Evaluating Quality of Conceptual Models Based on User Perceptions

This paper presents the development of a user evaluations based quality model for conceptual modeling applying the model of DeLone and McLean [6] for evaluating information systems in general. Given the growing awareness about the importance of high-quality conceptual models, it is surprising that there is no practical evaluation framework that considers the quality of conceptual models from a user’s perspective. Human factors research in conceptual modeling is still scarce and the perception of quality by model users has been largely ignored. A first research goal is therefore to determine what the appropriate dimensions are for evaluating conceptual models from a user’s perspective. Secondly, we investigate the relationships between these dimensions. Furthermore, we present the results of two experiments with 187 and 124 business students respectively, designed to test the proposed model and the generated hypotheses. The results largely support the developed model and have implications for both theory and practice of quality evaluation of conceptual models.