press Save
Notes
- You can only disable a classification if the classification is used on records
- When a classification has been disabled the classification will not be shown in the editor (cannot be selected), but for those records that already has the classification before it was disabled still has the value available in the editor for selection.
- Disabling a classification in the classification scheme only applies to the content editor. Synchronisation Jobs can still use a disabled classification as the synchronisation also manages historical data.
- A disabled classification that is set up in a hierarchy, the hierarchy relation will still be present (and not greyed out) in the classification scheme editor, but it will not show in the dropdown hierarchy in content editors where the classification scheme is used.
Deleting a classification scheme
If you are looking for deleting of a single classification, please see above this section.
In case a custom classification scheme is not going to be used anymore, it can be deleted using the red X in the bottom of the editor, and thereby remove all relations to content.
Not all classification schemes can be deleted as Pure is dependent on some of these.
- If the classification scheme was created by any of the users: atira, root, sync_user, anonymous or webservice, it can not be deleted.
- If the classification scheme was created by other users, deletion will work
- It is explicitly visible as the red X is not present.
If any of the classifications from the scheme is currently added to content, you will be warned about this when attempting to delete the scheme:
Published at June 13, 2025