Ontological Foundations of Conceptual Modelling Reconsidered: A Response

In their quest for theoretical foundations of conceptual modelling information systems researchers have turned to various disciplines for inspiration. However, the adaptation of theories, concepts, and vernaculars across disciplines has always proven to be difficult at least. In the debate paper “On Ontological Foundations of Conceptual Modelling” I have subjected the transposition of Mario Bunge’s ontology to an ontology for conceptual modelling (i.e., the so-called Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW) ontology) to a critique. Six commentaries to the critique have been received. They are reviewed—not with the intention of a closing argument but rather with the intent to structure the debate, to clarify some misconceptions, and last but not least to encourage the curious reader to carry on with the debate beyond the scope of this issue of the SJIS