The philosophy of modeling and futures research : A guide to different models

The concept of inquiry systems as originally formulated by Churchman is an exceedingly powerful one. Each inquiry system can be construed as an archetypal or generic kind of model structure that applies generally throughout all of the sciences. Recent development in the logic of argumentation and symbolic logic show how, paradoxically enough, the model structure of each inquiry system can itself be modeled in terms of the first-order predicate calculus. The result is a “model of models.” More important and more fundamental still, the effort shows the tremendous assumptions that must be bought if one is to warrant belief in any particular inquiry model.     

Evaluation of land administration systems

Currently there are no internationally accepted methodologies to evaluate and compare the performance of land administration systems. This is partly because land administration systems are in constant reform, and probably more importantly, they represent societies’ different perceptions of land. This paper describes the development of a framework to measure and compare the performance of land administration systems. The research is of particular relevance since it develops a management model which links the operational aspects of land administration with land policy.     

How Far Should Mr Keating Go?

Australia's current account deficit is large by historical standards and so is the boom in private investment spending. The net effect is a level of thrift that is not unusually low. A major uncertainty facing policymakers is how far unemployment can be reduced without causing an inflationary spiral. If unemployment can be reduced without igniting inflation, then there is a case for loosening monetary policy.     

The role of idealization in long-range planning: An essay on the logical and social-emotional aspects of planning

This paper describes the ongoing development and evolution of a highly particular and important planning process known as Idealized Planning (IP). IP was originally developed to free planners from self-imposed, psychological constraints in the planning process. Instead of regarding any situation as fixed and hemmed in, no matter how rigid the constraints may appear to be, IP asks the planner to consider relaxing all constraints on an issue or problem by deliberately constructing an ideal image of the situation. The paper shows how IP is vastly more complicated than previously thought and yet how these complexities may be taken advantage of positively.