Table of Contents

THE FIELD OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ITS PROBLEMS.

The Field of Information Systems: Crucial but Confused.

Information Systems: The Anatomy of a Confusion.

BASIC THINKING: INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF PURPOSEFUL ACTION.

Organizations: The Main Context of Work on Information Systems.

Information in Support of Action.

RHETORIC AND REALITY IN THE IS FIELD.

The Information System which Won the War.

Soft Systems Methodology in Action Research.

Experiences in the Field.

A CONCEPT OF THE FIELD.

The Field of Information Systems.

Conclusion.

References.

Indexes.

About the Author

Peter Checkland is the recipient of the 'Most Distinguished and Outstanding Contributor' Award of the British Computer Society Methodologies Group, 1994 Recipient of the Gold Medal of the UK Systems Society for 'Outstanding Contribution to Systems Thinking' and 1997 Recipient of a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship. Now retired from full time university work, Peter Checkland continues his research and writing.