Towards a Structured Approach to Qualitative Modelling

Creating qualitative models is often considered an art rather than a scientific undertaking, lacking a structured methodology that supports formalisation of ideas. This hampers the already difficult process of building qualitative models. This paper presents a methodology that structures and supports the capture of conceptual knowledge about system behaviour using a qualitative approach. The framework defines a protocol for representing content that supports the development of a conceptual understanding of systems and how they behave. The methodology supports modellers in two ways. It structures and explicates the work involved in building models. It also facilitates easier comparison and evaluation of intermediate and final results of modelling efforts.