Evaluation of Conceptual Modeling Languages:An Epistemological Discussion

摘要

The Information Systems (IS) discipline is coined by a multiplicity of available conceptual modeling approaches. Thus,rnevaluation techniques have been developed in order to assess the appropriateness of a conceptual model in a given context.rnUp to now, however, both modeling and evaluation approaches lack a thorough epistemological foundation and discussion,rnleading to problems regarding the applicability of a certain modeling language in a given context on the one hand, andrnregarding the feasibility of certain evaluation approaches towards certain modeling questions on the other hand. We addressrnthe question of epistemology in evaluation research and therein argue that there is an immanent need for publishingrnepistemological underpinnings of evaluation approaches in order to assess their applicability in given modeling contexts. Wernpresent a basic discussion framework that allows for the analysis of epistemological implications of available evaluationrnapproaches for conceptual modeling languages.