Systems Science

This Knowledge Area (KA) provides a guide to some of the major developments in systems science which is an interdisciplinary field of science that studies the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science.

This knowledge is not specific to systems engineering but is part of a wider systems body of knowledge as discussed in the introduction to Part 2. The SEBoK does not capture all of the system knowledge here; rather, it identifies those aspects relevant to the SE.

To download a PDF of all of Part 2 (including this knowledge area), please click here.

Topics

The topics contained within this knowledge area include:

• History of Systems Science
• Systems Philosophy, Theories, and Mathematics

Development of System Theory

Grounded in systems thinking and based on both theory and practice, systems science aims to develop interdisciplinary foundations applicable in a variety of areas, such as engineering , biology, medicine and social sciences.

The following diagram summarizes the relationships between Systems Science and other sections of the SEBoK

File:Fig 3 Systems Science and Systems Thinking RA.jpg

Figure 1. Systems Science and Systems Thinking. (SEBoK Original)

The development of these theoretical ideas to a point where they can be considered part of the cannon of systems science is like any other branch of science - not a straight forward or linear process. General System Theory (GST)(glossary) (von Bertalanffy, 1968) describes fundamental ideas of closed and open systems, system types etc. as discussed in Systems Fundamentals. These ideas can form the basis of theories about systems which apply across all types of system, independent of element type or application domain; and could form the foundations of a meta-discipline unifying traditional scientific specialisms.

Many researchers and practitioners have further developed these system science concepts. This research is conducted and reported in a variety of domains and disciplines and many of these researchers have adding significantly to their own domains. While there is a growing shared Systems Thinking ethos amongst many researchers we cannot yet claim to have developed the fully integrated, cross-disciplinary Systems Science originally envisaged by GST, see Praxis Framework discussion above.

This Knowledge area describes the most important movements in the various multidisciplinary fields of research associated with Systems Science and presents a guide to the overlapping and sometimes contradictory theories and principles it has created and used. A second article give a guide to the theories, principles and methods of some of the key Systems Approaches produced and applied by the systems research community.

Researchers involved in any aspects of Systems Science should have a thorough knowledge and competence in Systems Thinking. Successful systems research will not only apply this thinking to the topic being researched but should also consider a system approach to the way the research is planned and conducted. It would also be of benefit to have people involved in the research who have at the least an awareness of system practice and ideally are involved in practical applications of the theories they develop.

References

Works Cited

Bertalanffy, L. von. 1968. General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications, Revised ed. New York, NY, USA: Braziller.

Primary References

Checkland, P. 1999. Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. New York, NY, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Bertalanffy, L. von. 1968. General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications, Revised ed. New York, NY, USA: Braziller.

Flood, R.L. 1999. Rethinking the Fifth Discipline: Learning within the Unknowable. London, UK: Routledge.

Additional References

No additional references have been identified for version 0.75. Please provide any recommendations on additional references in your review.

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SEBoK v. 1.9.1 released 30 September 2018

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