bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Schaffer v. Weast
Authors: Conroy Terrye , Yell Mitchell L. , Katsiyannis Antonis
Published: March 2008

On November 14, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in Schaffer v. Weast. This special education decision concerned which party bears the burden of persuasion when parents challenge a school district's Individualized Education Program (IEP) in a due process hearing. In this article, we define burden of persuasion and explain its application in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)–related cases prior to Schaffer; we discuss the relevant history of the case; we summarize the facts and analyze the reasoning of the majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions in the Supreme Court's decision; and we address the implications of the Schaffer decision for special educators and for the parents and children served by the IDEA.
Electrical Silencing of PDF Neurons Advances the Phase of non-PDF Clock Neurons in Drosophila
Authors: Wu Ying , Cao Guan , Nitabach Michael N.
Published: March 2008

Drosophila clock neurons exhibit self-sustaining cellular oscillations that rely in part on rhythmic transcriptional feedback loops. We have previously determined that electrical silencing of the pigment dispersing factor (PDF)-expressing lateral-ventral (LNV) pacemaker subset of fly clock neurons via expression of an inward-rectifier K+ channel (Kir2.1) severely disrupts free-running rhythms of locomotor activity—most flies are arrhythmic and those that are not exhibit weak short-period rhythms—and abolishes LNV molecular oscillation in constant darkness. PDF is known to be an important LNV output signal. Here we examine the effects of electrical silencing of the LNV pacemakers on molecular rhythms in other, nonsilenced, subsets of clock neurons. In contrast to previously described cell-autonomous abolition of free-running molecular rhythms, we find that electrical silencing of the LNV pacemakers via Kir2.1 expression does not impair molecular rhythms in LND, DN1, and DN2 subsets of clock neurons. However, free-running molecular rhythms in these non-LNV clock neurons occur with advanced phase. Electrical silencing of LNVs phenocopies PDF null mutation ( pdf 01 ) at both behavioral and molecular levels except for the complete abolition of free-running cellular oscillation in the LNVs themselves. LNV electrically silenced or pdf 01 flies exhibit weak free-running behavioral rhythms with short period, and the molecular oscillation in non-LNV neurons phase advances in constant darkness. That LN V electrical silencing leads to the same behavioral and non-LN V molecular phenotypes as pdf 01 suggests that persistence of LNV molecular oscillation in pdf 01 flies has no functional effect, either on behavioral rhythms or on non-LNV molecular rhythms. We thus conclude that functionally relevant signals from LNVs to non-LNV clock neurons and other downstream targets rely both on PDF signaling and LNV electrical activity, and that LN Vs do not ordinarily send functionally relevant signals via PDF-independent mechanisms.
Photoperiodic Induction of Diapause Requires Regulated Transcription of timeless in the Larval Brain of Chymomyza costata
Authors: Stehlík J. , Závodská R. , Shimada K. , Šauman I. , Koštál V.
Published: March 2008

Photoperiodic signal stimulates induction of larval diapause in Chymomyza costata. Larvae of NPD strain ( npd-mutants) do not respond to photoperiod. Our previous results indicated that the locus npd could code for the timeless gene and its product might represent a molecular link between circadian and photoperiodic clock systems. Here we present results of tim mRNA (real time-PCR) and TIM protein (immunohistochemistry) analyses in the larval brain. TIM protein was localized in 2 neurons of each brain hemisphere of the 4-d-old 3rd instar wild-type larvae. In a marked contrast, no TIM neurons were detected in the brain of 4-day-old 3rd instar npd -mutant larvae and the level of tim transcripts was approximately 10-fold lower in the NPD than in the wild-type strain. Daily changes in tim expression and TIM presence appeared to be under photoperiodic control in the wild-type larvae. Clear daily oscillations of tim transcription were observed during the development of 3rd instars under the short-day conditions. Daily oscillations were less apparent under the long-day conditions, where a gradual increase of tim transcript abundance appeared as a prevailing trend. Analysis of the genomic structure of tim gene revealed that npd-mutants carry a 1855 bp-long deletion in the 5′-UTR region. This deletion removed the start of transcription and promoter regulatory motifs E-box and TER-box. The authors hypothesize that this mutation was responsible for dramatic reduction of tim transcription rates, disruption of circadian clock function, and disruption of photoperiodic calendar function in npd-mutant larvae of C. costata.
The Clockwork Orange Drosophila Protein Functions as Both an Activator and a Repressor of Clock Gene Expression
Authors: Richier Benjamin , Michard-Vanhée Christine , Lamouroux Annie , Papin Christian , Rouyer François
Published: March 2008

The Drosophila clock relies on transcriptional feedback loops that generate daily oscillations of the clock gene expression at mRNA and protein levels. In the evening, the CLOCK (CLK) and CYCLE (CYC) basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) PAS-domain transcription factors activate the expression of the period ( per) and timeless ( tim) genes. Posttranslational modifications delay the accumulation of PER and TIM, which inhibit CLK/CYC activity in the late night. We show here that a null mutant of the clockwork orange ( cwo) gene encoding a bHLH orange-domain putative transcription factor displays long-period activity rhythms. cwo loss of function increases cwo mRNA levels but reduces mRNA peak levels of the 4 described CLK/CYC targets, inducing an almost complete loss of their cycling. In addition, the absence of CWO induces alterations of PER and CLK phosphorylation cycles. Our results indicate that, in vivo , CWO modulates clock gene expression through both repressor and activator transcriptional functions.
Extensible Dress
Authors: Palomo-Lovinski Noël
Published: March 2008

The purpose of this article is to explore current trends in the social psychology of clothing, postmodernism, and advancing technologies that suggest a concept of clothing in the future. New technologies in initial stages of development, such as organic light-emitting devices and polymer light-emitting devices, demonstrate the possibility of a soft, wearable digital screen that would project any type of image. If such a device could be perfected, the creative uses could expand dramatically to allow for change and personal manipulation of appearance that our postmodern society craves. A future scenario and set of illustrations present a bodysuit that could be controlled by a microcomputer to project multiple images in a matter of seconds, thereby changing appearances depending on the situation.
Fashion Design for a Projected Future
Authors: Ames Annette
Published: March 2008

Using long-term forecasting techniques, an apparel design problem is developed to explore possible outcomes for a style of fashionable women's clothing in the relatively near future, approximately 10 to 20 years from now. The form of fashion design that exists outside of commercial constraints and is used to create drama on the runway is chosen to provide freedom in aesthetic response to a projected scenario of the future. The runway showpiece is intended to provide inspiration to its designer for designs of more practical, saleable clothing.
The Wonders of Technology
Authors: Boorady Lynn M. , Hawley Jana M.
Published: March 2008

At present, the teaching of patternmaking usually takes place in a lecture-lab setting in which the instructor teaches the steps and students duplicate the work. Patternmaking courses are slowly moving toward an Internet-based format, for which students no longer attend class sessions at a certain time or place. Such innovative ways of providing education have, however, typically been provided through a text-based format. How should visual topics such as patternmaking be dealt with, now and in the future? This article explores the possibilities for use of animation software for teaching patternmaking and projects its use into the future, suggesting immersive virtual reality and holograms as teaching technologies. An examination of current research and application of these technologies and of ways they may play a role in the future of education is presented.
Understanding the Computing System Domain of Advanced Computing with Microcomputers
Authors: Hake Kerry A.
Published: March 2008

This paper provides a general background for social scientists in technology traditionally relegated to computer science and engineering. A systems integration concept provides a framework of understanding for elements of the knowledge domain of advanced microcomputing The systems integration framework is viewed as a series of interrelated building blocks composed of the domain elements. These elements are the processor platform, operating system, display technology mass storage, application software, and human-computer interface. References come from recent articles in popular magazines and journals to help emphasize accessibility of this information, its technical appropriateness for the social scientist, and its transient currency. Keywords. systems integration, microcomputers, advanced computing, workstation technology microcomputing, workstations, advanced technology.
Enhancing Focus Group Validity With Computer-Assisted Technology in Social Science Research
Authors: Javidi Mitch , Long Larry W. , Vasu Michael L. , Ivy Diana K.
Published: March 2008

The use of focus groups as a qualitative research method has received criticism, particularly concerning its lack of predictive validity. However, it has also been lauded for providing rich and in-depth information. This study sought to enhance focus group research results by combining a computer-assisted technology (Continuous Attitudinal Response Technology, CARTtm) and social scientific data collection techniques (national poll) in testing subjects' responses to Proposition 103, an insurance industry regulating initiative.1 Excerpts from television commercials, newscasts, and talk shows constituted the stimuli for focus group subjects. Results from use of the CARTtm system with focus group subjects confirmed those derived from the national poll, regarding the insurance controversy. However, processes inherent in the CARTtm technology allowed for more in-depth analysis and interpretation than the survey technique alone. Keywords: Computer, social science, continuous attitudinal response technology, survey methods, insurance, validity.
The Dynamics of Computerization in a Social Science Research Team: A Case Study of Infrastructure, Strategies, and Skills
Authors: Jewett Tom , Kling Rob
Published: March 2008

This paper examines the dynamics of computerization in a PC-oriented research group through a case study. The time and skill in integrating computing into the labor processes of research are often significant "hidden costs" of computerization. The key role played by computing infrastructure in reducing these costs may be enhanced by careful organization. We illustrate computerization strategies that we have found to be productive and unproductive. Appropriate computerization strategies depend as much on the structuring of resources and interests in the larger social setting as on a techmcal characterization of tasks. Keywords: microcomputing, infrastructure, computer impacts, social impact of computing, training, computing support, computenzation and worklife.
Economic Pedagogy and Microcomputer Software
Authors: Blecha Betty J.
Published: March 2008

The instructional response to microcomputers has been uneven due to two unresolved pedagogical issues surrounding software: (1) we do not know how to use software to integrate and extend the economics curriculum, and (2) we do not know how to structure software instruction to support different ways students learn. To address these issues requires a much clearer link between software design and instructional efficacy and a much better understanding of student learning styles. Keywords: computer-assisted instruction, learning effectiveness, learning styles, microcomputer, software, teaching effectiveness.
Global Mapping/Geographical Reference Software for the Political and Social Sciences
Authors: Mandel Robert
Published: March 2008

This article reviews the major offerings of microcomputer software which have emerged in the growing field of global mapping, which includes fixed electronic atlas software, flexible desktop mapping software, and general education software incorporating maps. The sophisticated analytical capabilities evidenced in these products makes them of increasing value to the university community, particularly in the political and social sciences, as well as to the government and business community. Keywords: mapping, atlas, geography, cartography (computer and microcomputer).
Why Sociological Computing Gets No Respect
Authors: Blank Grant
Published: March 2008

Sociology has not paid much attention to scholars working on new computer-related applications. A central reason is that sociologists doing computer applications have been content to work in peripheral areas and have not focused on applying new computer technology to central problems of the discipline. Particularly little attention has been paid to the development of "killer apps," compelling applications of computer technology that open new areas for empirical and theoretical work, and are so valuable that they overcome the sunk costs that tie researchers to conventional methods. This paper discusses the role of computing in sociology and proposes ways in which computing can become more central. Keywords: sociology, theory, methodology, reward system, killer apps, simulation, Boolean analysis, review articles.
Human Services: Stages and Issues in Teaching Computing
Authors: Schoech Dick
Published: March 2008

A frequent complaint in human services is that practitioners do not use available computing applications. Many suggest that exposure to computing during one's professional training is crucial to later use. This paper discusses what human-service schools are doing to provide students with needed training and exposure to human-service computing. It describes several stages of development for integrating computing content into the curricula of human-service schools and the issues in moving through these stages. It is intended for human-service educators concerned with training future practitioners about computing. Keywords: information technology, human-service computing, technology education.
The Household Registration System: A Database Program Generator for Longitudinal Studies of Households
Authors: MacLeod Bruce , Leon David , Phillips James
Published: March 2008

Efforts to understand social, behavioral, and health characteristics of populations often require longitudinal studies of households Experimental designs, combined with longitudinal monitoring, permit many causal inferences that are not possible with cross-sectional surveys. While such studies retain their conceptual appeal, practical problems often limit their application. Data can be complex to manage, and results can be delayed. This paper presents a description of a microcomputer software system that addresses data management problems associated with longitudinal surveys of households. Using relational logic from household surveillance systems developed for Bangladesh and Indonesia as a model, an automated program generator is proposed that greatly simplifies the task of systems development for a family of applications. The paper reviews features of the database software that make up the output of this system and presents examples that illustrate the flexibility of the software generator.
The Essentials of Scientific Visualization: Basic Tools and an Example
Authors: Follin Steven E.
Published: March 2008

The advent of affordable computer graphics hardware and software has initiated great interest in using this technology for interpreting and displaying multidimensional data. This article discusses the use of computer graphics to display data as objects in three-dimensional space (3-D visualization). Its intent is to help social scientists determme if 3-D visualization may be a useful tool in their work and to provide interested researchers with sufficient information to begin the planning process for a visualization laboratory. This paper describes the basic components of a 3-D visualization system and presents an example: a 3-D visualization of data obtained from a political-science survey. A subsequent essay will present basic visualization techniques and examine commonly encountered production problems. Keywords: scientific visualization, datagraphics, statistical analysis, social science, computer graphics.
Trends in the Use of Computers in Economics Teaching in the United Kingdom
Authors: Judge Guy , Hobbs Phil
Published: March 2008

In considering the development of computer-based economics teaching in the United Kingdom the discussion is organized under three headings: Advances in Computer Technology, focusing on changes in the cost, power, and ease of use in computer systems that have made greater use of computers in teaching possible, Individual and Organizational Initiatives, highlighting some of the individuals and groups as well as official bodies that have promoted the greater use of computer-based teaching in economics; and External Forces for Change, discussing some of the new pressures on teaching institutions to increase student numbers and to recognize vocational needs that point to an increasing need for computer-based teaching in the United Kingdom. We end the paper with some brief conclusions. Keywords. computers, United Kingdom, technological change, economics, instruction, higher education.
Psychology: Keeping Up with the State of the Art in Computing
Authors: Huff Charles
Published: March 2008

A standard complaint of the information age is that it is difficult to keep up with the explosion of publication and activity in the sciences. Even keeping up with the professional literature is difficult, and finding time to keep track of the various advancements in computing is even more so. This short review is intended to serve as a guide to places that might help. It contains a list of conferences, professional associations, journals, software publishers, electronic discussion lists, and electronic archives of software and reviews It also makes some recommendations intended to make these services easier for the professional to find and more complete in their offerings. Keywords: psychology, computers, online information services.
Automating Analysis, Visualization, and Other Social Science Research Tasks
Authors: Carpenter Edwin H.
Published: March 2008

The observation is made in several recent articles that relatively few social scientists are taking advantage of the numerous microcomputer tools that could aid in the accomplishment of social science. At the same time, the increasing degree of automation of software packages that form the computerized toolbox of the social scientists lessens the start-up and use costs of employing the software tools. The task of this paper is to introduce the social scientists to software packages that help manage the computerized desktop, do analysis and visualization, provide data/information storage and retrieval, help with results/document preparation, and allow automation across software packages and to do so in a social science context. Keywords: automation, visualization, computerized research, social science research methods, changing research methods, research process, computerized data analysis, software linkages, graphics, analytical graphics, presentation graphics, charting graphics, data storage, data retrieval.
Challenges to the Data Librarian
Authors: Howe Steven R.
Published: March 2008

Computing advances favorable to the data analyst have fundamentally changed the nature of running a data library. Data librarians struggle apace to keep up with changes in software, storage media, and commumcations in order to provide the assistance needed by users. This article envisions a future, perhaps five years away, when massive amounts of microcomputer storage, wide-area networking, and continued improvements in user interfaces will result in a new equilibrium between user and librarian. Getting from here to there will be difficult. Keywords: data h-brary, data storage, computer, network.
An Object-based Interviewing System
Authors: Tonn Bruce E. , Goeltz Richard , Chiang Tai-Lun
Published: March 2008

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed an object-based interviewing system (OBIS). The key design feature is that each survey question is a function, which is treated as an independent object. The Survey Manager (SM) module maintains a stack of questions and calls each question function when directed. Each question, when called, calls the Interaction Facility (IF) to set up the appropriate screen. This modular approach to automated survey design offers maximum flexibility for system development and maintenance. The software is written in Common LISP and currently runs on Symbolics and VAX computers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is funding a project to use OBIS to automate the Current Population Survey (CPS), an expenditure survey, and questions about intrahousehold communication to collect data to study communication and proxy response error. Keywords artificial mtelligence, computer-assisted surveys, current population survey, automated interviewing.
Knowledge-based Systems: Another Data Approach for Social Scientists?
Authors: Ohly H.Peter
Published: March 2008

Social science data are mainly understood as rectangular case-by-variable data sets that will be analyzed statistically on the basis of an individual epistemology. On the other hand, interpretation methods focus on single cases that are treated as typical examples. Knowledge-based systems are suited for processing expert strategies together with real-world facts. Thus we find suggestions for expert systems not only for social decision support and methodological advice but also for integration of theoretical research results, explanation of nonmeasured causal factors, and selection and interpretation of individual or composite cases. An example of the latter is Akcess, a system that analyzes bibliographic data on the social science community by means of network knowledge. Keywords: knowledge-based systems, expert systems, social research, data analysis, hermeneutics.
The Methodology Tutor: An Introduction to New Social Science Research Methods
Authors: deB. Mills William
Published: March 2008

Computer scientists studying the automation of analytical techniques based on human cognitive processes have in recent years developed several innovative methodologies well suited to social science research. Rule-based analytical tools, databases that return information that is "similar" to that requested, inductive classification of examples, and self-sorting bibliographies are among the potential new tools that could greatly expand the analytical powers of social science researchers. Unfortunately, most social science graduates still remam largely unaware of their potential. This article describes software designed to introduce these methods and show how they can be applied to social science problems.1
Handling Missing Data With SPSS/PC+: A Test and a Tutorial
Authors: Stolzenberg Lisa , D'Alessio Stewart J.
Published: March 2008

The statistical analysis of data with missing information occurs with great frequency in quantitative research. Although an enormous amount of literature has been produced on this subject, most of it assumes a strong background in statistics. In this paper we use SPSS/PC+ 4.0 to illustrate seven statistical procedures commonly employed by researchers to deal with missing data. We also assess how the use of a particular technique impacts findings in a multivariate regression analysis. Our results show that parameter estimates differ depending on which missing-data procedure is selected for use in an analysis. The implications of these findings are discussed. Keywords: Missing data, SPSS/PC+, incomplete data, missing observations.
News and Notes
Authors: Garson G. David
Published: March 2008

Call for contributions and reviewers: the Social Science Computer Review welcomes submission of articles, reports, communications, news items, and software and book reviews. Please contact the appropriate associate editor listed on the inside back cover, or write to the editor, G. David Garson, NCSU Box 8101, Raleigh, NC 27695; 919-515-3067. Regarding book reviews, contact the book review editor, Carl Grafton, Department of Government, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36193; 205-277-4685. Note: All products discussed in this section are for MS-DOS computers except where otherwise noted, such as for Macintosh stations or products requiring Windows or OS/2.
Computer-supported Content Analysis: Some Recent Developments
Authors: Roberts Carl W. , Popping Roel
Published: March 2008

This paper presents an overview of some recent developments in the clause-based content analysis of linguistic data. It introduces network analysis of evaluative texts, the analysis of cognitive maps, and linguistic content analysis. The focus is on the types of substantive inferences afforded by the three approaches. Keywords: content analysis, text analysis, computer programs.
The Relevance of Nonexperts' Knowledge in Making a Statistical Support System
Authors: Diesveld Peter J. M. , van den Berg Gerda M.
Published: March 2008

We designed a statistical support system of which the knowledge is based on the experts' conceptual model for the choice of a statistical analysis method. To protect this system from the fate most statistical support systems suffer—somewhere on a lab shelf—we set out to find possible differences in conceptual models of experts and nonexperts by studying accounts by researchers on the method-choosing task. Results showed that there are important differences between the two models, the most important being the importance attributed to the research problem: Nonexperts tend to link the research problem as a whole directly to a method, whereas experts first of all categorize characteristics of the analysis problem. We conclude that there is a need to incorporate nonexperts' concepts into the statistical support system in order to support them in translating their view into the experts' view. After this translation the experts' concepts needed for solving the problem can be dealt with. Keywords : statistics, statistical expert systems, statistical knowledge, nonexperts' statistical knowledge, conceptual models.
Anthropology: Moving from Task-driven to Science-driven Computing
Authors: Behrens Clifford A. , Read Dwight W.
Published: March 2008

To date, most applications of computing technology in anthropology have been task-driven, automating work that was usually done manually or mechanically before computers moved outside the domain of specialists and became readily accessible. This essay addresses the question, What kind of computing environment would best support a scientific enterprise in anthropology? A scientific perspective in anthropology takes individual tasks to be inextricably linked in a systematic manner, often beginning with ethnographic comparison to formulate ideas and culminating with the testing of these ideas. Although computers have speeded and, in some cases, simplified processing of anthropological data, their use has not commensurately advanced the analytical goals of anthropology. We submit the thesis that, by reconsidering the way in which science organizes and integrates tasks and rethinking the role computers can play in supporting science, we can define computing environments that will integrate problem and theory formulation, model building, and data analysis. Our essay reviews existing work in anthropology, consistent with this viewpoint of computing, and considers future directions that computing in anthropology can take. Keywords. epistemology, theory building, model building, data analysis, comparative method, data representation.
Political Science: Network Simulation in International Politics
Authors: Wilkenfeld Jonathan , Kaufman Joyce
Published: March 2008

This article reviews various gaming and simulation traditions in international politics, leading to a detailed discussion of network simulations in general and the ICONS project in particular. Through extensive preparation, simulation, and postsimulation activities, ICONS participants test negotiation strategies, improve communication skills, deal with interdependence of issues, experience cultural differences, work in teams, and master communications technology. ICONS addresses the call for inter-nationalization of the curriculum as well as the need for integration of technology into the classroom. Keywords simulation, computers, negotiation, conferencing, language, culture, international, policy.
The Classroom 2000 Project: A Personal View of What the Past Tells Us About the Future
Authors: Chute Douglas L.
Published: March 2008

The Classroom 2000 project is part of an $800,000 grant from the PEW Foundation to Drexel University designed to capitalize on Drexel's previous software development efforts. The plan is to utilize past successes—and avoid past shortcomings—to implement technologies that can effectively contribute to new classroom teaching, learning, and research strategies like remote, distributed, computing, video conferencing and video exchange, and peer interaction. The objective is to promote excellence in science education, to establish collaborative and distance learning capabilities, and to further develop faculty use and curriculum integration of appropriate technologies. As one of the largest courses on campus, MacLaboratory for Psychology was selected to serve as a pilot project and model system. Tens of thousands of students, thousands of researchers, and a number of clinicians and neurological patients worldwide, have used MacLaboratory software in undergraduate and graduate curricula, in professional research-grade protocols, and in clinical interventions. This personal view represents the abstraction, which was sometimes empirically based, upon which we are making our initial plans for the Classroom 2000 project. This paper represents an early iteration of a multi-year dynamic iterative design process. It considers what makes successful and viable teaching software and identifies factors that have contributed to notable failures in concept, implementation, or delivery. As a personal view, this paper does not purport to be either comprehensive or scientific but rather represents a series of more or less naturalistic observations. Keywords: psychology, computing, instructional technology, video conferencing, MacLaboratory, Classroom 2000.
Computational Sociology: Reinventing Sociology for the Next Millennium
Authors: Brent Edward E.
Published: March 2008

This paper proposes a computational approach to sociology. I argue that computational sociology is not just another specialty within an already fragmented discipline but that it provides an opportunity to integrate traditionally disparate approaches within sociology and provides a foundation for transforming sociology in the 2Ist century. I discuss important changes in computing that offer new opportunities for sociology and illustrate those points with examples of ongoing sociological research. The potential advantages of such an approach are identified and some of the characteristics of computational sociology are described. Keywords: sociology, computers, computational sociology, paradigm change, research methodology.
Statistics and Research Methodology: Authoring, Multimedia, and Automation of Social Science Research
Authors: Carpenter Edwin H.
Published: March 2008

People with training specifically in research methods and statistics can usually find their way through the pull-down menus, icons, and help screens and accomplish their intended tasks. But for those who do not have the training, or who need a refresher course in methods and statistics there is still a fairly steep learning curve before they feel comfortable using the new statistics and research methods tools. It is the premise of this article that with (I) the easier to use authoring software; (2) the newly popular and inexpensive multimedia capabilities of sound, ammation, pictures, and motion video; and (3) the ability to link software operations into an automated whole, practitioners of statistics and research methods can craft what will be called assistance software that will allow the undertrained and untrained to accomplish statistics and research methods successfully. Keywords. multimedia, audio, motion video, video capture, automation, visualization, computerized research, social science research methods, changing research methods, research process, computerized data analysis, software linkages, graphics, analytical graphics, presentation graphics, charting graphics, data storage, data retrieval.
The Policy Arguer: The Architecture of an Expert System
Authors: Taber Charles S. , Timpone Richard
Published: March 2008

The Policy Arguer ( POLI) is a working expert system model of U.S. foreign policy belief systems toward Asia. Expert systems—computer programs that imitate the behavior of human experts in constrained domains—have become a useful mode of inquiry for research problems in a number of the social sciences. POLI reproduces U.S. foreign policy outputs and the underlying debates and arguments. Foreign policy is explained in terms of the process that converts beliefs into arguments and policies. This paper describes the model in some detail, including its structure and program flow as well as the extraction of its knowledge bases. Keywords: belief systems, computational modeling, expert systems, decision making, fuzzy logic, international relations, U.S. foreign policy.
Using the National Information Infrastructure for Social Science, Education, and Informed Decision Making
Authors: Tonn Bruce E.
Published: March 2008

The United States has aggressively embarked on the challenging task of building a National Information Infrastructure (NII). This infrastructure will have many levels, extending from the building-block capital stock that composes the telecommunications system to the multitude of higher tier applications hardware and software tied to this system. This "white paper" presents a vision for a second- and third-tier national information infrastructure that focuses exclusively on the needs of social science, education, and decision making (NII-SSEDM). NII-SSEDM will provide the necessary data, information, and automated decision support and educational tools needed to help this nation solve its most pressing social problems. The proposed system has five components: data collection systems; databases; statistical analysis and modeling tools; policy analysis and decision support tools; and materials and software specially designed for education. This paper contains : a vision statement for each component; comments on progress made on each component as of the early 1990s; and specific recommendations on how to achieve the goals described in the vision statements. The white paper also discusses how the NII-SSEDM could be used to address four major social concerns: insuring economic prosperity; health care; reducing crime and violence; and K-12 education. Examples of near-term and midterm goals (e.g., pre-and post-year 2000) are presented for consideration. Although the development of NII-SSEDM will require a concerted effort by government, the private sector, schools, and numerous other organizations, the success of NII-SSEDM is predicated upon the identification of an institutional "champion" to acquire and husband key resources and provide strong leadership and guidance.
Grand Challenges for GIS and What's Really Relevant to Social Science
Authors: Fogarty Bruce W.
Published: March 2008

The High Performance Computing Act of 1991 provided several hundred millions of dollars in funding for "Grand Challenge" problems in science. None of the examples of Grand Challenge problems cited in the legislation are from social science and none mention geographic information systems (GIS) specifically, despite the fact that some of the examples involve spatial data analysis of environmental issues. This paper speculates on the reasons for this paradox by discussing the shortcomings of GIS for spatial data analysis and the corresponding enhancements needed. It is suggested that the best chances for funding under the Grand Challenge banner for GIS in social science applications include (1) improving access to large, archival databases; (2) developing and using interactive statistical analysis and numerically-intensive techniques; and (3) providing real time decision support in transportation-related problems (where time is a critical factor in the decision). Keywords: Geographic information systems, high-performance computing, Grand Challenges, spatial data analysis.
Multicultural/Multilingual Electronically Mediated Communication
Authors: Sedelow Walter A. , Sedelow Sally Yeates
Published: March 2008

Modeling of semantic space is discussed with specific reference to the authors' NSFfunded project on knowledge representations in dictionaries, thesauri, and free text. Research findings are discussed in relation to future research needs. Keywords: semantic modeling, computing, text analysis, natural language, symbolic system access.
Anthropology: The Mapping of Cultural Traits from Field Data
Authors: Dow James W.
Published: March 2008

Geographical information illuminates many features of culture that cannot be seen otherwise. Higher-resolution mapping of cultural traits, now possible with computerized techniques, can open a new window on human cultural adaptation. It can look at where people live on a scale that is small enough to reveal the features of the environment to which their cultures respond. This article discusses the mapping of language in a rural area of Mexico. Much GIS technology has become so elaborate that it is not appropriate to cultural anthropology. The project described was successful because it developed and used techniques that were appropriate to the problem being studied and the situation in the field. The techniques can be used for other types of mapping projects. Keywords: GIS, geographical information systems, cultural anthropology, maps, peasant culture.
GIS-Related Developments in Europe
Authors: Polydorides Nicos D.
Published: March 2008

This paper presents two recent developments in the European GIS scene that have a clearly European-wide dimension and probably will have an important impact on GIS-related developments in the years to come. The first is GISDATA, a scientific program at the European scale, and the second is EUROGI, the European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information. Keywords GIS, Europe.
Political Science: KEDS—A Program for the Machine Coding of Event Data
Authors: Schrodt Philip A. , Davis Shannon G. , Weddle Judith L.
Published: March 2008

This paper describes in technical detail the Kansas Event Data System ( KEDS) and summarizes our experience in coding Reuters data for the Middle East. The components of KEDS are first described; this discussion is intended to provide sufficient detail about the program that one could develop a more sophisticated machine-coding system based on our research. We then discuss a number of problems we have encountered in machine coding, focusing on the Reuters data source and the KEDS program itself. The paper concludes with a discussion of future approaches to machine coding in event data research and other potential applications of the technology. Keywords. event data, natural language, full-text databases, international relations, social science.
Research Methods: Visualization in the Numeric Solution of Complex Nonlinear Equations in Mathematical Demography
Authors: Levin Martin L. , Mitra S.
Published: March 2008

Searching for numeric solutions to complex nonlinear equations is a resource-consuming, risky business. For a given equation, there can be an infinite number of often dramatically quite different solutions meeting a specified goodness-of-fit criterion. Although the leading statistical packages have nonlinear regression procedures, these procedures all require "seeding" with initial estimates of equation parameters. Often one has only the vaguest notion as to what might be realistic estimates of these parameters. Yet one selection might lead to a failure to find any solution, whereas another might lead to a less-than-optimal, or even less-than-close-to-optimal, solution. The source of this problem is, of course, that nonlinear equations can generate a series of local minima. Consequently, for any specific investigation involving nonlinear equations, barring some theoretical, empirical, or mathematical basis for estimating initial parameter values, one is reduced to trial-and-error methods, exceptional good luck, or a combination of both. With the advent of powerful, distributed computing and the diffusion of desktop graphical capability, visualization techniques hold potential for short-circuiting the trial-and-error process. In this paper we report on one such effort using an off-the-shelf Windows-based, curve-fitting program as the visualization engine for an eight-parameter, nonlinear equation derived by Heligman and Pollard to model mortality. First, we review the theory and mathematics of the so-called law of mortality. Second, we develop the working equation for solution and describe the data sources. Third, we attempt unsuccessfully to use standard techniques to solve the equations. Finally, we develop and illustrate a visualization technique designed to generate initial parameter estimates. We then apply the visualization technique and successfully solve the equations for 22 sets of mortality data. Keywords: visualization, law of mortality, nonlinear, mathematical demography.
A Comparison of the Policy, Social, and Cultural Contexts for Telecommuting in Japan and the United States
Authors: Mokhtarian Patricia L. , Sato Koji
Published: March 2008

Active experimentation with telecommuting in both the United States and Japan is among the most extensive in the world. However, policy, social, and cultural distinctions result in some important differences in the way telecommuting is adopted by each country. This paper presents a comparison of the policy, social, and cultural contexts for telecommuting in Japan and the United States. An overview of various types of telecommuting and remote office arrangements is provided, illustrating the diversity of Japanese experimentation with the remote-work concept.

Reasons for interest in telecommuting are compared, including commute stress, urban growth management, air quality and energy concerns, employee recruitment and retention, savings on office-space costs, and disaster response. Cultural barriers to the adoption of telecommuting in Japan are discussed, including the lack of formal job definition, the preference for face-to-face communication, the importance of the group, limitations of home-based telecommuting, and others. Operational issues potentially supporting or inhibiting the adoption of telecommuting are also described, including technology, marketing, and training. Keywords: telecommuting, teleworking, comparative studies (U.S. / Japan).
Electronic Bulletin Boards for Economists: Realizing Their Potential
Authors: Breece James H.
Published: March 2008

Electronic bulletin boards (EBBS) have become a mainstay in economic research by pro viding access to archived data, manuscripts, articles, and computational software. Most EBBS are free and open to the public, and many of them are accessible over the Internet. The proliferation of government agencies' involvement, individualized offerings, and interconnected resources have significantly enhanced the benefits and operations of EBBS. These recent developments have inspired numerous economics instructors to introduce EBBS into their electronic classrooms. Although the economics profession does heavily utilize EBBS, it has not taken full advantage of the available technology. Keywords electronic bulletin boards, Internet, economic research, computer-assisted instruction.
Surviving the Three Revolutions in Social Science Computing
Authors: Rockwell Richard C. , Hardin Joseph , Loots Melanie J.
Published: March 2008

This article argues that for the social sciences to develop the software and services needed for effective use of computer networks, they will have to adopt and abide by standards that have been developed largely outside the social sciences. These standards are essentially those employed in the World Wide Web. It is suggested that these standards will prove sufficiently powerful to meet the needs of the social sciences and that, in fact, a qualitatively superior level of information services can be made available to students and researchers through such tools. Communication, cooperation, and collaboration are urged for efficient and rapid development of these services for the social sciences. Keywords: World Wide Web, Mosaic, Internet, telecommunications, archive, distributed computing, NCSA, SGML, HTML, supercomputing.
The Conflict Between Conceptual and Visual Thought and the Future of Science
Authors: Rodriguez-Alamo Evelyn
Published: March 2008

The language and contents of the mass-communications industry, and the products produced through and for commercial computerized information systems and networks, may appeal to relatively undeveloped aspects of our intellectual and spiritual faculties and could degrade rationalism and thus Jeopardize the production of scientific knowledge. In particular, recent decades have seen a shift away from conceptual-linguistic symbolism, historically used for scientific research and communication, to iconic symbolism and visual language, which may be poorly suited to scientific thought. The essay invites us to ponder in frank discussion the relationship between complex computing and telecommunications and both the content and the vehicles of learning and scientific research for the 21st century. As a step in this unfolding critical conversation, the author offers 12 theses for criticism and discussion. They probe the revolutionary role that could be played by complex computing in reverting an apparent contemporary social tendency toward irrationality, lack of criticism, disconnection from social action, and disqualification of intellectual work. Key Phrases: iconic symbolism ; visual thought; technology and thought; complex computing and cognition; communications revolution and deintellectualization of knowledge; communication technologies and cognition.
On the Social Order of Cyberspace
Authors: Anderson Jon
Published: March 2008

Representations of cyberspace as a new social and world order fostered by a new technology replay familiar understandings of industrial society and its issues of liberation and constraint. A more comprehensive approach to the social organization of advanced information technologies needs to include their origins in the social and communicative practices as well as in the technology of science and engineering and the practical Creolization of migrating discourses, techniques of knowledge, and communication. This forges a firm link between micro- and macrosociological levels of analysis. Internationalizing more parochial before-and-after comparisons of futurists highlights the significance of "new Creoles" in the emerging postindustrial world order comparable with those who were part of its creation.