The Guidelines of Modeling – An Approach to Enhance the Quality in Information Models

Although the necessity of building models seems obvious, it is astonishing that only few works deal with the fundamental problems of modeling – how models need to be understood from an epistemological point of view (e.g.: how does a modeler come to a model; why and in which ways do models built by different designers differ from another). The paper bases on the assumption that the subjective position of the modeler is the characterizing issue for the result of the modeling process – and that this subjectivity needs to be managed. We derive from this assumption the need for a sound structural framework in order to deal with the subjectivism of building models. With the Guidelines of Modeling (GoM) we present a framework of principles that improve the quality of information models by reducing the subjectivism in the information modeling process. The quality of modeling is supported by recommendations for an efficient, comprehensive, and correct design of information models. In the first part of the paper the guidelines are derived from the specific problems that stem from the subjective process of the system design. The Guidelines of Modeling contain six principles to ameliorate the quality of information modeling which are described in detail. Subsequently, the basic guidelines are placed in a structural framework, the GoM-Architecture, which consists of two dimensions: 1st the range of model-use (reference models for a class of organizations or an industry, and company-specific models) and 2nd the degree of precision or concretion (general, system views, and description language).