Possibilities of articulation of information systems into a network

Eugene Wall

American Documentation, 1968, vol. 19, issue 2, 181-187

Abstract: The interconnection of systems into a network permits sharing of effort in certain respects so that, from an input—output viewpoint, only 14 types of systems for handling serial literature are possible; it is believed that systems for handling separate literature are identical, nearly identical, or closely equivalent. Each of the 14 system types produces a different combination of outputs for use by its clientele or by other systems. When the variations in combinations of outputs transmitted between pairs of system types are examined, it is concluded that only 13 different modes of such communication—i.e., “modes of articulation”—are possible. Further, the 14 types of systems constitute only six overall groups; all system types within a group interact with each other system type in identical ways. Finally, the 13 modes of articulation can be organized into hierarchies, with the more general modes subsuming the more specific modes—pointing to the possibilities of (1) planned routes for evolutionary development of systems' articulative capabilities and (2) the need for only a very few standard procedures of articulation from which the more specific modes may be excerpted. In short, articulation among information systems for handling serial literature is not technically complex on the “system of systems” level (i.e., determining what is to be done) once the requirements of the clientele of the individual component systems have been determined. The matter of determining how to implement the what, however, may well be technically and sociopolitically difficult, and perhaps even economically impracticable.

Date: 1968
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