Evaluating Key Determinants for Sports Artifact Classification

This study explores the institutional and cultural foundations of sports artifact classification in Taiwan, emphasizing how heritage management reflects broader processes of cultural governance and policy formation. Drawing on expert insights from academia, museums, and government sectors, the research identifies the key factors shaping the development of a coherent classification framework for sports heritage. The findings reveal that classification systems serve not merely as administrative tools but as mechanisms through which cultural legitimacy, historical narratives, and national identity are constructed. Preservation and Management emerged as the most influential dimension, followed by Institutional and Policy and Cultural Interpretation, highlighting the need for both structural regulation and interpretive depth. Six core determinants—legal support, institutionalization, symbolic value, preservation condition, interdepartmental coordination, and rarity and completeness—form the foundation of an integrated approach to sports heritage governance. The study contributes to understanding how classification can transform from a technical procedure into a strategic process linking cultural policy, education, and social memory.  JEL classification numbers: M31, D91, I12.