The deontic pattern - a framework for domain analysis in information systems design

Methods for the reuse of specification knowledge have been developed to red uce the costs of systems development. One approach is to build libraries of reusable analysis patterns, i.e. models describing the generic features of a situation that can occur in different domains. In order to systematise l ibraries of such patterns, we propose a novel analysis pattern based on a d eontic perspective. The basic components of this pattern are object types r epresenting obligations, the parties involved in these obligations, their r espective roles, and the speech acts that create and terminate the obligati ons. We argue that this pattern captures specification knowledge at an appr opriate level of abstraction, has wide applicability, and effectively suppo rts designers in the construction of models. Furthermore, a number of insta nces of this pattern are analysed and classified into different categories. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.