Critical issues in the use of Soft Systems Methodology

Abstract

Demonstrates the application of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to issues facing those information professionals attempting the long-term management of digital data objects (DDOs) in the UK. Reports results of research, undertaken at Loughborough University, Department of Information Science, to demonstrate the benefits of using SSM to determine the critical issues underlying the resolution of complex ill-defined people-centred problems. Defines DDOs as computerized, machine-readable resources, such as Web pages or electronic periodicals, the information content of which can be stored and accessed independently of the form in which it was created. Discusses basic SSM principles and the seven stages of its implementation in research. Secondary source material from a literature review was combined with empirical data and analyzed using SSM. The use of SSM to create a ‘rich picture’ enables the categorization of organizations into relatively homogeneous groups, based on their approach to the long-term management of DDOs. This rich picture illustrates that there is a division between stakeholders who use standard metadata formats and those who have, or are in the process of creating, in house formats.