What Is Conceptual Modelling?

Abstract

In this chapter, we describe what modelling is from a general perspective. We start by explaining that models represent something in the world in a simplified manner, so that we can reason on the model and then apply the conclusions back to the modelled subject. We define the notions of model scope and purpose and describe how they work as guides to decide what to keep and what to discard when modelling. Then we move on to explain what conceptual models are, and the fact that they are composed of concepts rather than physical things. These concepts can be of two kinds: the individual entities in the world, as well as the categories that we use to organize them. In this manner, conceptual models work as ontologies of the world.