Towards a Theory of Information Systems -The FRISCO Approach

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Wolfgang Hesse

c/o FB Mathematik/Informatik, Philipps-University Marburg/Germanyemail: hesse@informatik.uni-marburg.de

URL: http://www.Mathematik.uni-marburg.de/~hesse

Alex Verrijn-Stuart

Department of Computer Science, University Leidenemail: alexander.verrynstuart@wxs.nl

URL: http://www.wi.leidenuniv.nl/~verrynst

Outline of presentation

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1 FRISCO history, goals and achievements

2 The FRISCO line of reasoning

3 The FRISCO conceptual framework

4 The conception controversy

5 Further problems and weaknesses of the FRISCO report

6 A layered framework structure

7 Conclusions

FRISCO history and goals

FRISCO = FRamework of Information System COncepts

IFIP WG8.1 Task Group established 1988 because of concern aboutharmful confusion due to (or manifesting itself in) fuzzy terminology and absence of a consistent conceptual reference.

“ISCO” conferences: Namur (1989), Alexandria (1992), Marburg (1995), Leiden (1999)

Goals:- understanding Information Systems (why-what-where … not howto)- consistent framework of concepts, anchored in auxiliary disciplines

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FRISCO achievements

FRISCO Report IFIP 1998 ISBN 3-901882-01-4ftp://ftp.leidenuniv.nl/pub/rul/fri-full.zip

Contents:(1) Introduction, (2) Line of reasoning, (3) Integrated overview, (4) Formal approach, (5) Case study, (6) Selected topics (7) Reflections (committed positions / dissent)

Achievements:• Placing IS area in general scientific context

(philosophy, ontology, semiotics, system science, organisation science, computer science)

• Providing a reference background for scientists and professionals(line of reasoning, coherent system of concepts)

Definitively not intended: • Fixing a standard terminology • Inventing a standard method of analysis and design

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The FRISCO line of reasoning (1)

Roots of the “information system problem”:

different views [technical, social, conceptual - FRISCO considers all three]

interdisciplinarity [organisation science, cognitive science, semiotics, system science, …]

variety of interest groups [“suppliers”: scientists, system designers, s/w suppliers “users”]

conflicting philosophical positions regarding “reality” [FRISCO: “constructivism”, personal “perceptions” “conceptions”]

(lack of) understanding communication [FRISCO: personal/shared “conceptions” shared “representations”]

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The FRISCO line of reasoning (2)

The “world”

perceiving representing

conceiving

Minds of people

Domains

Perceptions Conceptions

Representations

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Semiotics (Aristotle/Peirce/FRISCO)

“sign” = something stands to somebody for something else in some respect or capacity

conception

actor: interpreter/representer

domain representation

The FRISCO line of reasoning (3)

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The FRISCO line of reasoning (4)

“Semiotic Ladder”

social world: beliefs, expectations, laws

pragmatics: intentions,communication

semantics: meanings, validity, denotation

syntactics: language, logic, data

empirics: pattern, entropy, efficiency

physical world:signals, traces, laws of nature

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The FRISCO line of reasoning (5)

“World” is talked about on basis of (personal) “conceptions” Some part of world (“domain”) specific conception (“model”) Model may be “represented” “model denotation”

Model personal(conception, view, interpretation … )

Model denotation shared, in the physical world (in some language, sound, drawing … serving as “sign”)

Repeated observation (including perceived representations) stable (personal) conception = (personal) “knowledge”

Repeated exchange of representation (of specific conception) stable conception for all = “shared knowledge”

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The FRISCO line of reasoning (6)

Information System = system in organisational context,serving to provide “value” by making “information” available

System = model of coherent whole, according to “system viewer”- represented and ultimately agreed as “system denotation”

Information = increment of (personal) knowledge- acquired by observation, often via “messages”

Information System = arrangement to help acquisition, processing and dispersal of information - actual information system is subject to personal interpretation - agreed Information System Denotation = shared view

- Within IS (“in broader sense”): Computerised sub-systems (CISS)

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The FRISCO conceptual framework

Starting point : “things” in the “world” (perceived) “conceptions”

Line of reasoning:

Assumptions (pseudo “primitives”) Concept Definitions (derived, explanatory in nature)

Ontology: (talking about world view, coherent exposé)

“Body” of FRISCO Report statics (things, predicators [= descriptions], relationships, ...) dynamics (states, transitions … ) action (actors, actands, goals …) restrictions due to constructivist view (semiotics, semiotic ladder) models (domains, conceptions, interpretations, language … ) systems (organisations, norms, information, communication …) computerised information sub-systems

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The conception controversy (1)

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• Conceptions = the mother of all things? A thing is any part of a conception of a domain (...). The set of all things under consideration is the conception of that domain.” ([FRISCO 98], ch. 3, def. E1)

There would be nothing but conceptions

• Conceptions = a psychological, speculative phenomenon ? ”... a conception is ... a special actand ... resulting from an action whereby a human actor aims at interpreting a perception in his mind, possibly in a specific action context.” ([FRISCO 98], ch. 3, def. E 20)

Conceptions would be subjective and based on perception psychology

• Conceptions = a source of speculation?

”we cannot observe the ‘conceptions’ locked inside our skulls ...”

"conceptions are inaccessible .. " " ... can only be ‘seen’ in a metaphorical sense by introspection ...” ( [Stamper 98])

Things taken as conceptions would make the whole report a subject of speculation (?)

The conception controversy (2)

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What, after all, is the nature and essence of conceptions?

• Indeed, conceptions are the mirror of the world in the human's mind:

”... that as what the observer has recognised the subject of his/her reference”. [v. Braun, Hesse et al. 99]

But:

The constructivist position requires negotiating our views in a social discourse:

"...conceptions are social constructs, formed by a language community through common use and shared understanding."[v. Braun, Hesse et al. 99]

Conceptions become inter-subjective, language-based and verifiable

Conceptions are not a source of speculation but of negotiation and common understanding

The meaning of "meaning"

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Conventional meaning relationship:

stands forR D

Advanced meaning relationship

"For observer O, the expression R represents the aspect(s) C of some domain D."

• "Conceptions" reflect the aspect character of all recognition

• "Conceptions" = content of discourse reflecting the aspects of a problem domain

R

O

C

D

Observer

Brown is a client of XYZ

Customer Brown(as a physical person)

Brown is 29 years oldBrown's address is ....

Brown Charles 26-2-1971 M 25 High St., ...

Brown is married...

Example of the use of the semiotic tetrahedron

The ternary semiotic relationship

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Consequences for FRISCO

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A revised (and refined) view of conceptions and things:

• Conception Agreed content of discourse reflecting the aspects of a problem domain

• Observer/ Actor Individual or group, originator of observations, conceptions and representations

• Thing Anything an observer has recognised as a matter of discourse

What matters for IS modelling and construction: the triple view encompassing a representation

or appearance, a conception and a referent

Further problems and weaknesses of the FRISCO report

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• Circular definitions concerning e.g. actand - thing - conception;actor - thing - conception; solved by better layering; distinction of actor and world observer

• "Over-formalisation" E.g.: set membership (part of the mathematical basis) to be replaced by composition

• Case study (sample applicaton) raised exaggerated expectations; should not be mistaken as a complete modelling exercise

• Reflections of authors and associatesshow the "democratic FRISCO culture",but: might easily be misunderstood as

demonstrating the lack of conclusiveness of the FRISCO effort

Conception

Thing

...

Actor

Action

Actand

The conception / thing / actor circularity (simplified)

Circular definitions

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A layered framework structure

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The overall structure can be improved and circularities can be avoided by a

clear separation of layers:

• Base layer containing a set of terms "taken for granted", forming the "FRISCO ontology"

• Kernel layer containing a set of elementary definitions considered central for the whole IS area;decomposed into- static kernel concepts,- dynamic kernel concepts,

• System layer containing a set of definitions of advanced, non-elementary concepts

Conception

Thing

Domain

Predicator

RelationshipElementary

thing

Composite thing

Entity

Type

Population

Instance

Perception

Static concepts

Dependency graph of some static kernel concepts (simplified)

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Composite thing

State

Domain

Transition

Relationship

Time

Actor

Action

Actand

Transitionoccurrence

Thing

Goal

Dynamic concepts

Dependency graph of some dynamic kernel concepts (simplified)

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Conception

Model

Representation

System

Organisational system

Composite thing

Information

Modeldenotation

Knowledge

Data

Language

Message

(Human) Actor

Communication

Goal

Information system

System level concepts

Dependency graph of some system level concepts (simplified)

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Conclusions (1)

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A revision of the FRISCO report has been decided upon and is still under way.

Main goals of the revision:- restructure the report according to the proposed layer structure,- integrate corresponding informal, formal, example and supplementary sections, - rework the foundation part, introduce a new "base layer", rearrange concepts, aim at a clearer layer structure and remove circular definitions, - review the text, adapt it to the current requirements, replace or eliminate outdated sections and rework examples and formali-sations where necessary.

Conclusions (2)

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Possible impact and effects of the FRISCO approach

• FRISCO supports a better understanding of the IS field by broadening the usual techno-centric view on IS to a "socio-technical" one which encompasses human beings, organisations, business processes, standards and tools.

• FRISCO helps bridging the gaps between the spaces of "real world objects", "modelling concepts" and "representations" by starting from a solid semiotic basis.

• FRISCO addresses the complexity of concepts like information or communication by relating them to semiotic levels.

• FRISCO offers orientation for IS analysts, designers and implementors by providing a well-structured, layered framework of concepts and definitions.

• The Revised FRISCO Report should enhance these qualities by avoiding the original inconsistencies and providing clear dependency lines.

[v. Braun, Hesse et al. 99] H. v. Braun, W. Hesse, U. Andelfinger, H.B. Kittlaus, G. Scheschonk.: Conceptions are social constructs - Towards a solid foundation of the FRISCO approach. In: [Falkenberg et al. 00]

[Falkenberg et al 98] E.D. Falkenberg, W. Hesse, P. Lindgreen, B.E. Nilsson, J.L.H. Oei, C. Rolland, R.K. Stamper, F.J.M. Van Assche, A.A. Verrijn-Stuart, K. Voss: FRISCO - A Framework of Information System Concepts - The FRISCO Report. IFIP WG 8.1 Task Group FRISCO. Web version: ftp:// ftp.leidenuniv.nl/publ/rul/fri-full.zip (1998)

[Falkenberg et al 00] E.D. Falkenberg, K. Lyttinen, A.A. Verrijn-Stuart (Eds.): Information System Concepts - An Integrated Discipline Emerging. Proc. ISCO 4 Conference, Kluwer Publ. Comp. 2000

[Hesse 99] W. Hesse: Conceptual Foundations of Information Systems - Memorandum on ISCO4 – Workshop 1. In: [6]

[Hesse & Verrijn-Stuart 01] W. Hesse, A.A. Verrijn-Stuart: Towards a Theory of Information Systems: The FRISCO Approach. In: H. Kangassalo et. al. (eds.): Information Modelling and Knowledge Bases XII. IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2001 pp. 81-91

[Stamper 98] R.K. Stamper: A dissenting position. In: [Falkenberg et al. 98], ch. 7 "Reflections"

[Stamper 00] R.K. Stamper: Information Systems as a Social Science, An alternative to the FRISCO approach. In: [Falkenberg et al. 00]

[Verrijn-Stuart 98] A.A. Verrijn-Stuart: Understanding the Pragmatics of Formalised Information: The FRISCO Report and its Consequences, Invited Paper, presented at the International Conference on Knowledge, Logic, Information, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 18-20 February 1998, Report 98-05, Dept of Computer Science, University of Leiden

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References