Towards a Theory of Information Systems: The FRISCO Approach.
Wolfgang Hesse, Alex A. Verrijn-Stuart · European Journal of Combinatorics · 2000
Information Systems (IS) is among the most widespread terms in the Computer Science field but a well founded, widely accepted theory of IS is still missing. With the Internet publication of the FRISCO report, the IFIP task group FRamework of Information System COncepts has taken a first step towards such a theory. Among the major achievements of this report are: (1) it builds on a solid basis formed by semiotics and ontology, (2) it defines a compendium of about 100 core IS concepts in a coherent and consistent way, (3) it goes beyond the common narrow view of information systems as pure technical artefacts by adopting an interdisciplinary, socio-technical view on them. In the autumn of 1999, a first review of the report and its impact was undertaken at the ISCO-4 conference in Leiden. In a workshop specifically devoted the subject, the original aims and goals of FRISCO were confirmed be still valid and the overall approach and achievements of the report were acknowledged. On the other hand, the workshop revealed some misconceptions, errors and weaknesses of the report in its present form, which are be removed through a comprehensive revision now under way. This paper reports on the results of the Leiden conference and the current revision activities. It also points out some important consequences of the FRISCO approach as a whole. 1 FRISCO history: goals, target groups and scope More than 10 years ago, the IFIP task group FRamework of Information System COncepts (FRISCO) was founded by several scientists of Western and Northern European countries in order to provide a suitable conceptual framework, i.e. wherever possible, simple, clear and unambiguous definitions of, and a suitable terminology for the most fundamental concepts in the information systems field ... (cf. [5], preamble, p.3). While fashionable methodologies understand a method for IS development as a compendium of a notation together with a process model (see e.g. UML & RUP Rational's Unified Modelling Language & Process), the FRISCO authors have emphasised the importance of a theoretically consistent and pragmatically sound foundation of the IS field. Among other issues, such a foundation requires some deeper investigation of its relations underlying and neighbour disciplines such as philosophy, mathematics/computer science, linguistics and social science. Therefore, the FRISCO authors have tried avoid a techno-centric view and have aimed for a broad, interdisciplinary approach from the very beginning of their work. This implies a focussing of (and on) the FRISCO target groups: First-line addressees are neither database specialists working on IS implementations nor high-level managers engaged in strategic IS planning but system analysts and modellers, researchers, methodologists and advanced students (on the Master's or Ph.D. level). Furthermore, the FRISCO results should appeal anyone interested in the foundations and fundamental principles of their working area beyond their daily activities.