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The Philosophy of System Development Methodology
Abstract
Standard systems analysis (e. g. Yourdon and Constantine, 1972) is based on the systems approach, the scientific method, and the structured view of communication. The systems approach was developed by von Bertalanffy (1962) and Wiener (1961). A system is made up of parts and, because of the complexity, the whole is more than the sum of the parts (cybornetics). Understanding the system and solving system problems requires breaking the system into parts and iteration of the analysis. The scientific method requires defining the issues carefully and comparing theoretical hypotheses with real world tests. A theory or explanation must be followed by an experiment. Replicability of an experiment is the basic standard for truth. If a result can be replicated by other workers than the result is true. The scientific method divides problems into theories and tests of theories (Holton, 1975). The structured view of communication views that communication is based on a set of rules and meanings that are fixed. We can communicate and accomplish goals in communications because we know these rules and meanings. It is important to emphasize that these meanings are part of this structure and they are fixed and this structure has a separate existence, in our mind (Peirce, 1958). In this article I would like to compare various communication theories and methods to show the range of assumptions one can use to develop a systems development methodology.
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