International Federation of Classification Societies The International Federation of Classification Societies (lFCS) is an agency for the dissemination of technical and scientific information concerning classification and multivariate data analysis in the broad sense and in as wide a range of applications as possible; founded in 1985 in Cambridge (UK) by the following Scientific Societies and Groups: - British Classification Society - BCS - Classification Society of North America - CSNA - Gesellschaft fUr Klassification - GfKI - Japanese Classification Society - JCS - Classification Group ofItalian Statistical Society - CGSIS - Societe Francophone de Classification - SFC Now the IFCS includes also the following Societies: - Dutch-Belgian Classification Society - VOC - Polish Classification Section - SKAD - Portuguese Classification Association - CLAD - Group at Large - Korean Classification Society - KCS IFCS-98, the Sixth Conference of the International Federation of Classification Societies, was held in Rome, from July 21 to 24, 1998. Five preceding conferences were held in Aachen (Germany), Charlottesville (USA), Edinburgh (UK), Paris (France), Kobe (Japan).