Systems Research

Dear Colleagues,

The systems view of the world is a distinctive approach when compared with the views of other disciplines. The distinctive feature of the systems view of the world is that all things are seen as interconnected and influencing situations. As a result, understanding of systems, and of situations in the world, whether actual or potential, demands investigation, which identifies and appreciates the contribution of the many interacting factors that contribute to any situation. As such, research into systems is necessary for the scientific understanding of the nature of systems in general, the discovery of the systemic interactions of the factors present in any practical situation, and the identification and planning of appropriate interventions where there is an intention to intervene in a situation. The approach to doing such research is fundamentally different than the research conducted in many traditional disciplines. The result is that the methods used for, the results expected from and the appropriate measures of quality and effectiveness of systemic research are necessarily different than the methods used other disciplines. The aim of this Special Issue is to present current advances in knowledge about systemic research.

Some of the questions we would like authors submitting papers to think about for this special issue are:

• What makes research systems research?
• What are the criteria for high-calibre systems research?
• What is the value of systemic research in comparison and as complement to other research approaches?
• When using systems research how do we explain our ontological and epistemological philosophical underpinnings?
• In conducting systems research, how are both the researcher and the researched system changed?

For this Special Issue, we invite you to submit papers exploring these questions further, and providing good examples of your own research that supports your own aspirations to conduct good systems research.

Examples of topics are:

• Systems Philosophy (What are the philosophical underpinnings that systems researchers use?)
• Problem Structuring (How do systems researchers identify their research question using systems tools and techniques used in systems practice)
• Framework (Does a framework help guide systems Research similar to the Theoretical Framework used in conventional research)
• Modelling and Simulation (How do models and simulation support systems research)
• Systems Intervention (What strategies and practice do systems researcher use to intervene in systems and collect valid information)
• Writing Up (What are some good practices in reporting systems research? Do they differ from how conventional research is reported?)
• Competencies (What competencies should systems researchers develop to carry out systems research)
• Competencies (How can we test or provide assurance that systems practitioners do have the competencies needed for their work?)
• Evaluation (How are outcomes and impact of systems research evaluated?)
• What are the ethical implications of conducting systemic research which impact a community much broader than those directly participating and giving informed consent? Case Studies

Contributors are invited to present conceptual papers, empirical papers and case studies for academic and disciplinary applications.

Prof. Dr. Shankar Sankaran
Dr. Pamela Buckle Henning
Dr. Timothy Ferris
Dr. Mary C. Edson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Systems Research
• Systems Practice
• Problem Structuring
• Modelling
• Simulation
• Methodology
• Systemic Interventions
• Participatory Action Research
• Competencies
• Evaluation
• Impact