Context management in modeling information systems (IS)

Knowledge engineering methods are shown to have an important role in addres sing the challenge of building trusted contexts; namely, in providing solut ions to the problems of complexity, conformity, changeability and invisibil ity. Current information systems (IS) design practices, however, are seen t o solve only those problems pertaining to the global enterprise system, whi le leaving the validation issues related to user/local models unresolved. C ontext management mechanisms associated with the user/local models are show n to provide a basis for dynamic validation of user requirements. The propo sed context management process has been developed to allow context represen tation and dynamic knowledge structuring at the epistemological level. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.