Extending the Discussion of Model Quality: Why Clarity and Completeness may not be enough

Quality of modeling for information systems analysis and design is an important field of research in which, however, a comprehensive and generally acknowledged understanding is still outstanding. Notions of “model” and “quality” often remain vague and focus on particular aspects such as “syntax” or “semantics” rather than a comprehensive perspective on model quality. In this paper we argue that it is foremost the question of modeling pragmatics that is of pertinence when trying to ascertain the quality of a modeling artefact. We illustrate how pragmatic concerns mediate traditional conceptions of model quality. We refer to the well-established Bunge-Wand-Weber representation model and discuss how pragmatic concerns influence the understanding of model quality over and above the quality criteria provided by such ontology-based theories of modeling. We apply the formalism provided by Kühne to clarify the influence of pragmatic concerns on modeling as a mapping activity with choices.