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Seeking Churchman's system for guaranteeing knowledge claims
Author(s) -
Metcalfe Mike
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.676
Subject(s) - argumentative , argument (complex analysis) , element (criminal law) , epistemology , computer science , engineering ethics , knowledge management , management science , sociology , engineering , philosophy , political science , law , chemistry , biochemistry
This paper will present a system for guaranteeing knowledge claims (research findings, conclusions) relevant to human design activities including research. It draws from the ideas developed by the systems thinker C. West Churchman (1914–2004), who wished to integrate individual experience, experimentation, alternative explanations and ethical considerations into a multi‐element system to help designers and researchers reflect on knowledge claims. This paper will explore the conjecture that Churchman's five‐element system provides a pragmatic for ‘guaranteeing’ design knowledge claims. The evidence to support this argument draws on some of the ideas Churchman presented in his book The Design of Inquiring Systems , as well as the more generic argumentative inquiry, systems perspectives literature. A list of ‘guarantor’ questions for designer and researchers is provided as a summary. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.