Abstract
The discipline of computer systems analysis or information systems definition has grown with the development of computers. It is an even younger discipline than computer science. Yet, in some ways, it is significantly older for it has taken its ideas and concepts from, for example, biology psychology, sociology, physics and mathematics. Its debt to these subjects and others is immense. This background is reflected in the proliferation of approaches. Some of these approaches reflect theoretical schools: General Systems Theory, Human Activity, Socio-Technical Systems, Structured Systems Analysis, Data Analysis and Technical Specification. With the exception of General Systems Theory (GST), these approaches can be identified as dominant views in commerce today. GST is included because of its impact on systems thinking in general and contribution to all the identified approaches. The five approaches used in practice give powerful contrasting images within the process of defining an information system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Berlinski, S., 1976, “On Systems Analysis”, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Checkland, P. B., 1981, “Systems Thinking, Systems Practice”, Wiley, Chichester.
Checkland, P. B., 1984, Rethinking a systems approach, in: “Rethinking the Process of Operational Research and Systems Analysis”, R. Tomlinson and I. Kiss, eds., Pergamon Press, Oxford.
Checkland, P. B., 1985, From optimisation to learning: a development of systems thinking for the 1980s, J. Opl. Res. Soc., 36 (9): 757.
Episkopou, D. M., and Wood-Harper, A. T., 1986, Toward a framework for choosing appropriate IS approaches, Comput. J., 29(5):
Galliers, R. D., 1985, In search of a paradigm for information systems research, in: “Research Methods in Information Systems”, E. Mumford, R. Hirschheim, G. Fitzgerald and A. T. Wood-Harper, eds., North-Holland, Amsterdam: 281.
Klein, H. K., and Hirschheim, R. A., 1987, A comparative framework of data modelling paradigms and approaches, Comput. J., 30 (1): 8.
Kuhn, T. S., 1970, “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, 2nd edn., University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Land, F., 1982, Adapting to changing user requirements, Info. Mngt., 5 (1): 59.
Linstone, H., 1983, “Multiple Perspectives”, North-Holland, Amsterdam.
Lyytinen, K., 1987, A taxonomic perspective of information systems development: theoretical constructs and recommendations, in: “Critical Issues in Information Systems Research”, R. Boland and R. A. Hirschheim, eds., Wiley, Chichester: 9.
Martin, J., 1985, “Fourth-Generation Languages: Principles”, vol. 1, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Martin, J., and McClure, C., 1985, “Structured Techniques for Computing”, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Mitroff, I. I., 1983, “Stakeholders of the Organizational Mind”, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Mumford, E., 1983, “Designing Human Systems”, Manchester Business School Press, Manchester.
Mumford, E., 1985, Defining systems requirements to meet business needs: a case study example, Comput. J., 28(2):
Mumford, E., Hirschheim, R., Fitzgerald, G., and Wood-Harper, A. T., 1985, “Research Methods in Information Systems”, North-Holland, Amsterdam.
Rice, A. K., 1963, “The Enterprise and its Environment”, Tavistock, London.
Waters, S., 1979, “Systems Specifications”, National Computer Centre, Man-chester.
Wilson, B., 1987, A system’s methodology for information requirements analysis, in: “Proc. 82 Conference, International Federation for Information Processing Working Group”, H. Klein and K. Kumar, eds., Atlanta, Georgia 88.
Winograd, T., and Flores, F., 1986, “Understanding Computers and Cognition: a New Foundation for Design”, Ablex, Norwood, New Jersey.
Wood-Harper, A. T., and Fitzgerald, G., 1982, A taxonomy of current approaches to systems analysis, Comput. J., 25 (1): 12.
Wood-Harper, A. T., Antill, L., and Avison, D. E., 1985, “Information Systems Definition: the Multiview Approach”, Blackwell Scientific Press, Oxford.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wood-Harper, A.T. (2011). Characteristics of Information Systems Definition Approaches. In: Flood, R.L., Jackson, M.C., Keys, P. (eds) Systems Prospects. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0845-4_58
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0845-4_58
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8111-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0845-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive