An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distributeinformation.[1] From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems comprise four components: task, people, structure (or roles), and technology.[2] Information systems can be defined as an integration of components for collection, storage and processing of data, comprising digital products that process data to facilitate decision making[3] and the data being used to provide information and contribute to knowledge.
A computer information system is a system, which consists of people and computers that process or interpret information.[4][5][6][7] The term is also sometimes used to simply refer to a computer system with software installed.
"Information systems" is also an academic field of study about systems with a specific reference to information and the complementary networks of computer hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create and also distributedata.[8] An emphasis is placed on an information system having a definitive boundary, users, processors, storage, inputs, outputs and the aforementioned communication networks.[9]
In many organizations, the department or unit responsible for information systems and data processing is known as "information services".[10][11][12][13]
Any specific information system aims to support operations, management and decision-making.[14][15] An information system is the information and communication technology (ICT) that an organization uses, and also the way in which people interact with this technology in support of business processes.[16]
Some authors make a clear distinction between information systems, computer systems, and business processes. Information systems typically include an ICT component but are not purely concerned with ICT, focusing instead on the end-use of information technology. Information systems are also different from business processes. Information systems help to control the performance of business processes.[17]
Alter[18][19] argues that viewing an information system as a special type of work system has its advantages. A work system is a system in which humans or machines perform processes and activities using resources to produce specific products or services for customers. An information system is a work system in which activities are devoted to capturing, transmitting, storing, retrieving, manipulating and displaying information.[20]
As such, information systems inter-relate with data systems on the one hand and activity systems on the other.[21] An information system is a form of communication system in which data represent and are processed as a form of social memory. An information system can also be considered a semi-formal language which supports human decision making and action.
Information systems are the primary focus of study for organizational informatics.[22]
^D'Atri A., De Marco M., Casalino N. (2008). "Interdisciplinary Aspects of Information Systems Studies", Physica-Verlag, Springer, Germany, pp. 1–416, doi:10.1007/978-3-7908-2010-2ISBN978-3-7908-2009-6
^"SEI Report, "Glossary"". Archived from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved 2013-04-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Kroenke, D M. (2008). Experiencing MIS. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ
^O'Brien, J A. (2003). Introduction to information systems: essentials for the e-business enterprise. McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA