firstBASE uses the SHIC (Social History and Industrial Classification) system to help code and search its records.

SHIC is widely used in social and local history museums as a way to make links between objects through their context and background.  The system is split into four main headings, which together represent all aspects of human activity. 

Records on firstBASE (and of course objects in museums) are classified by moving down through the heading hierarchies, step by step, until the most detailed classification is reached.  Records can have more than one SHIC classification.