Challenges in Requirements Engineering: A Research Agenda for Conceptual Modeling

Abstract

Domains for which information systems are developed deal primarily with social constructions - conceptual objects and attributes created by human intentions and for human purposes. Information systems play an active role in these domains. They document the creation of new conceptual objects, record and ascribe values to their attributes, initiate actions within the domain, track activities performed, and infer conclusions based on the application of rules that govern how the domain is affected when socially-defined and identified causal events occur. Emerging applications of information technologies evaluate such business rules, learn from experience, and adapt to changes in the domain. Conceptual modeling grammars aimed at representing their system requirements must include conceptual objects, socially-defined events, and the rules pertaining to them. We identify challenges to conceptual modeling research and pose an ontology of the artificial as a step toward meeting them.

Keywords: conceptual modeling, ontology, concrete object, conceptual object, social reality, artificial systems

JEL Classification: M10, M19, M49