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Ontology- Versus Pattern-Based Evaluation of Process Modeling Languages: A Comparison

Recker, Jan and Rosemann, Michael and Krogstie, John (2007) Ontology- Versus Pattern-Based Evaluation of Process Modeling Languages: A Comparison. Communications of the Association for Information Systems 20(48):pp. 774-799.

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Abstract

Selecting an appropriate process modeling language forms an important task for organizations engaging in business process management initiatives. A plethora of process modeling languages has been developed over the last decades, leading to a need for rigorous theory to assist in the evaluation and comparison of the capabilities of these languages. While substantial academic progress in the area of process modeling language evaluation has been made in at least two areas, using an ontology-based theory of representation or the framework of workflow patterns, it remains unclear how these frameworks relate to each other. We use a generic framework for language evaluation to establish similarities and differences between these acknowledged reference frameworks and discuss how and to what extent they corroborate each other. Our line of investigation follows the case of the popular BPMN modeling language, whose evaluation from the perspectives of representation theory and workflow patterns is comparatively assessed in this paper. We also show which tenets of modeling quality these frameworks address and that further research is needed, especially in the area of evaluating the pragmatic quality of modeling.

Item Type:Journal Article
Status:Published
Keywords:process modeling, Bunge-Wand-Weber representation model, workflow patterns, SEQUAL, model quality
Subjects:280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences > 280100 Information Systems > 280112 Information Systems Development Methodologies
280000 Information, Computing and Communication Sciences > 280100 Information Systems > 280111 Conceptual Modelling
ID Code:11239
Deposited By:Recker, Jan
Deposited On:18 December 2007
Alternative Locations:http://cais.aisnet.org/articles/default.asp?vol=20&art=48
Copyright Owner:Copyright 2007 Association for Information Systems