RES-KELM fusion model based on non-iterative deterministic learning classifier for classification of Covid19 chest X-ray images

In this research, a novel real time approach has been proposed for detection and analysis of Covid19 using chest X-ray images based on a non-iterative deterministic classifier, kernel extreme learning machine (KELM), and a pretrained network ResNet50. The information extraction capability of deep learning and non-iterative deterministic training nature of KELM has been incorporated in the proposed novel fusion model. The binary classification is carried out with a non-iterative deterministic learning based classifier, KELM. Our proposed approach is able to minimize the average testing error up to 2.76 on first dataset, and up to 0.79 on the second one, demonstrating its effectiveness after experimental confirmation. A comparative analysis of the approach with other existing state-of-the-art methods is also presented in this research and the classification performance confirm the advantages and superiority of our novel approach called RES-KELM algorithm.

The stochastic evolutionary game analysis of public prevention and control strategies in public health emergencies

PurposeThe COVID-19 epidemic is still spreading globally and will not be completely over in a short time. Wearing a mask is an effective means to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, whether the public wear a mask for epidemic prevention and control will be affected by stochastic factors such as vaccination, cultural differences and irrational emotions, which bring a high degree of uncertainty to the prevention and control of the epidemic. The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the epidemic prevention and control strategies of the public in an uncertain environment.Design/methodology/approachBased on the stochastic evolutionary game model of the Moran process, the study discusses the epidemic prevention and control strategies of the public under the conditions of the dominance of stochastic factors, expected benefits and super-expected benefits.FindingsThe research shows that the strategic evolution of the public mainly depends on stochastic factors, cost-benefit and the number of the public. When the stochastic factors are dominant, the greater the perceived benefit, the lower the cost and the greater the penalty for not wearing masks, the public will choose to wear a mask. Under the dominance of expected benefits and super-expected benefits, when the number of the public is greater than a certain threshold, the mask-wearing strategy will become an evolutionary stable strategy. From the evolutionary process, the government's punishment measures will slow down the speed of the public choosing the strategy of not wearing masks. The speed of the public evolving to the stable strategy under the dominance of super-expected benefits is faster than that under the dominance of expected benefits.Practical implicationsThe study considers the impact of stochastic factors on public prevention and control strategies and provides decision-making support and theoretical guidance for the scientific prevention of the normalized public.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, no research has considered the impact of different stochastic interference intensities on public prevention and control strategies. Therefore, this paper can be seen as a valuable resource in this field.

The value of probabilistic forecasting in emergency medical resource planning under uncertainty

PurposeMost epidemic transmission forecasting methods can only provide deterministic outputs. This study aims to show that probabilistic forecasting, in contrast, is suitable for stochastic demand modeling and emergency medical resource planning under uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachTwo probabilistic forecasting methods, i.e. quantile regression convolutional neural network and kernel density estimation, are combined to provide the conditional quantiles and conditional densities of infected populations. The value of probabilistic forecasting in improving decision performances and controlling decision risks is investigated by an empirical study on the emergency medical resource planning for the COVID-19 pandemic.FindingsThe managerial implications obtained from the empirical results include (1) the optimization models using the conditional quantile or the point forecasting result obtain better results than those using the conditional density;(2) for sufficient resources, decision-makers' risk preferences can be incorporated to make tradeoffs between the possible surpluses and shortages of resources in the emergency medical resource planning at different quantile levels;and (3) for scarce resources, the differences in emergency medical resource planning at different quantile levels greatly decrease or disappear because of the existing of forecasting errors and supply quantity constraints.Originality/valueVery few studies concern probabilistic epidemic transmission forecasting methods, and this is the first attempt to incorporate deep learning methods into a two-phase framework for data-driven emergency medical resource planning under uncertainty. Moreover, the findings from the empirical results are valuable to select a suitable forecasting method and design an efficient emergency medical resource plan.

Does social media usage boost career prospects of women: an exploratory study in the academia

PurposeThis paper draws on the affordance perspective, to explore the social media (SM) usage experiences that might render valuable for academic women professionals, for knowledge exchange, networking and success. Owing to the increased SM usage during COVID-19 pandemic, this paper tries to find out that in what ways do SM affordances facilitate the underprivileged group of women professionals to grow in their careers in a masculine, conservative society through knowledge exchange.Design/methodology/approachBy utilizing qualitative study design, the authors collected data from 31 women employed in Pakistani universities, through unstructured questionnaires. The responses were analyzed through Nvivo.FindingsThe generated themes suggested that women in Pakistan are aware of SM's potential for knowledge exchange among fellow professionals. They use it to aid them in communication, collaboration and networking. Additionally, they utilize it to share knowledge and build networks that are vital for career progression and success.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper concludes with the implications for practitioners that would aid them in boosting career prospects for women academicians through SM usage in a developing country Pakistan;where women's career outlooks are not as promising as for men;or as bright as for women working in the developed economies.Originality/valueThis a unique attempt to explore knowledge exchange dimensions with the help of SM in the context of working women by the deploying the phenomenological approach.

Antecedents and consequences of telecommuting on public organizations in Iran: the case of west Azerbaijan province

PurposeTelecommuting can reduce traffic congestion, energy consumption, prevalence and a death toll of COVID-19 among employees due to less transportation and fewer physical contacts among employees, on the one hand, and efficiently develop their use of information and communications technology, on the other hand. In this regard, the present study aims to explore antecedents and consequences of telecommuting in public organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a descriptive survey method to collect data. The statistical population includes all employees of government organizations in West Azerbaijan province in 2020, which according to the collected information, their number is equal to 63,079 employees. Based on Cochran's formula, a sample size of 686 people was obtained;stratified random sampling was used to select sampling. The process of calculating the sample volume was such that after referring to the preliminary sample and processing the collected data, the variance of the given answers was approximately 0.446. After obtaining the variance of the data, assuming a maximum acceptable error of 5% and a significance level of 0.05, the Cochran's formula calculated the sample size to be 686 people. In order to collect and measure data for the study, a standard questionnaire and the collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsFindings indicate that there is no meaningful relationship between the employees' physical job conditions or the quality of their life with telecommuting and that telecommuting does not have a significant effect on their life. However, job burnout, training and telecommuting experience have a significant positive effect on telecommuting, which in turn has a positive and significant effect on job security, job flexibility, organizational performance and overall productivity of employees.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is a cross-sectional study, and its data have been collected in a certain period of time, while longitudinal research can provide a richer result. Future research can benefit from the impact of employee isolation and telecommuter organizational commitment.Originality/valueThis study hopes to contribute to the increase of the scientific knowledge in the telecommuting field and to allow organizations to rethink the telecommuting strategies to optimize resources and costs and to improve the organization's productivity without harming the quality of life and well-being of their workers.

The complex evolution of information quality improvement in competitive market

Information is important market resource. High-quality information is beneficial to increase enterprise's reputation and reduce consumer's verification cost. This paper constructs a two-layer dynamic model, in which enterprises simultaneously conduct price and information game. The goal of profit maximization integrates two types of games into one system. The complex evolution of the two-layer system are studied by equilibrium analysis, stability analysis, bifurcation diagram, entropy and Lyapunov exponent. It is found that improving the information quality through regulations will increase involution and reduce stability of the market. Then, the block chain technology is introduced into the model for improving information quality of the market. It is found that increasing enterprises' willingness to adopt block chain can improve the information quality quickly and effectively, and that is verified by entropy value. Therefore, the application and promotion of new technologies are more effective than exogenous regulations for improving information quality in market.

Emergency plan selection for epidemic prevention and control based on cumulative prospect theory and hybrid-information MADM

PurposeDecision-making problems in emergency plan selection for epidemic prevention and control (EPAC) are generally characterized by risky and uncertainty due to multiple possible emergency states and vagueness of decision information. In the process of emergency plan selection for EPAC, it is necessary to consider several obvious features, i.e. different states of epidemics, dynamic evolvement process of epidemics and decision-makers' (DMs') psychological factors such as risk preference and loss aversion.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a novel decision-making method based on cumulative prospect theory (CPT) is proposed to solve emergency plan selection of an epidemic problem, which is generally regarded as hybrid-information multi-attribute decision-making (HI-MADM) problems in major epidemics. Initially, considering the psychological factors of DMs, the expectations of DMs are chosen as reference points to normalize the expectation vectors and decision information with three different formats. Subsequently, the matrix of gains and losses is established according to the reference points. Furthermore, the prospect value of each alternative is obtained and the comprehensive prospect values of alternatives under different states are calculated. Accordingly, the ranking of alternatives can be obtained.FindingsThe validity and robustness of the proposed method are demonstrated by a case calculation of emergency plan selection. Meanwhile, sensitivity analysis and comparison analysis with fuzzy similarity to ideal solution (FTOPSIS) method and TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for interactive and MADM) method illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.Originality/valueAn emergency plan selection method is proposed for EPAC based on CPT, taking into account the psychological factors of DMs.HighlightsThis paper proposes a new CPT-based EDM method for EPAC under a major epidemic considering the psychological factorsof DMs, such as risk preference, loss aversion and so on.The authors' work gives approaches of normalization, comparison and distance measurement for dealing with the integration of three hybrid formats of attributes.This article gives some guidance, which contributes to solve the problems of risk-based hybrid multi-attribute EDM.The authors illustrate the advantages of the proposed method by a sensitivity analysis and comparison analysis with existing FTOPSIS method and TODIM method.

State of the Art of Mobile Learning in Jordanian Higher Education: An Empirical Study

A new approach to learning is mobile learning (m-learning), which makes use of special features of mobile devices in the education sector. M-learning is becoming increasingly common in higher education institutions all around the world. The use of mobile devices for education and learning has also gained popularity in Jordan. Unlike studies about Jordan, there are many studies that thoroughly analyze the situation of m-learning in other countries. Thus, it is important to understand the current situation of m-learning at Jordanian universities, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there have been some studies conducted prior to COVID-19 and a few studies after COVID-19, there is a need for a comprehensive study that provides an in-depth exploration of the current situation, student adoption, benefits, disadvantages, and challenges, particularly following COVID-19. Therefore, this study utilizes a sequential exploratory mixed research method to investigate the current state of the art of m-learning in Jordanian higher education with a particular focus on student adoption, benefits, disadvantages, and challenges. Firstly, the study explores the existing literature on m-learning and conducts 15 interviews with educators and learners in three Jordanian universities to gain insights into their experiences with m-learning. The study then distributes a survey to students at four Jordanian universities, representing both public and private universities, to generalize the results from the qualitative study. Additionally, the study investigates the relationship between student enrollment in public/private universities and the adoption of m-learning. The study came to the conclusion that students have a positive opinion of m-learning and are also willing to use it. However, there are a number of disadvantages and challenges to its adoption. Additionally, there is a relationship between student enrolment in public/private universities and the adoption of m-learning. These findings have important implications for institutions that want to incorporate m-learning into their undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as they aid decision-makers in these universities in creating frameworks that may be able to meet the needs of m-learning.

Developing an agent-based model to minimize spreading of malicious information in dynamic social networks.

This research introduces a systematic and multidisciplinary agent-based model to interpret and simplify the dynamic actions of the users and communities in an evolutionary online (offline) social network. The organizational cybernetics approach is used to control/monitor the malicious information spread between communities. The stochastic one-median problem minimizes the agent response time and eliminates the information spread across the online (offline) environment. The performance of these methods was measured against a Twitter network related to an armed protest demonstration against the COVID-19 lockdown in Michigan state in May 2020. The proposed model demonstrated the dynamicity of the network, enhanced the agent level performance, minimized the malicious information spread, and measured the response to the second stochastic information spread in the network.

From Digital Economy to Global Economy—A Cybernetics Approach

The Digital Economy is a new form of economy that has grown rapidly in recent years, becoming a real oxymoron for more and more specialists. In this research, we aimed to make a systematic review of the existing literature in the field, to present the differences between digitization, digitalization and digital transformation and to define the Global Economy as a Cybernetic System in the Digital Age. Moreover, we will investigate what the role of the COVID-19 pandemic was in accelerating the digitalization of the Digital Economy and what the future post-COVID-19 actions of digital transformation could be. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Risk measurement in Bitcoin market by fusing LSTM with the joint-regression-combined forecasting model

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to better measure the risks and volatility of the Bitcoin market by using the proposed novel risk measurement model.Design/methodology/approachThe joint regression analysis of value at risk (VaR) and expected shortfall (ES) can effectively overcome the non-elicitability problem of ES to better measure the risks and volatility of financial markets. And because of the incomparable advantages of the long- and short-term memory (LSTM) model in processing non-linear time series, the paper embeds LSTM into the joint regression combined forecasting framework of VaR and ES, constructs a joint regression combined forecasting model based on LSTM for jointly measuring VaR and ES, i.e. the LSTM-joint-combined (LSTM-J-C) model, and uses it to investigate the risks of the Bitcoin market.FindingsEmpirical results show that the proposed LSTM-J-C model can improve forecasting performance of VaR and ES in the Bitcoin market more effectively compared with the historical simulation, the GARCH model and the joint regression combined forecasting model.Social implicationsThe proposed LSTM-J-C model can provide theoretical support and practical guidance to cryptocurrency market investors, policy makers and regulatory agencies for measuring and controlling cryptocurrency market risks.Originality/valueA novel risk measurement model, namely LSTM-J-C model, is proposed to jointly estimate VaR and ES of Bitcoin. On the other hand, the proposed LSTM-J-C model provides risk managers more accurate forecasts of volatility in the Bitcoin market.

Ecopsychoanalysis and climate psychology

Climate change and the ecological crisis in general are increasingly recognized as perhaps the single biggest threat to have faced our species, but existing approaches largely constitute an 'ecology without psychology'. This chapters gives an overview of the development of ecopsychoanalysis, a new transdisciplinary approach to thinking about the relationship between psychoanalysis, ecology, 'the natural' and the problem of climate change, as well as viral pandemics such as COVID-19. It draws on a range of Felds including, psychoanalysis, psychology, ecology, philosophy, science, complexity theory, aesthetics and the humanities. To do this, it is important to identify the different developmental lines and research traditions out of which ecopsychoanalysis is emerging. These include psychoanalysis first and foremost, but also ecopsychology and ecological thinking more generally;cybernetics and systems theory beginning with Gregory Bateson;complexity theory and nonlinear dynamics;philosophical approaches to nature from deep ecology to post-nature and the new materialisms;postmodern and posthuman understandings of animality, human and nonhuman;the work of the Climate Psychology Alliance;and the geophilosophy of Deleuze and Guattari. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Predictors of third-person perceptions about media's influence on vaccination against COVID-19

PurposeThe present study aims to unveil the main predictors of perceived media influence (the third-person effect (TPE)) on people's opinions towards COVID-19 vaccination. While the TPE has been researched before in medical contexts, predictors of TPE on the topic of vaccination against COVID-19 are understudied.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a national survey using an online panel (N = 945) representative for the online population of Romania aged 18 or higher;data were collected during 1–9 April 2021.FindingsResults indicate that people perceive both close and distant others to be more influenced by media information related to COVID-19 vaccination topics. TPE perception is correlated with belief in conspiracy theories about vaccines/vaccination, perceived incidence of fake news about COVID-19 vaccines/vaccination, perceived usefulness of social networking sites and critical thinking.Originality/valueResults from this study might explain the success rate of some communication strategies employed with the help of the media. Key findings could be used as starting points for understanding the profile of those who underestimate the media's impact on themselves with respect to COVID-19 immunization and for designing more successful media strategies.

The rise of cybernetic citizenship

The global COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates how states and companies mobilise new sociotechnical systems to track, trace, evaluate, and modulate the behaviour of citizens. This development illustrates an already-existing transformation of citizenship governance, which this article captures as the move to ‘cybernetic citizenship'. First, the article explores the concept of cybernetic citizenship, providing an overview of the concepts of ‘cybernetic' and ‘citizenship' and synthesising these in a discussion of the cybernetic modulation of citizenship. Second, it presents the rise of cybernetic citizenship in the urban realm, zooming in on the case of the Chinese social credit system and the way it affects civic life in the urban realm. Third, it turns into the normative implications of cybernetic citizenship, arguing that it confronts the idea of citizens as equal, free, and vigilant. It challenges equality by turning rights into ends, freedom by turning status into process, and civic virtue by turning excellence into effectiveness.

Analysis of the socioeconomic barriers in implementing public health measures to contain COVID-19 transmission in Pakistan: a DELPHI–DEMATEL-based approach

PurposeThe present study aims to identify and evaluate the socioeconomic barriers to effective COVID-19 pandemic transmission control in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThe study identifies multiple socio-economic barriers through an extensive literature review. The preliminary analysis unveiled 15 socio-economic barriers. Nine experts were contacted to collect data and finalize the most prominent barriers to COVID-19 transmission control using the DELPHI method. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used to process and interpret the data collected and a cause–effect relationship was established among the barriers.FindingsThe finalized barriers to effective COVID-19 pandemic transmission control were evaluated using DEMATEL which grouped criteria into two grouped criteria – cause and effect. The DEMATEL analysis shows that poor safety culture, lack of strategy and goal setting, lack of resources, late realization and recognition of the pandemic problem and lack of expertise and capacity in disaster and risk management fall into the cause group. These factors are critical as they directly affect the remaining barriers identified in the study.Originality/valueDespite the collective global efforts, the national economies have been struggling to completely control COVID-19 transmission control. Pakistan's economy has been facing the third wave of the pandemic. It is mandatory to identify the barriers and evaluate them to develop a comprehensive strategy ensuring that there would be no fourth wave. The study identifies and evaluates the barriers to COVID-19 transmission control in Pakistan using the integrated DELPHI-DEMATEL framework. The findings would help the government, experts and strategists to develop a comprehensive disaster and risk management strategy.

Socioeconomic spillovers of COVID-19: case of Saudi Arabia

PurposeWith the global outbreak of COVID-19 that has made the economic activities standstill, countries have taken immediate measures to safeguard not only the human lives but also the economies. This study investigates empirically the lockdown impact of current pandemic on the Saudi economy.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs inoperability input–output model (IIOM) on the input–output table (IOT) of Saudi Arabia for the analysis.FindingsFindings show that with the closure of few sectors for the period of two months, the GDP declined to 6.49%. Findings also show a negative impact on consumption, investments and exports.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation of current study is that it uses IOTs which lack primary and secondary income distribution that is vital for presenting complete interindustry connections in the analysis. The interindustry structures relate to the consumption structures which ultimately lead to the income distribution and affect the consumption behaviors of economic agents. Hence, the complete income circular flow is not incorporated in IIOM using IOT. The findings of current study would be well grounded if it endogenized the primary and secondary income distribution.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of this study is the use of IIOM for anticipating the potential loss against the backdrop of catastrophes and pandemics. The IIOM has the capability to predict the economic effects of disruptive events and hence the policy-makers can better predict and devise prudent policies to avoid the likely threats to the economy.Originality/valueThe current situation is unprecedented, and it is challenging for governments to forecast the economic repercussions. Several economic sectors have been inoperative due to lockdown implemented by the governments. This study empirically estimated the inoperability produced by the current pandemic. The findings are consistent with other estimated statistics, thereby proving the efficacy of IIOM to anticipate the economic repercussions of natural hazards.

A Prime Minister's Register of Governance Sins: Using Cybernetic Leadership Levers to Study and MaximizeCommand Effectiveness and Helm Longevity

According to conventional wisdom, one of the main reasons for the spectacular failure of former British Prime Minister Liz Truss during her extremely short stint in the top job was her allegedly radical and obstinate "Brexit ideology." However, this off-the-cuff explanation misses the point since it lacks a solid theoretical base and reliable evidence. Instead, using state-of-the-art scientific concepts-especially the new "cybernetic leadership levers" framework-and sound empirical methods, it is possible to pinpoint the real objective causes for stunning derailment at the top, as witnessed in the case of Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the United Kingdom. Viewed in comparative perspective, the striking difference between her failed approach towards governing and the successful, transformational and sustainable leadership methods used by the Russian Federation's president, Vladimir Putin, coupled with his concomitant significantly longer political life, serves as a vivid illustration of the four key factors contributing to effective "helm longevity."

"Society must be controlled” "Green Pass” and the experiment of a society of control in Italy

Purpose: The introduction in Italy in July 2021 of the "COVID-19 Green Certification”, known as the "Green Pass”, was a particularly important moment in the political and social history of the country. While its use for health reasons is debatable both logically and scientifically, its effects should be measured at the general sociological level. The "Green Pass” allowed Italian social life to be shaped according to a social and political profile that can be traced back to a "society of control”. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issue. Design/methodology/approach: This paper, of a theoretical nature, intends to verify such an interpretation through a critical survey of Gilles Deleuze's well-known Post-scriptum sur les sociétés de contrôle (1990) and relating the theories to it from cybernetic science, sociology of social systems and the continental philosophy, specifically Michel Foucault. After a short introduction on the history of the instrument's introduction, the paper, divided into parts reflecting the set-up of Deleuze's text, examines the systemic social effects of the "Green Pass” with regard to its logic, and concludes with a reflection on the program of the instrument's future developments. Findings: The "Green Pass” put into practice a model of a society of control as anticipated by Deleuze, verified with particular reference to some instances of Luhmann's theory of social systems, and in the perspective of a Foucault's "normalizing society” in the process of definition and affirmation. Social implications: The "Green Pass” has been a controversial tool that has caused forms of social discrimination and exclusion and has seriously questioned the architecture of the rule of law. The conceptual paper tries to reflect on the premises and implications of this instrument. Originality/value: The approach to the problem both in a critical key and according to concepts and theories of the sociology of social systems, cybernetics and continental philosophy. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

'Anarchist technologies': Anarchism, cybernetics and mutual aid in community responses to the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic that gripped the world since the end of 2019 has been felt most immediately both as a health crisis and an economic, social and political crisis. Secondary impacts of social distancing and lockdown in many countries have put strains on people's capacities to provide essential food and medicines for themselves and their families. In response, outside of centralised government and voluntary sector frameworks, local mutual aid groups have emerged around the world as a primary site of community resilience. Given mutual aid's strong links to the anarchist political tradition, for example in its identification by Kropotkin as a factor in evolution, this article suggests that these new mutual aid groups can be understood best through the related concept of self-organisation. Tying anarchist approaches to mutual aid and self-organisation together, it is argued that cybernetics and Stafford Beer's Viable System Model (VSM) offer useful tools in helping both academic analysis and on-the-ground practice assess and improve the effectiveness of mutual aid in and beyond the COVID-19 crisis. The article offers a qualitative thematic analysis of anarchist and related texts published during the pandemic that reflect on mutual aid practice. In doing so, it highlights some of the challenges and tensions such self-organised mutual aid practice might face and proposes a participatory research agenda drawing on Beer's VSM.

Part two: the challenges of a soft systems inquiry. Integrating Husserl and Gadamer

PurposeThis study aims to explore the ideas of Husserl and Gadamer as a possible basis of future soft systems methods of enquiry.Design/methodology/approachIn Part one, the author has taken up the argument that soft systems is underpinned by Husserl's phenomenology. The implication of this contention is an acceptance of subjectivity, and that our understanding the world is based upon personal experience. A consequence of this thinking renders predetermined models of the world to be deficient because each situation is unique. Instead of seeking a "solution”, the soft systems investigator engenders a cycle of learning as a means of gaining greater understanding. This means that a soft systems inquiry involves exploring the situation with those involved as a means of reaching an informed way forward. In this second paper, the author continues to explore Husserl's phenomenology and also consider Gadamer's ideas on hermeneutics and the importance of the "cycle of learning” that is central to any soft systems inquiry. The study concludes with a summary of points that, the author suggests, should be considered when undertaking a "soft” systems inquiry and in the development of any methodology that may enable it.FindingsBoth papers explore the phenomenological ideas of Husserl and the relationship to soft systems. In paper one, the basis of this exploration was Checkland's assertion that phenomenology could be the basis of soft systems. In the second paper, the author takes this further by exploring Gadamer's ideas on hermeneutics and reflect upon the possibility of blending them with Husserl's thinking.Research limitations/implicationsI had some difficulty in tracking down the published work relating to the development of soft systems, notably the Journal of Applied Systems Analysis. This journal was published by Lancaster University and covered more than 20 years of debate and provides an important record of its development. The author managed to find what might be the only compete set at the University of Southampton. This allowed the author to gain some understanding of the development of the thinking. Since the late 20th century, the number of publications on soft ideas has been severely limited, seemingly reflecting the dominance of reductionist science. It seems timely for such a paper as this to help initiate further debate.Practical implicationsAs indicated above – the difficulty is finding early journal publications where the ideas and their relationship to the action research programme emerged. Checkland himself, with whom the author has always enjoyed a close relationship, has, at the age of 90, withdrawn from academic activity;the early papers in the Journal of Applied Systems Analysis are probably the only "evidence” of the developing ideas at that time. Checkland has summarised the development (see references in the author's two papers), but these early documents have the advantage of being written by a variety of scholars at the time rather than a single source.Social implicationsThe current crisis of the corona virus demonstrates the strength and the limitations of reductionist thinking. It is appropriate at this time that other methods and ideas of thinking about complexity are "visible”. Whilst there are many ideas, techniques, methods and so on in systems, these come from a common base, namely, to accept a world as tangible and easily modelled;adopting and alternative way of thinking can be challenging and healthy.Originality/valueSoft systems thinking is 50 years old, but there has been virtually no progress since the soft systems methodology (SSM) emerged of Husserl and Gadamer in the 1970-1990s;such is the dominance of this methodology. This paper attempts to revisit the early thinking and consider what soft systems thinking means rather than focus on SSM.