This paper is an examination of what constitutes “Systems Science.” Warfield has developed a set of four categories which he proposes as inclusive of the subject. 1) Description of complex situations, 2) Design of solutions or improvements for complex situations, 3) The nature of Complexity, so that practitioners of his work can better understand what they are doing, 4) Methods for taking Action to apply solutions or improvements for complex situations. After a discussion of these four categories, the manuscript concludes with the presentation of a topically subdivided reference section, giving titles of about a hundred significant papers and books in a dozen separate subject areas. See notes section for list of topical subdivisions. This is the original manuscript version of a work later published under the title “A Proposal for Systems Science.” See also, “Original Manuscript for "A Proposal for Systems Science" and “A Proposal for Systems Science (published version)”

Handwritten notes by Warfield during this consulting trip to Ford Motor Company in Dearborn Michigan 19-21 October1998. Includes information on airline schedules, names of persons he contacted at Ford and notes on an ISM session which was run at that time. Occurred during the final part of a two-week program on how to reduce the number of standardized manufacturing platforms used for Ford vehicles.

An itemized list (identification) of 97 attributes, with page numbers given for each. Part of failed project initiative at Ford Motor Company called Direct Engineering. See also companion document “Field Representation of Factors Affecting Innovation in Ford: The Case of Direct Engineering.”

One of 32 Ford Reports.

Warfield argues that “The ability for humans to view GRAPHICS DISPLAYS will replace the formerly needed ability to understand [differential equations]." His viewpoint on complexity, which he calls the “
“Structuring View,” is based on a formalism which will allow complex ideas to be learned by laymen. This means that a knowledge of difficult advanced mathematical skills is no longer a basic necessity for dealing with complexity.

Report from Warfield’s first exploratory trip to Ghana in 1989. Recommended three things: 1) Ask the Koreans how they had accomplished the change from a communistic society to a successful capitalist system 2) Try to develop a pharmaceutical industry, working from the strong knowledge of herbal remedies already possessed by Ghanaians 3) Try to establish a contract research establishment in which scientific consultants from universities would be paid by Ghanaian industrial and agricultural enterprises for doing research and consulting to bring the commercial development of the country into the 20th century. Recommendations presented to Board of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Accra, on 18 January 1989. See also, “Project & Funding Proposals for Development of Technology Transfer Centre. Report to Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Accra, Ghana.”

A review of work done at Battelle Institute's Academy of Contemporary Problems to develop and disseminate Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and its associated methodologies. Includes lists of persons associated with this effort, organizations and persons who requested and received information on the process, and ISM exercises held at Battelle during 1974. Problems of complexity are addressed by use of a set of methods consciously employed to help generate and structure ideas.

A Table of Contents for Warfield's intended workshop course on Mathematics of Modeling. See also, “Composite Index (part of Mathematics of Modeling), “Foundations of Thought. Pages 5-39 of Notebook #1 prepared for Mathematics of Modeling Workshop” and “The Mathematics of Modeling-Partial Draft.”

An analysis of management system known as “Direct Engineering.” Consists primarily of a three-page table (a Field Representation). Composed as a review of a Ford Motor Company report “Direct Engineering /University of Michigan Innovation Decision-Making Study.” See also, “Ford Motor Attributes Re Innovation.”

Information on Warfield’s books A Science of Generic Design, 2 ed., A Handbook of Interactive Management and Societal Systems: Planning, Policy and Complexity. Includes details on copyright ownership, name of original publisher, out-of-print status, current availability to buyers, synopsis of book, academic usage, types of manuscript or computer files and other materials available.