Comparative Evaluation of Large Data Model Representation Methods: The Analyst's Perspective

• Authors: Daniel L. Moody
• Venue: ER '02 Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Conceptual Modeling
• Year: 2002

One of the most serious limitations of the Entity Relationship (ER) Model in practice is its inability to cope with complexity. A number of approaches have been proposed in the literature to address this problem, but so far there has been no systematic empirical research into the effectiveness of these methods. This paper describes a laboratory experiment which compares the effectiveness of different representation methods for documentation and maintenance of large data models (analyst's viewpoint). The methods are compared using a range of performance-based and perception-based variables, including time taken, documentation correctness, consistency, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use. An important theoretical contribution of this paper is the development and empirical testing of a theoretical model (the Method Evaluation Model) for evaluating IS design methods. This model may help to bridge the gap between research and practice in IS design research, as it addresses the issue of method adoption in practice, which has largely been ignored by IS design researchers.