Model Patterns - The Quest for the Right Level of Abstraction

We know by now that evolution in software is inevitable. Given that is so, we should not just allow for but accommodate for change throughout the software lifecycle. The claim of this paper is that, in order to accommodate for change effectively, we need a modelling discipline with a built-in notion of refinement, so that domain concepts can be defined and understood on their appropriate level of abstraction, and change can be captured on that same level. Refinement serves to connect levels of abstraction within the same model, enabling a simultaneous understanding of that same model on different levels. We propose the term model pattern for the central concept in such a modelling discipline