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Authors:
shiva mir.
Uploaded by shiva mir
First uploaded on: July 20, 2010, 3:16 p.m.
Last Updated: July 20, 2010, 3:16 p.m.
Abstract:
This paper, describes a trend to complex information systems. First it describes complex information systems distinguishing them from complicated systems. Second the implication of this trend to complex systems modelling and implementation especially on ways to capture requirements and modeling, which tend to be initially incomplete and evolve during system operation are described. Then it builds on earlier work on complexity theory to suggest how complexity theory can provide the guidelines and concepts needed to model such complex systems and defines new research directions for the future that uses the guidelines for modeling of requirement analysis.
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Yes...
This paper presents an overview of the current understanding of; complicated systems, complex systems, and complexity theory in information systems. The focus is upon how these relate and how we can understand, characterise and improve complex information systems.
The paper covers a variety of sources and areas, combining them into a single overview. A number of areas are identified as poorly defined, understood or implemented. The identification is positional, as this is leading towards new areas of research and the paper poses questions for future research.
Overall the information is fairly well organised and presented, the links between complexity theory and information system as well developed and indicate a good area of research. The characterisation and design criteria look useful and should provide some helpful high level descriptions.
But...
I found the organisatio of the paper to be a mixture of overly imperative in description and sometimes odd to follow. For example, the abstract and first paragraph of the introduction are very ordered: "first this, second that, then something else, then done". I think moving the first paragraph of the intro to the end of the introduction would be clearer - explain what is in the rest of the paper.
Several sections end with a lot of questions. This is a bit distracting. Why raise questions if you are not going to answer them? I think this would be clearer if instead of "How to ensure they can be modelled?" you wrote "Modelling them remains an open problem" (from the end of section impact on system design).
Many of the sections/paragraphs were heavy to read (this may be my lack of knowledge in this area), but it seemed to describe several different works without much synthesis. Perhaps in the next revision each paragraph could be about one idea, with references to the sources that relate?
Your example of ant colonies on page 5 is never used or referenced again, so may not be helpful.
"Agent based" on page 7, do they really need to be living? What about software agents?
Typos and Thinkos:
P1,L17: Delete sentence "The paper first... systems."
P2,L13-14: Citation for government report?
P2,L15: delete word "simply"
P2,L-10: no capital "A", "solution ,and" should be "solution, and"
P3,L5: delete words "to change"
P3,L15: (Jarke et al.) needs year
P3,L-10: delete word "emerge"
P3,L-9: comma after "interactions"
P4,L14: "his" should be "this"
P4,L-13-16: "ten feature[s]" only listed 6
P5,L17: "system. And the" should be "system, and the" or "system. The"
P5,L19: "cannot be [in] equilibrium"
P5,L-1: Kauffman's NKC model needs citation?
P6,L14: Many spaces at end of sentence.
P7,L13: Don't use dashes next to maths formulas, can be confused with minus signs
P7,L18-9: Don't capitalise "the" for (i) and (ii)
P7,L-9: No year for (Lucas)?
P9: Have a new/whole page for the table, don't let is run over more than one page.
P9,L-1: "review" should be "paper"
P10,L1: "information system[s]"
P10,L11: "come up [with] a"