Issue-Based Information System
Encyclopedia
Issue-Based Information System (IBIS) was invented by Werner Kunz and Horst Rittel
as an argumentation-based approach to tackling wicked problem
s - complex, ill-defined problems that involve multiple stakeholders.
To quote from their original paper, "Issue-Based Information Systems (IBIS) are meant to support coordination and planning
of political decision processes. IBIS guides the identification, structuring, and settling of issues raised by problem-solving groups, and provides information pertinent to the discourse
...".
Subsequently, the understanding of planning
and design
as a process of argumentation (of the designer with himself or with others) has led to the use of IBIS as a Design rationale
.
The basic structure of IBIS is a treeview. It is therefore quite suitable to be manipulated by the computer
.
Issue-Based Information Systems are used as a means of widening the coverage of a problem. By encouraging a greater degree of participation, particularly in the earlier phases of the process, the designer is increasing the opportunity that difficulties of his proposed solution, unseen by him, will be discovered by others. Since the problem observed by a designer can always be treated as merely a symptom of another higher-level problem, the argumentative approach also increases the likelihood that someone will attempt to attack the problem from this point of view. Another desirable characteristic of the Issue-Based Information System is that it helps to make the design process “transparent.” Transparency here refers to the ability of observers as well as participants to trace back the process of decision-making.
IBIS is used in issue mapping, an argument visualization technique related to argument mapping. It is also the basis of a facilitation technique called dialogue mapping.
s. So it is no surprise that Rittel and Kunz envisaged IBIS as the:
"...type of information system meant to support the work of cooperatives like governmental or administrative agencies or committees, planning groups, etc., that are confronted with a problem complex in order to arrive at a plan for decision...".
When the paper was written, there were three manual, paper-based IBIS-type systems in use - two in government agencies and one in a university.
A renewed interest in IBIS-type systems came about in the following decade, when advances in technology made it possible to design relatively inexpensive, computer-based IBIS-type systems. Jeff Conklin and co-workers adapted the IBIS structure for use in software engineering, creating the gIBIS (graphical IBIS) hypertext system in the late 1980s. Several other graphical IBIS-type systems were developed once it was realised that such systems facilitated collaborative design and problem solving. These efforts culminated in the creation of the open source Compendium (software)
tool which supports - among other things - a graphical IBIS notation.
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in IBIS-type systems, particularly in the context of sensemaking
and collaborative problem solving in a variety of social and technical contexts. Of particular note is facilitation method called dialogue mapping which uses the IBIS notation to map out a design (or any other) dialogue as it evolves.
Lately, online versions of dialogue- and issue-mapping tools have appeared, for example, bCisive Online (see the link below).
Horst Rittel
Horst Willhelm Jakob Rittel was a German-born design theorist and university professor. He is best-known Horst Willhelm Jakob Rittel (* 14 July 1930 in Berlin, † 9 July 1990 in Heidelberg) was a German-born design theorist and university professor. He is best-known Horst Willhelm Jakob Rittel (*...
as an argumentation-based approach to tackling wicked problem
Wicked problem
"Wicked problem" is a phrase originally used in social planning to describe a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. Moreover, because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve...
s - complex, ill-defined problems that involve multiple stakeholders.
To quote from their original paper, "Issue-Based Information Systems (IBIS) are meant to support coordination and planning
Planning
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
of political decision processes. IBIS guides the identification, structuring, and settling of issues raised by problem-solving groups, and provides information pertinent to the discourse
Discourse
Discourse generally refers to "written or spoken communication". The following are three more specific definitions:...
...".
Subsequently, the understanding of planning
Planning
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
and design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
as a process of argumentation (of the designer with himself or with others) has led to the use of IBIS as a Design rationale
Design Rationale
A Design Rationale is an explicit documentation of the reasons behind decisions made when designing a system or artifact. As initially developed by W.R...
.
The basic structure of IBIS is a treeview. It is therefore quite suitable to be manipulated by the computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
.
Overview
The elements of IBIS are issues (or questions that need to be answered), each of which are associated with alternative positions (or possible answers). These in turn are associated with arguments which support or object to a given position (or another argument). In the course of the treatment of issues, new issues come up which are treated likewise.Issue-Based Information Systems are used as a means of widening the coverage of a problem. By encouraging a greater degree of participation, particularly in the earlier phases of the process, the designer is increasing the opportunity that difficulties of his proposed solution, unseen by him, will be discovered by others. Since the problem observed by a designer can always be treated as merely a symptom of another higher-level problem, the argumentative approach also increases the likelihood that someone will attempt to attack the problem from this point of view. Another desirable characteristic of the Issue-Based Information System is that it helps to make the design process “transparent.” Transparency here refers to the ability of observers as well as participants to trace back the process of decision-making.
IBIS is used in issue mapping, an argument visualization technique related to argument mapping. It is also the basis of a facilitation technique called dialogue mapping.
History
Rittel’s interest lay in the area of public policy and planning, which is also the context in which he defined wicked problemWicked problem
"Wicked problem" is a phrase originally used in social planning to describe a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. Moreover, because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve...
s. So it is no surprise that Rittel and Kunz envisaged IBIS as the:
"...type of information system meant to support the work of cooperatives like governmental or administrative agencies or committees, planning groups, etc., that are confronted with a problem complex in order to arrive at a plan for decision...".
When the paper was written, there were three manual, paper-based IBIS-type systems in use - two in government agencies and one in a university.
A renewed interest in IBIS-type systems came about in the following decade, when advances in technology made it possible to design relatively inexpensive, computer-based IBIS-type systems. Jeff Conklin and co-workers adapted the IBIS structure for use in software engineering, creating the gIBIS (graphical IBIS) hypertext system in the late 1980s. Several other graphical IBIS-type systems were developed once it was realised that such systems facilitated collaborative design and problem solving. These efforts culminated in the creation of the open source Compendium (software)
Compendium (software)
Compendium is a computer program and social science tool that facilitates the mapping and management of ideas and arguments. The software provides a visual environment that allows people to structure and record collaboration as they work through "wicked problems". The software is currently released...
tool which supports - among other things - a graphical IBIS notation.
In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in IBIS-type systems, particularly in the context of sensemaking
Sensemaking
Sensemaking is the process by which people give meaning to experience. While this process has been studied by other disciplines under other names for centuries, the term "sensemaking" has primarily marked three distinct but related research areas since the 1970s: Sensemaking was introduced to...
and collaborative problem solving in a variety of social and technical contexts. Of particular note is facilitation method called dialogue mapping which uses the IBIS notation to map out a design (or any other) dialogue as it evolves.
Lately, online versions of dialogue- and issue-mapping tools have appeared, for example, bCisive Online (see the link below).
See also
- Argument mapping
- Collaborative softwareCollaborative softwareCollaborative software is computer software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve goals...
- Compendium (software)Compendium (software)Compendium is a computer program and social science tool that facilitates the mapping and management of ideas and arguments. The software provides a visual environment that allows people to structure and record collaboration as they work through "wicked problems". The software is currently released...
- Computational sociologyComputational sociologyComputational sociology is a branch of sociology that uses computationally intensive methods to analyze and model social phenomena. Using computer simulations, artificial intelligence, complex statistical methods, and new analytic approaches like social network analysis, computational sociology...
- Creative problem solvingCreative problem solvingCreative problem solving is the mental process of creating a solution to a problem. It is a special form of problem solving in which the solution is independently created rather than learned with assistance.Creative problem solving always involves creativity....
- Critical thinkingCritical thinkingCritical thinking is the process or method of thinking that questions assumptions. It is a way of deciding whether a claim is true, false, or sometimes true and sometimes false, or partly true and partly false. The origins of critical thinking can be traced in Western thought to the Socratic...
- Decision makingDecision makingDecision making can be regarded as the mental processes resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice.- Overview :Human performance in decision terms...
- DesignDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
- Design RationaleDesign RationaleA Design Rationale is an explicit documentation of the reasons behind decisions made when designing a system or artifact. As initially developed by W.R...
- Horst RittelHorst RittelHorst Willhelm Jakob Rittel was a German-born design theorist and university professor. He is best-known Horst Willhelm Jakob Rittel (* 14 July 1930 in Berlin, † 9 July 1990 in Heidelberg) was a German-born design theorist and university professor. He is best-known Horst Willhelm Jakob Rittel (*...
- PlanningPlanningPlanning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
- Problem solvingProblem solvingProblem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
- Wicked problemWicked problem"Wicked problem" is a phrase originally used in social planning to describe a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. Moreover, because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve...
External links
- Issues as elements of information systems
- Cognexus Institute - Issue Mapping
- Cleverworkarounds - the one best practice to rule them all - part 4
- Eight to Late - The what and whence of issue-based information systems
- Eight to Late - Visualising arguments using issue maps - an example and some general comments
- Eight to Late - Issues, Ideas and Arguments - a communication-centric approach to tackling project complexity
- bCisive Online