Computer Science & Information Systems

Computer Science
& Information Systems
First attempt to offer a broad view of CS & IS
field by comparing and relate its disciplines

Luis Borges Gouveia
V1.1 – December 2013
Luis Borges Gouveia / v1.1 - Dez 2013

It is all about information…

v1.0 Nov 2013

Criteria for this first draft
• Select the most high level or relevant areas, related
whith computer and networks and to how they convey
digital information within and across organizations
• No people names and origin dates…
• Avoid external references
• Made a genuine effort to relate them
• First draft use mainly available wording from Wikipedia

• To be continued…


Terms considered
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Information Technology – IT
Information and Communication
Technology - ICT
Computer Science – CS
Software Engineering – SE
Information Management – IM
Informatics – Inf
Information Science - IStu (information
studies)
Human Computer Interation - HCI
Business Analysis - BA
Requirements analysis - ReqA
Information Systems - IS
Information Systems Analysis – ISA, SA
Analysis of data - ADat


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Information Security - InfoSec
Project Management - PM
Knowledge Management - KM
Information Engineering – IE
Information Systems Development –
ISD, SD
System Development Life Cycle - SDLC
Systems Engineering - SysEng
Information Systems Planning – ISP
Information Systems Strategy – ISS
Information Systems Integration – ISI
Information Systems Management ISM
Information Systems Exploration - ISE
Information Governance – IG

Information Technology
• Information technology (IT) is the application of
computers and telecommunications equipment to
store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often
in the context of a business or other enterprise


Also, Information and Communication

Technology
• Information and communications technology (ICT) is often
used as an extended synonym for information technology
(IT), but is a more specific term that stresses the role of
unified communications and the integration of
telecommunications, computers as well as necessary
enterprise software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual
systems, which enable users to access, store, transmit, and
manipulate information


Computer Science
• The definition of computer science is a branch of engineering
science that studies the technology and the principles of
computers
• Computer science deals with the theoretical foundations of
information and computation, together with practical
techniques for the implementation and application of these
foundations


Software Engineering
• Software engineering is the application of a systematic,
disciplined, quantifiable approach to the design,
development, operation, and maintenance of software,
and the study of these approaches; that is, the
application of engineering to software
• It is also the process of making, testing and
documenting computer programs and is considered as
one of the applied areas of computer science
• The Guide to the Software Engineering Body of
Knowledge (SWEBOK):
http://www.computer.org/portal/web/swebok/home

Information Management
• The discipline that analyzes information as an
organizational resource. It covers the
definitions, uses, value and distribution of all
data and information within an organization
whether processed by computer or not. It
evaluates the kinds of data/information an
organization requires in order to function and
progress effectively


Informatics
• Sometimes referred as a synonym for information
technology (IT), but better defined as an umbrella
term for "information management" and "computer
science."
• In other situations, informatics is used as an
equivalent for computer science or, alternately, to
information science


Information Science (information studies)
• Is an interdisciplinary field primarily concerned with the
analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage,
retrieval, movement, and dissemination of information
• As of computer science, includes information retrieval,
knowledge representation, natural language processing and
human-computer interaction as its main areas
• As applications, information science also includes information
access, information architecture, information management,
information seeking, and information society


Side, but related:

Human-Computer Interaction

• Involves the study, planning, and design of the
interaction between people (users) and computers.
• It is often regarded as the intersection of computer
sciences, behavioral sciences, design and several
other fields of study
• HCI is also sometimes referred to as man–machine
interaction (MMI) or computer–human interaction
(CHI)


Business Analysis
• Business analysis is a research discipline of identifying
business needs and determining solutions to business
problems. Solutions often include a systems development
component, but may also consist of process improvement,
organizational change or strategic planning and policy
development.
• One of the BA areas is requirements analysis
• The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK):
http://www.iiba.org/BABOK-Guide.aspx


Requirements analysis
• Describes how to develop and specify requirements in enough
detail to allow them to be successfully implemented by a
project team
• Among the forms of analysis are: architecture analysis;
business process analysis; object oriented analysis; structured
analysis and data based analysis, known as systems analysis
altogether
• System analysis is one of the three roles: strategy;
architecture and system analysis


Information Systems
•

Is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software (information technology)
that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data and

information
– bridges business and computer science using the theoretical foundations of information and
computation to study various business models and related algorithmic processes
– computer information systems (CIS) is a field studying computers and algorithmic processes,
including their principles, their software and hardware designs, their applications, and their
impact on society while IS emphasizes functionality over design

•

Any specific information system aims to support operations, management and decision
making. In a broad sense, the term is used to refer not only to the information and
communication technology that an organization uses, but also to the way in which people
interact with this technology in support of business processes

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A Framework of Information Systems Concepts (FRISCO report, IFIP):
http://cs-exhibitions.uni-klu.ac.at/index.php?id=445


Information Systems Analysis
• The definition of a systems analysis is a method of
figuring out the basic elements of a project and
deciding how to combine them in the best way to
solve a problem
• The major forms of analysis are: data analysis;
structured analysis and object oriented analysis


Side, but related: Data

Analysis

• Is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and
modeling data with the goal of discovering useful
information, suggesting conclusions, and supporting
decision making. Data analysis has multiple facets and
approaches, encompassing diverse techniques under a
variety of names, in different business, science, and
social science domains
• DAMA Data Management Body of Knowledge (DAMA
DMBOK):
http://dama.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3364


Side, but related:

Information Security

• Information security is the practice of defending information
from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption,
modification, perusal, inspection, recording or destruction. It
is a general term that can be used regardless of the form the
data may take (electronic, physical or any other combination)
• Common body of knowledge (CBK)
– CISSP curriculum: https://www.isc2.org/


Side, but related: Project

Management

• Project management is the discipline of planning,
organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve
specific goals
– a project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique
product, service or result with a defined beginning and end
(usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or
deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives,
typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.

• The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast with
business as usual (or operations)
• Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK):
http://www.pmi.org/PMBOK-Guide-and-Standards.aspx


Side, but related:
•

Knowledge Management

Knowledge management (KM) is the process of capturing, developing, sharing,
and effectively using organizational knowledge. It refers to a multi-disciplined
approach to achieving organizational objectives by making the best use of
knowledge
– includes the fields of business administration, information systems,
management, and library and information science, and computer sciences

•

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– some organizations have resources dedicated to internal KM efforts, often
as a part of their business strategy, information technology, or human
resource management departments
Knowledge management efforts typically focus on organizational objectives
such as improved performance, competitive advantage, innovation, the
sharing of lessons learned, integration and continuous improvement of the
organization
KM efforts overlap with organizational learning, and may be distinguished
from that by a greater focus on the management of knowledge as a strategic
asset and a focus on encouraging the sharing of knowledge. It is seen as an
enabler of organizational learning and a more concrete mechanism than the
previous abstract research


Information Engineering
• An integrated set of methodologies and products
used to guide and develop information
processing within an organization. It starts with
enterprise-wide strategic planning and ends with
running applications
• Information engineering first provided data
analysis and database design techniques used by
database administrators and systems analysis
based upon an understanding of the operational
processing needs of organizations for the 1980s

Information Systems Development
• Information technology departments in larger
organizations tend to strongly influence information
technology development, use, and application in the
organizations A series of methodologies and processes
can be used to develop and use an information system
• Many developers have turned and used a more
engineering approach such as the System
Development Life Cycle (SDLC) which is a systematic
procedure of developing an information system
through stages that occur in sequence


System Development Life Cycle
• The systems development life cycle (SDLC), also referred to as
the application development life-cycle, is a term used in
systems engineering, information systems and software
engineering to describe a process for planning, creating,
testing, and deploying an information system.
• The systems development life-cycle concept applies to a range
of hardware and software configurations,
as a system can be composed of hardware
only, software only, or a combination of
both


Systems Engineering
• Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field of
engineering that focuses on how to design and manage
complex engineering projects over their life cycles. Deal
with issues such as reliability, logistics, coordination of
different teams (requirements management), evaluation
measurements, as also work-processes, optimization
methods, and risk management tools
• It overlaps technical and human-centered disciplines such
as control engineering, industrial engineering,
organizational studies, and project management.
• Systems Engineering ensures that all likely aspects of a
project or system are considered, and integrated into a
whole.


Information Systems Planning
• The activity of producing a broad enduring statement for the organizations
alignment with its own strategy. Includes objectives (as the desired future
positions an organization intends to reach in order to fulfill its mission);
strategies (the general direction in which an objective is to be sought); and
policies (a general guideline that directs and constrains decision-making
within an organization)
– involves the identification of the information systems stage (usually
with a maturity model approach); list applications in operation; and its
evaluation to prioritize those who are more relevant
• The 4 stage model for IS planning: (1) strategic planning; (2) information
requirement analysis; (3) resource allocation; and (4) project planning
(using project management techniques)
• Strategic information systems planning (SISP) is the process of identifying
a portfolio of computer-based applications that will assist an organization
in executing its business plans and realizing its goals

Information Systems strategy
• IS strategy is an organizational perspective on the
investment in, deployment, use, and management of
IS, that can be regarded as:
– the use of IS to support business strategy;
– the master plan of the IS function;
– the shared view of the IS role within the organization
Business Strategy

Organizational
Strategy

Information
Strategy

Information Systems Integration
• Making diverse components work together and deals
with interoperability issues (both present and future)


Information Systems Management
• Includes the activities of developing and planning
information systems and cares about its aligment
with the supported organization.
• It is also referred as the development and use of
information systems that help businesses achieve
their goals and objectives


Information Systems Exploration
• Deals with the exploration of existant information
systems, taking care of their ability to offer service
continuity, including the realization of maintenance
efforts in a sustainable way
• The explorarion also takes into consideration to take
advantage of existing facilities to enhance
functionality, provide extended or even new uses
and applications


Information Governance
• the set of multi-disciplinary structures, policies, procedures,
processes and controls implemented to manage information
at an enterprise level, supporting an organization's immediate
and future regulatory, legal, risk, environmental and
operational requirements
• Information Governance is the process of making the right
information available to the right people
at the right time until it reaches the end
of its lifetime


Some well accepted classification
systems
• ACM Computing Classification System
– Proposed by ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, EUA
(http://www.acm.org/)
– The late revision is from 2012 (its version 4) http://www.acm.org/about/class/
– Complete description: http://dl.acm.org/ccs_flat.cfm

• IEEE computer society (keywords)
– Proposed by IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(http://www.ieee.org)
– IEEE’s taxionomy for information technology and systems
(http://www.computer.org/portal/web/publications/acmits)

• Arxiv (the preprint paper repository)
– Proposed and run by Cornell University Library
– Has a classification/areas for Computer Science (http://arxiv.org/)


Final remarks & challenges
• Computers and networks produces a new tangible digital
dimension that adds to the physical one, as a collective result
of the ongoing effort of many different people.
• As so, a number of new areas and disciplines emerge. Most of
them were coined just in the last half century (with some
even more recently in the last decade) – as a result, a complex
Web of relationships are in place
• Challenge:
– Represent the semantic network that relates all the described terms,
by provind each term as a node, and their relationships as links
– Create a timeline for the 26 terms. Also add the people who coined
them (not always possible or known)

Computer Science & Information Systems

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