This study analyzes the sociocultural factors that affect translations of the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) from English into four other languages, i.e., Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, and Turkish. The study was performed in three stages: each entry in each translation was compared with the edition of DDC on which it was based; each class of each translation (except classes 000 Generalities, 500 Pure Sciences, and 600 Technology) was compared and analyzed with its respective English DDC edition; and the adaptations in each class of all four translations of DDC and their English DDC editions were compared and analyzed. Specific attention was paid to the religion of Islam and its effect on the adaptations not only in class 200 Religion, but also in classes 300 Social Sciences, 700 The Arts, and 900 History and Geography. The study also includes a review of the impact of adaptation in the various translations on the edition of DDC that followed these translations. The study demonstrated that: (1) sociocultural factors--e.g., religion, language, customs, and history--are the cause of most of the adaptations; (2) the same concepts were often adapted by all of these translations, but the methods of adaptations and the notations used were not always compatible; and (3) although the DDC options or provisions for local emphasis are useful, they are not always the most suitable and are often ignored by the translators. The study also provides guidelines and instructions for standardization of future foreign language editions of DDC. (Author/THC)