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Conceptual Modeling pp 105–122Cite as

Are Global Understanding, Communication, and Information Management in Information Systems Possible?

A Conceptual Modelling View - Problems and Proposals for Solutions

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1565))

Abstract

A recent trend in thinking about information systems and data bases is the idea that shared knowledge forms a globally understood phenomenon, based on global communication facilitated by the Internet and maintained by the global information management. The idea sounds good, but difficult ontological, epistemological, logical, and methodological problems are penetrating out. One is based on the way how human concepts are created. Another problem is that the point of view is not usually taken into account properly. The third one is that a system of concepts on which the information system is built seems to form an unique entirety, limiting the applicability of constructs of the system of concepts outside the borders of the information system. We study the idea and analyse some of the problems that seem to be revealed. The answer to the question in the title seems to be negative, but many improvements to information systems can be made. Systematic studies of concepts, systems of concepts and their descriptions are regarded as necessary. Information systems should be defined on the basis of their conceptual content, not on the basis of the data flow and linguistic representations of occurrences, as it is done today.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Tampere, P.O. Box 607, FIN-33101, Tampere, Finland

    Hannu Kangassalo

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  1. Hannu Kangassalo
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Louisiana State University, 298 Coates Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA

    Peter P. Chen

  2. Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (ESSEC), Avenue Bernard Hirsch, BR 105, F-95021, Cergy, France

    Jacky Akoka

  3. Department of Compyter Science, University of Tampere, P.O. Box 567, FIN-33401, Tampere, Finland

    Hannu Kangassalu

  4. Department of Computer Science, Brandenburg University of Technology, P.O. Box 10 13 44, D-03013, Cottbus, Germany

    Bernhard Thalheim

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kangassalo, H. (1999). Are Global Understanding, Communication, and Information Management in Information Systems Possible?. In: Goos, G., et al. Conceptual Modeling. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1565. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48854-5_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48854-5_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-65926-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48854-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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