THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF AN ELECTION CANDIDATE SUPPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM _________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Faculty of the Department of Computer Science University of San Carlos Cebu City, Philippines _________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY _________________________ by Ruselo Riva Asentista March 2011 1 Approval Sheet This thesis entitled THE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF AN ELECTION CANDIDATE SUPPORT INFORMATION SYSTEM prepared and submitted by RUSELO RIVA I. ASENTISTA in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY has been examined and is recommended for acceptance and approval for ORAL EXAMINATION. THESIS COMMITTEE Rene Argenal, M.S. Adviser Jacqueline Yara, M.S. Rosana Ferolin, M.S. Member Member Ricardo Pardillo, M.B.A. Member PANEL OF ORAL EXAMINERS Approved by the Committee of Oral Examination with the grade of PASSED. Rene Argenal, M.S. Adviser Jacqueline Yara, M.S. Rosana Ferolin, M.S. Member Member Ricardo Pardillo, M.B.A. Member Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. Comprehensive Examination PASSED: November 26-27, 2009 RAMON S. DEL FIERRO, Ph.D. Dean, College of Arts and Sciences February 10, 2011 Date of Oral Examination i Abstract This research explores the various theoretical foundations in the development and usage of an Election Candidate Support Information Systems. By following the steps in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), it is performed using first-hand exploration which uncovered previously unnoticed or underemphasized relationships and subdivisions among theoretical foundations. This is a response to a research gap in the Information Technology (I.T.) field where there is a general lack of foundational studies because of the pressures from the software crisis. A descriptive research design is utilized in this study. The research population is the municipal level election candidates of Dumanjug - a fourth class municipality of Cebu. The research instruments include guided interviews, focus group discussions, and expert validation. In the course of the exploration, the researcher uncovers and describes previously unnoticed or underemphasized relationships in the theoretical foundations such as “Normalization vs. Object-Orientation”, “Inheritance Vs. Composition”, and “Event-Driven Vs. Procedural Object Oriented Programming”. i Acknowledgements It is an honor for me to have worked with several dedicated people to make this research a reality. To my adviser, Mr. Rene Argenal, I’m grateful for your insights regarding content and structure of this research. Without your foresight and guidance, this research would not have been completed. To the members of my panel, Mrs. Jacqueline Yara, Mrs. Rosanna Ferolin and Mr. Ricardo Pardillo, I’m grateful for the all the constructive advice and patience that went into the numerous revisions of my draft documentations. To my respondents, I’m grateful for your time in answering my questionnaires and responding to my interviews. To the experts, I’m grateful for the time and knowledge that you shared in contribution to the development of this research. To the USC librarians, I’m grateful for providing me with enough resources for this thesis especially the online databases where I found world-class research papers that have been my inspirations in the world of Information Technology. To the graduate faculty of Computer Science, I’m grateful for knowledge that was shared to me throughout my stay as an MSIT student. My days as an MSIT student have been one of the most enlightening and most memorable days of my life. To my colleagues and mentors in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department, I’m grateful for the times that we shared in the pursuit of knowledge. To my mentors in the Political Science Department, I’m grateful for the attitude and the perspective that has guided me through tough times. To my family, I’m grateful for all the financial, emotional and social support that I received throughout the development of this research. ii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE ................................................................................ 1 Rationale of the Study ..................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 4 Specific objectives ....................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Limitations ..................................................................................................... 5 Significance of the Study ................................................................................................ 6 Theoretical Background .................................................................................................. 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 7 Research for Theoretical Foundations of Information Systems .................................. 7 Information Systems .................................................................................................. 11 I.T. Standardization ................................................................................................... 14 Political Systems Theories: An Alternative Perspective ........................................... 17 I.T. Methodologies .................................................................................................... 18 Review of Related Studies ............................................................................................ 27 Research Methodology .................................................................................................. 31 Research Instruments ................................................................................................. 31 Research Respondents ............................................................................................... 32 Research Environment ............................................................................................... 32 Research Procedures .................................................................................................. 33 Definition of Terms........................................................................................................................ 34 Organization of the Study .............................................................................................................. 35 CHAPTER 2 PRESENTATION OF DATA ........................................................................................ 36 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 36 iii I.T. Orientation Model .................................................................................................. 37 Routine and Decision Making Activities ...................................................................... 41 Technical Framework .................................................................................................... 45 Logical Design ........................................................................................................... 47 Physical Design ......................................................................................................... 58 Test Design ................................................................................................................ 72 SDLC Summary ............................................................................................................................. 85 Descriptions on the Theoretical Foundations ................................................................................. 93 Decision Point: Normalization vs. Object Orientation .................................................. 93 Decision Point: Composition vs. Inheritance ................................................................ 96 Proposition: Transformative Decomposition ................................................................ 98 Proposition: Decoupling through Realistic Relationships ............................................ 99 Proposition: Non Transaction-Based MIS Component ............................................... 101 Proposition: Non-MIS based Decision Support Information Systems........................ 103 Proposition: Flow-based Structured Programming ..................................................... 104 Decision Point: Event-driven vs. Procedural Object Orientation ............................... 107 Proposition: Model-View-Controller Design Pattern ................................................