The Scientific Approach to Systems Development

Philosophical thinking and the ideas of philosophers can be profitably applied in the discussion and criticism of the development of computerised information systems and the organisation of information technology (IT) departments. The scientific approach, a new attitude towards software development, is developed from the way in which scientific knowledge advances. Software development deliverables are shown to represent hypotheses of the user requirements. These hypotheses should be treated in the same way that scientific hypotheses and theories are in the modern philosophy of science. From the viewpoint of the scientific approach no deliverables can be proved to be correct.