Action Within Information Systems: Outline of a Requirements Engineering Method

In this paper an action approach to requirements engineering is outlined. The approach is based on a language action view of information systems, organisations and business. Theoretical standpoints and methodological consequences are presented and elaborated. One conclusion is that requirements engineering ought to be viewed as actability engineering in order to perceive information systems as action. It is argued that such an understanding of the communicative aspects of information and information systems are vital to the design and use of information systems as communication tools when doing business. The presented method thus aims at building information systems to support business action, in the context of business rather than computerised system. ° Formal reference to this paper is: Goldkuhl G, Ågerfalk P J (1998). Action Within Information Systems: Outline of a Requirements Engineering Method. In Proceedings of 4 Intl. Workshop on Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality (REFSQ’98), June 8-9 1998, Pisa, Italy.