Abstract
A core activity in information systems development involves understanding the conceptual model of the domain that the information system supports. Any conceptual model is ultimately created using a conceptual-modeling (CM) grammar. Accordingly, just as high quality conceptual models facilitate high quality systems development, high quality CM grammars facilitate high quality conceptual modeling. This paper seeks to provide a new perspective on improving the quality of CM grammar semantics. For the past twenty years, the leading approach to this topic has drawn on ontological theory. However, the ontological approach captures just half of the story. It needs to be coupled with a logical approach. We show how ontological quality and logical quality interrelate and we outline three contributions of a logical approach: the ability to see familiar conceptual-modeling problems in simpler ways, the illumination of new problems, and the ability to prove the benefit of modifying CM grammars.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of Thirty-Fourth International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2013) |
| Subtitle of host publication | 15-18 December, 2013, Milan, Italy |
| Editors | Richard Baskerville, Michael Chau |
| Place of Publication | Atlanta GA USA |
| Publisher | Association for Information Systems |
| Pages | 2130-2146 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780615933832 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Event | International Conference on Information Systems 2013 - Milan, Italy Duration: 15 Dec 2013 → 18 Dec 2013 Conference number: 34th http://www.proceedings.com/20370.html |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Information Systems 2013 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ICIS 2013 |
| Country | Italy |
| City | Milan |
| Period | 15/12/13 → 18/12/13 |
| Other | The conference theme, "Reshaping Society through Information Systems Design," is intended to promote the development of new knowledge about how the design of information systems is affecting our societies on a scale that ranges from small social groups to the collectives of national and global society. |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- Conceptual modeling
- Logic
- Ontology
- Semantics
Cite this
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Improving the semantics of conceptual-modeling grammars : A new perspective on an old problem. / Clarke, Roger; Burton-Jones, Andrew Nicholas; Weber, Ronald.
Proceedings of Thirty-Fourth International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2013): 15-18 December, 2013, Milan, Italy . ed. / Richard Baskerville; Michael Chau. Atlanta GA USA : Association for Information Systems, 2013. p. 2130-2146.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Research › peer-review
TY - GEN
T1 - Improving the semantics of conceptual-modeling grammars
T2 - A new perspective on an old problem
AU - Clarke, Roger
AU - Burton-Jones, Andrew Nicholas
AU - Weber, Ronald
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - A core activity in information systems development involves understanding the conceptual model of the domain that the information system supports. Any conceptual model is ultimately created using a conceptual-modeling (CM) grammar. Accordingly, just as high quality conceptual models facilitate high quality systems development, high quality CM grammars facilitate high quality conceptual modeling. This paper seeks to provide a new perspective on improving the quality of CM grammar semantics. For the past twenty years, the leading approach to this topic has drawn on ontological theory. However, the ontological approach captures just half of the story. It needs to be coupled with a logical approach. We show how ontological quality and logical quality interrelate and we outline three contributions of a logical approach: the ability to see familiar conceptual-modeling problems in simpler ways, the illumination of new problems, and the ability to prove the benefit of modifying CM grammars.
AB - A core activity in information systems development involves understanding the conceptual model of the domain that the information system supports. Any conceptual model is ultimately created using a conceptual-modeling (CM) grammar. Accordingly, just as high quality conceptual models facilitate high quality systems development, high quality CM grammars facilitate high quality conceptual modeling. This paper seeks to provide a new perspective on improving the quality of CM grammar semantics. For the past twenty years, the leading approach to this topic has drawn on ontological theory. However, the ontological approach captures just half of the story. It needs to be coupled with a logical approach. We show how ontological quality and logical quality interrelate and we outline three contributions of a logical approach: the ability to see familiar conceptual-modeling problems in simpler ways, the illumination of new problems, and the ability to prove the benefit of modifying CM grammars.
KW - Conceptual modeling
KW - Logic
KW - Ontology
KW - Semantics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84897768166&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference Paper
SP - 2130
EP - 2146
BT - Proceedings of Thirty-Fourth International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2013)
A2 - Baskerville, Richard
A2 - Chau, Michael
PB - Association for Information Systems
CY - Atlanta GA USA
ER -