Understanding the Term Reference Model in Information Systems Research: History, Literature Analysis and Explanation

The heart of every scientific discipline is its own unique, uniform and acknowledged terminology. As an application-oriented mediator between business administration and computer science, information systems research in particular is in need of a theoretical foundation and an instrument capable of translating basic theoretical knowledge into practical applications. Its dependency on and proximity to actual practice, as well as the rapid development of information technology often get in the way of the sound, systematic and consistent formation of concepts. Reference modeling is especially in need of a theoretical foundation. Due to the strong influence of implementation-oriented thought within this field, a gap has resulted between research and practice which has often led to undesirable developments. The high expectations organization and application system developers have on the reutilization of reference models are often disappointed. Apparently, the recommendations made by reference model developers often do not meet the expectations of potential model-users. One reason for this is the non-uniform grasp of the term reference model. This article attempts to counteract this deficiency by way of a detailed analysis of the way the term reference model is used and understood.

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