Systemic Semiotics as a Basis for an Agent-Oriented Conceptual Modeling Methodology

Abstract

The authors demonstrate how Systemic Semiotics, an approach that combines a semiotic model of language called Systemic Functional Linguistics with selected concepts from Social Semiotics, can be applied to create Agent-Oriented Information Systems in which social processes can be elicited from stakeholders, specified by designers, and embedded into actual agent-based systems. The utility of Systemic Semiotics applied to Agent-Oriented Conceptual modelling is demonstrated by developing a real world system to address the problem of registering and training volunteers in an emergency service organisation. The experience of developing this system was then used to propose an experimental Agent-Oriented Conceptual Modelling Methodology that uses the same theory and concepts for describing the artefacts and the processes of agent-oriented systems development.