1. IMS5024 Lecture 2 Philosophical aspects of modelling information

2. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50242 Contents Individual Assignment Pitfalls What is information? Next weeks reading!

3. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50243 Individual Assignment Write a 2000 – 2500 word report on: What way did the development of applications for the Internet change modelling? The report should include: –Theory about modelling and methodologies) –How does it relate to the idea that information systems development is social or technical? –What are the problems?

4. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50244 Basic starting point for the individual assignment Avison, DE; Fitzgerald, G. (1995). Information Systems development: Methodologies, Techniques and tools. Second edition. McGraw Hill UK. Blum, B.I. (1994) A Taxonomy of software Development Methods. Communications of the ACM, Vol 37, No 11, pp. 82-94. Rossi, M., Siau, K. (2001). Information modeling in the new millenium, Idea Group Publishing, USA. Lecture 2 reading list (Mathiassen et al. and Hirschheim et al.) Andrew Dixon from the library Proquest

5. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50245 Teaching assistant Bahar Jamshidi E-mail: Bahar.Jamshidi@infotech.monash.edu. au Bahar.Jamshidi@infotech.monash.edu. au Available for tute session: Thursday 6 – 7 PM in B143

6. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50246 Pitfalls Plagiarism !!!!! Not starting early Role of synopsis

7. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50247 The nature of information? What is information? Commonly described as “data that is transformed into information by data processing” What is data? –“Data are interpreted raw statements of fact” –“Data are the result of measurement or observation” –“A general term denoting all facts, numbers, letters and symbols that refer to or describe an object, idea, condition, situation or other factors” Information production process?

8. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50248 The nature of information Correct??? Source Transformation process Recipient Data Information

9. Semester 2, 2002 IMS50249 The hermeneutic circle: Arriving at understanding Text Context

10. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502410 The nature of information Source Recipient Application Context Background Knowledge Information

11. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502411 SOOO?? The transformation process does not create information Information is created as the recipient appropriates the data and gives it meaning by understanding the data in a particular context leading to insight and even to judgement and knowledge To produce information we have to interpret what we experience and make explicit what we know Information cannot exist independently from its producer or consumer – data can

12. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502412 Does this help us with answering the following? Why do we need information? Do information systems really provide information to managers or users? Can information be managed? How does this view affect the way in which systems are modelled?

13. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502413 Making knowledge explicit When we design an information system, we require knowledge about a human practice which the system should replace This knowledge we need to make explicit in order to ‘feed’ into rational rules and algorithms Can all knowledge be made explicit? Much of what we know is tacit and intuitive Therefore we are faced with a dilemma: we can only formalise that which we can make explicit Information is therefore not a mechanistic concept

14. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502414 Mechanistic worldview Based on rational, objective thinking Very prevalent in modern (Western) society Assumes world is orderly and unchanging Leads to utopian thinking about technology

15. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502415 Romantic worldview Reaction to extreme rationalism Reaction to technological determinism Technology seen as threat to culture Technology associated with a calculative and analytical style of thinking Technology seen as autonomous and no longer under human control

16. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502416 Contrasting the two world views Mechanistic worldview –Rational thinking about the world –Formal representation –Technology can be used to change society –Knowledge is power Romantic worldview –World should be interpreted rather than understood –Researchers of social systems cannot be completely objective –World is ‘chaotic’ –Technology should be resisted

17. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502417 A dialectic synthesis We live in a world of mechanistic rules and romantic ideals Scientific understanding and romantic interpretation We need both concepts and have to reconcile them Implementation of information systems means applying rational machines in chaotic environments We have to formalise in order to make computers work We cannot formalise everything Challenge is to find appropriate degree of formalisation

18. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502418 Why do we develop information systems? Information the lifeblood of the organisation Use of computers for processing information Competitive edge Ect..

19. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502419 ISD Comments Development group Objectives Environment Object system Object system Change process Hirschheim et al see reading list

20. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502420 History of ISD methodologies GenerationPrinciple management and organisational issues Formal life- cycle approaches Control of SDLC; guidance through standardization Structured approaches Productivity, better maintainable systems, control over analyst/programmer Prototyping and evolutionary approaches Speed and Flexibility, overcome communication gap, right kind of system instead of getting system right

21. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502421 History of ISD methodologies(2) GenerationPrinciple management and organisational issues Socio-technical, participatory approaches Control of ISD by users through participation; conflict management; joint optimisation Sense-making and problem formulation approaches Multiple perspectives in problem framing; software development as social reality construction

22. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502422 History of ISD methodologies(3) GenerationPrinciple management and organisational issues Trade-Union led approaches Labour/ management conflict; workers rights; industrial democracy Emancipator approaches Improve communication; furthering emancipatory effects of ISD

23. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502423 Summary We live in a social world Information systems are socially constructed Need to develop a system – mechanistic Dilemma – Dialectics What have we seen up until now

24. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502424 Reality of ISD Conceptual models Formal Models Application domain Implementation domain Blum, I., 1994. A taxonomy of Software development Methods. Communications of the ACM, Vol37, No11

25. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502425 Classification of methods Problem orientedProduct oriented Concep- tual Structured analysis Entity relationship modelling Logical construction of systems Modern structured analysis Object oriented analysis Structured design Object oriented design Formal PSL/PSA JSD VDM Levels of abstraction Stepwise refinement Proof of correctness Data abstraction JSP Object oriented programming Blum, I., 1994. A taxonomy of Software development Methods. Communications of the ACM, Vol37, No11

26. Semester 2, 2002 IMS502426 Reading for next week Hoffer, J.A; George, J.F; Valacich, J.S. (1999). Modern Systems analysis and design. Second Edition. Addison Wesley, USA. Chapter 8 and 9.