Modeling methods are crucial for the development and the operation of software driven information systems. Shortly summarized, a modeling method provides an armamentarium for describing a particular “Universe of Discourse”, e.g., the structure and the behavior of technical or organizational worlds and the involved stakeholders, with some given objectives to be achieved.

This Dagstuhl Seminar focuses on domain specific conceptual modeling methods (DSMM) by concentrating on their (a) scope, context and conception, (b) modeling technique: language definition (meta-model), language representation (grammar), and semantic grounding, (c) associated methodological framework, including process model, design primitives and style guides, means for design product analysis, and (d) tooling for modeling, model analysis, evaluation etc.

In contrast to general-purpose modeling methods, a DSMM is designed for specific use in a specific domain and for specific purposes. Consequently, its language comes with (a) a lean set of modeling concepts and explicit constraints, tailored for the particular domain and purposes, and (b) textual and graphical notations (grammars) that are familiar and/or easy to understand by the users in their domain. For the seminar, we choose e-business and e-health as exemplary application domains.

Current research in Domain Specific Conceptual Modeling addresses conceptual modeling languages, meta-modeling platforms and tools, methodology, ontological frameworks and model-based reasoning. However, this work is split over different scientific communities (theory, informatics and information systems, other disciplines) with limited mutual exchange. The seminar, therefore, aims at intensifying communication between these communities, harmonizing the views on challenges, consolidating approaches and initiating future co-operations. This includes, in particular, seeking for comprehensive answers to a variety of questions, such as the adequacy of models, the adequacy of modeling techniques, the utility of a model, the utility of a modeling technique, the comprehensiveness of a modeling method, the verifiability of properties and the comparability of modeling techniques and methods.

Answers to these questions will clarify and structure the area and help stakeholders to formulate agreements. Results of this seminar may eventually find their way into standardizing efforts.

Depending on their underlying modeling technique, models can be classified in many ways, e.g. informal/formal, textual/graphical, not executable/executable/ with or without automatic translation to executable code, etc. The seminar is open to all kinds and aspects of models according to these classifications.

Summing up, in this Dagstuhl Seminar attendees will compile, compare, and develop future principles for constructing stakeholder-oriented conceptual models, particularly in the domains of business and health.

Creative Commons BY 3.0 DE

Heinrich C. Mayr, Sudha Ram, Wolfgang Reisig, and Markus Stumptner

• João Paulo Almeida (Federal University of Espírito Santo - Vitória, BR) [dblp]
• Joao Araujo (New University of Lisbon, PT) [dblp]
• Fernanda Baião (PUC - Rio de Janeiro, BR) [dblp]
• Ladjel Bellatreche (ENSMA - Chasseneuil, FR) [dblp]
• Dominik Bork (Universität Wien, AT) [dblp]
• Isabelle Comyn-Wattiau (ESSEC Business School - Cergy Pontoise, FR) [dblp]
• Rocco De Nicola (IMT - Lucca, IT) [dblp]
• Felicita Di Giandomenico (CNR - Pisa, IT) [dblp]
• Hans-Georg Fill (University of Fribourg, CH) [dblp]
• Frederik Gailly (Ghent University, BE) [dblp]
• Aditya K. Ghose (University of Wollongong, AU) [dblp]
• Martin Glinz (Universität Zürich, CH) [dblp]
• Giancarlo Guizzardi (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, IT) [dblp]
• Kamalakar Karlapalem (IIIT - Hyderabad, IN) [dblp]
• Julio Cesar Leite (PUC - Rio de Janeiro, BR) [dblp]
• Stephen W. Liddle (Brigham Young University, US) [dblp]
• Wolfgang Maaß (Universität des Saarlandes, DE) [dblp]
• Heinrich C. Mayr (Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, AT) [dblp]
• Judith Michael (RWTH Aachen, DE) [dblp]
• Daniel Moldt (Universität Hamburg, DE) [dblp]
• Oscar Pastor Lopez (Technical University of Valencia, ES) [dblp]
• Barbara Pernici (Polytechnic University of Milan, IT) [dblp]
• Jolita Ralyte (University of Geneva, CH) [dblp]
• Wolfgang Reisig (HU Berlin, DE) [dblp]
• Marcela Ruiz Carmona (Utrecht University, NL)
• Bernhard Rumpe (RWTH Aachen, DE) [dblp]
• Heinz W. Schmidt (RMIT University - Melbourne, AU) [dblp]
• Michael Schrefl (Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, AT) [dblp]
• Sibylle Schupp (TU Hamburg, DE) [dblp]
• Vladimir Shekhovtsov (CICERO Consulting GmbH - Klagenfurt, AT) [dblp]
• Pnina Soffer (Haifa University, IL) [dblp]
• Ketil Stølen (SINTEF - Oslo, NO) [dblp]
• Markus Stumptner (University of South Australia - Adelaide, AU) [dblp]
• Bernhard Thalheim (Universität Kiel, DE) [dblp]
• Pia Wilsdorf (Universität Rostock, DE) [dblp]
• Manuel Wimmer (TU Wien, AT) [dblp]