IS and OUGHT MODES in SYSTEMS HEURISTICS
Charles François (2004). IS and OUGHT MODES in SYSTEMS HEURISTICS, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1784.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1784 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
W. ULRICH, as quoted by R.L. FLOOD and M.C. JACKSON, proposed a “Critical Systems Heuristics”, based on two types of questions.
The first type, the “What is” or “Who is” type of questions, aims at discovering the factual aspects of the considered situation. Examples are:
- Who is actually the decision taker?
- What is the actual purpose of the systems design?
The second type of questions is designed to explore unclear aspects of the considered issue, as for example:
- Who ought to be the client (beneficiary) of the system to be designed or improved?
- What ought to be the purpose of the system?
ULRICH offers in both cases a table of 12 critical questions (FLOOD and JACKSON, 1991, p.206-7).