General taxonomy of system[ic] approaches for analysis and design

Taxonomy for the classification of systems or systemic approaches used in analysis and design is presented in this paper. The design of the classification is structured around an epistemological model of complexity where complexity is defined as a characteristic of a situation rather than an entity or domain. The intent of the taxonomy is to provide definition to the variety of fields that hold claim to the term systems, and to reduce this group into a set of meaningful related clusters. Although the applicability of the taxonomy has yet to be validated, some examples of its potential use are demonstrated. Finally, conclusions are drawn, including recommendations on further expansion to the taxonomy and research into its applicability.