bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
E-Enforcement in Digital Government
Authors: Bruijn H. D.
Published: May 2011

In recent years, there has been a significant rise in “e-enforcement.” E-enforcement is the use of electronic tools in law enforcement. In this article, we consider two new forms of e-enforcement which have recently been introduced in Europe. These are Weigh in Motion with Video (WIM-Vid) and the digital tachograph. WIM-Vid is a system involving sensors in the road and cameras in order to register overloading of heavy goods vehicles. WIM-Vid was developed and implemented in the Netherlands and is currently attracting international attention. The digital tachograph replaces the analogue tachograph in all heavy goods vehicles within the European Union. The machine registers drivers’ driving and rest times. In this article, we focus on the special position of the clients of e-enforcement, the regulatees. Although e-enforcement is a form of e-government or digital government, the position of the client is quite distinct. Many definitions describe e-government in terms of service delivery (Chen, 2002; Devadoss, Pan, & Huang, 2002; Finger & Pécaud, 2003; Hiller & Belanger, 2001; Ho, 2002; Moon, 2002). These descriptions feature the concept of customer focus (Devadoss et al., 2002; Finger & Pécaud, 2003; Ho, 2002). The purpose of e-government should be to satisfy these customers, whether they are ordinary citizens or parties in private sector (Finger & Pécaud, 2003). The clients of enforcement, however, are offenders or potential offenders. These clients are characterized by the fact that they do not want the service and generally exhibit uncooperative behaviour (Alford, 2002). They may, for example, actively evade the “service” of enforcement, or commit information fraud (Hawkins, 1984). In this article we will see what the distinct position of the clients of enforcement means for the effects of e-enforcement.
E-Government Readiness in East and Southern Africa
Authors: Mutula S. M.
Published: May 2011

Governments in East and Southern Africa, like their counterparts in developing and developed world, are under increasing pressure from donor agencies and non-governmental organizations to improve service delivery to citizens and at the same time be able to demonstrate accountability and transparency in the management of public resources (International Records Management Trust, 2004). Most countries in East and Southern Africa, largely began to appreciate the importance of sound public record management practices during the 1980s and 1990s. This period experienced increased donor pressure especially from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) through their structural adjustment programmes (SAPS) that was exerted on the recipients of global donor funding in an attempt to remedy the economic hardships that characterise most developing countries including those in Africa. Structural Adjustment Programmes were meant to provide the best opportunity to implement public sector reforms in order to promote better use of public resources and enhance accountability by governments to their citizens (Wamukoya, 2000). To meet the accountability and transparency demands of the global donor agencies and also the need to meet the increasing demands by citizens for efficient delivery of services, governments worldwide are now taking advantage of the revolution that is taking place in information and communications technologies especially the Internet, the personal computer, the mobile phone, and other modern communication devices. The concept of e-government in its simplest form is now the catchword that is increasingly being used to imply the delivery of government services online. Heeks (2002) defines e-government as the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve the activities of public sector organisations. E-government is claimed as an efficient means to streamline public sector functions and increase citizen participation in the running of public affairs (Wamukoya, 2000). Governments in East and Southern Africa like their counterpart in a developed world, are increasingly turning to e-government to streamline public sector functions and increase citizen participation in the running of public affairs (Wamukoya, 2000). However, in an attempt to implement e-government projects, countries in East and Southern Africa face numerous challenges such as lack of requisite skills and competencies in e-records management; lack of enabling policy and legislative framework; lack of standards and formal methodologies for managing e-record; and inadequate infrastructure.
E-Social Policy and E-Social Service Delivery
Authors: Melville R.
Published: May 2011

E-social policy is an important aspect of the information society development and e-governance agenda (Fitzpatrick, 2000, 2003; Loader, 1998). To date, it has not received the same amount of critical scholarship and research activity as traditional areas of social policy, but this is changing as policy scholars focus on the whole gamut of e-governance concerns. E-social policy is concerned with the social implications of information technology communication (ITC) technology in its broadest sense. E-service delivery is a narrower term, encompassing the range of ITC used by governments, churches, charities, other non-government organisations (NGOs), and community groups to deliver social and community services online. Initially, most services provided online by governments were of a commercial and business nature (Curtin, Sommer, & Vis-Sommer, 2003), but e-service delivery has evolved quite rapidly in the fields of health, education, social security, and one-stop community information systems. It is better developed in OECD countries and in specific social policy fields (social security, housing, health, education, and community care) whereas in other countries it is very poorly developed and resourced, if it exists at all (Polikanov & Abramova, 2003). Despite this uneven development, there are many innovative examples of ITC use in farming production and trade, e-health services and promotion, education, environmental pollution management, and enhancement of development strategies in poorer nations. However, there is still a long way to go in bridging the digital divide–the unequal access to ITC of richer and poorer nations. This is a global social policy concern.
The European Commission's E-Government Initiatives and Public Participation
Authors: Hunold C.
Published: May 2011

According to the European Commission (2003), increased networking of local, regional, and national administrations across the European Union (EU) is creating “a more integrated ‘European public space’ for EU citizens and businesses” (p. 6). This emerging public space owes its existence chiefly to improvements in information and communication technology (ICT). The Commission (2002) believes that e-government initiatives will help to build a more robust European public space capable of engendering in the public’s mind a sense of democratic ownership of European institutions and policies: “E-government is helping to establish a more open, inclusive and productive public sector, in line with good governance” (p. 7). E-government as defined by the Commission (2005) as “the use of information and communication technologies, combined with organisational change and new skills, to improve public services, increase democratic participation and enhance public policy making.” Echoing the literature on e-democracy (Gibson, Rommele, & Ward, 2004), the Commission (2002) contends that e-government can improve EU democratic processes and public support for EU policies in two ways: by giving citizens greater access to information from authorities, which empowers citizens by improving the transparency and accountability of European institutions; and by fostering direct communication between citizens and policy makers, which enables improved mutual accommodation of needs and interests. This article analyzes Commission e-government initiatives, with special emphasis on the Consultation, the European Commission and Civil Society (CONECCS) directory, the interactive policy making (IPM) initiative, and the i2010: European Information Society 2010 initiative. IPM seeks to enable the Commission to collect feedback directly from citizens, consumers, and businesses via a single Internet access point for consultations (Your Voice in Europe). i2010 is a five-year strategy launched in 2005 to boost Europe’s digital economy and includes proposals to enhance e-participation in Europe’s emerging public space. Such proposals, I argue, will be more likely to succeed if the Commission were to move from managerial and consultative to participatory models of public involvement (Chadwick & May, 2003).
Evaluating Methodologies of Financial Cost and Benefit Aspects of E-Government
Authors: Eyob E.
Published: May 2011

The purpose of this article is to survey the financial cost and benefit of e-government and the evaluation methods utilized in the implementation of information technology (IT) projects in general, and e-government projects in specific.
Exploring E-Government Benefits and Success Factors
Authors: Gil-Garcia J. R.
Published: May 2011

Over the last decade, information technologies (IT) have been considered one of the most influential ways to change organizations (Davenport, 1993; Ho, 2002; Laudon & Laudon, 2003). As early as 1986, Bozeman and Bretschneider suggested that different principles should be used when managing IT systems in public and private sector organizations (Bozeman & Bretschneider, 1986; Melitski, 2003). However, in a review of the literature, Rocheleau and Wu (2002) concluded that there remain a limited number of empirical studies that investigate whether there are differences between public and private sector organizations. Therefore, the research to-date about e-government is situated within multiple debates and draws from literature studying both public and private organizations. In fact, there is also no clear consensus about the concept of electronic government. Descriptions are emerging. For example, Holden, Norris, and Fletcher (2003) reviewed the range of definitions other authors have proposed for e-government, and suggest there are some common elements. They mention e-government is or will become electronic and not paper based and may include the Web, e-mail, fax, telephone, or other electronic means of providing information and delivering services; available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week; and the provision of information and the delivery of services (of varying types and degrees of complexity and integration). (p. 327)
Facing the E-Government Challenges within Catalonia
Authors: Albors I.
Published: May 2011

During the 2001-2004 period the main pursuit by the AOC (Administració Oberta de Catalunya or Open Administration of Catalonia) was to create a well defined setup and devoloped CAT365 portal, the citizen’s portal1. This portal would offer a new space on the Internet (as a complement of presencial and phone channels) through the creation of a brand new CAT 365 which belonged to everybody, but without being associated with any administration in particular. This portal would allow the user to reach the required information and to do transactions online. This could be done in an integrated way and within the user’s own scope through an organisation based on natural sets (life events) and without relation to the current competencial organisation. This model legitimated by the Parlamentarial Pact was signed and agreed in summer 2001 by all the parlamentarial political parties in Catalonia, together with the local public administrations and with the Generalitat of Catalonia (the Autonomous Catalan Administration). In Autumm 2004 it reached a crisis point and, therefore, it was reviewed.
How People Search for Governmental Information on the Web
Authors: Jansen B. J. , Spink A.
Published: May 2011

People are now confronted with the task of locating electronic information needed to address the issues of their daily lives. The Web is presently the major information source for many people in the U.S. (Cole, Suman, Schramm, Lunn, & Aquino, 2003), used more than newspapers, magazines, and television as a source of information. Americans are expanding their use of the Web for all sorts of information and commercial purposes (Horrigan, 2004; Horrigan & Rainie, 2002; National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 2002). Searching for information is one of the most popular Web activities, second only to the use of e-mail (Nielsen Media, 1997). However, successfully locating needed information remains a difficult and challenging task (Eastman & Jansen, 2003). Locating relevant information not only affects individuals but also commercial, educational, and governmental organizations. This is especially true in regards to people interacting with their governmental agencies. Executive Order 13011 (Clinton, 1996) directed the U.S. federal government to move aggressively with strategies to utilize the Internet. Birdsell and Muzzio (1999) present the growing presence of governmental Web sites, classifying them into three general categories, (1) provision of information, (2) delivery of forms, and (3) transactions. In 2004, 29% of American said they visited a government Web site to contact some governmental entity, 18% sent an e-mail and 22% use multiple means (Horrigan, 2004). It seems clear that the Web is a major conduit for accessing governmental information and maybe services. Search engines are the primary means for people to locate Web sites (Nielsen Media, 1997). Given the Web’s importance, we need to understand how Web search engines perform (Lawrence & Giles, 1998) and how people use and interact with Web search engines to locate governmental information. Examining Web searching for governmental information is an important area of research with the potential to increase our understanding of users of Web-based governmental information, advance our knowledge of Web searchers’ governmental information needs, and positively impact the design of Web search engines and sites that specialize in governmental information.
ICTs and Governance in Africa
Authors: Olatokun W. M.
Published: May 2011

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) comprise a range of technology products and activities that enable the recording, storage, processing and retrieval, transmission, and reception of information. These products include computers, basic telecommunications services, e-mail, satellite communications, microelectronics, and the Internet. Arguably, these products and activities have found pervasive “functional inclusion” in virtually all sectors of any economy. Their use can help improve the quality of life for citizens, especially in the health, education environment, and agriculture sectors (Mansell & Wehn, 1998). IDEA (2000) asserts that ICTs and the phenomenal growth of the Internet also create new opportunities and challenges for the process of widening and deepening the process of good governance. For example, electronic communications through the use of ICTs offers the potential for greatly enhancing the transparency, efficiency and ease for sustainability of good democratic governance (IDEA, 2000). It is apparent that though ICTs have emerged as the major engine of economic growth and international competitiveness in certain developing countries (mostly in Southeast Asia) and some of the larger developed economies, applications and developments of these technologies, however, are still at a minimal level, starting to make very small beginnings in African countries. Although there are some noticeable applications of ICTs to governance in some African countries, most of the countries are yet to grasp the underlying dynamics of ICT contribution to economic development. Of particular concern are those countries that lack the technology capacity and legal policy frameworks. The implications and importance of ICTs in different countries, thus, vary considerably in complexity, and this can be argued to be a function of the national level of technological capabilities (NLTC) available, as well as the governance regimes to guide and coordinate the efficient use of ICTs (Oyeyinka, 1997). Many of the less-developing countries (LDCs), especially in Africa, were by-passed in the earlier technological development train … largely as a result of the historical antecedent of lack of assets and technological capabilities and good governance. Rather than being further left behind, these countries have started to appreciate the fact that ICTs can present opportunities to allow them join in the new economic order, and help reduce some of the technological gap between the developed and less-developed economies (Dzidonu, 2001). Much research would seem to have gone into understanding the component of NLTC with very little done on the governance component. This article attempts to consider the application of ICTs in governance in Africa.
Information Sharing as a Democratic Tool
Authors: Riley T. B.
Published: May 2011

This section begins by looking at ways in which governments can facilitate better access to information in both the public and private sector. This is an important factor in the e-governance equation. Information sharing is an essential activity for government for any form of e-governance program to succeed, because information provides the evidence of a correspondence (or lack of correspondence) between policy and reality. The particular emphasis herein will be on the growing influence of the Internet and all the new, emerging communication technologies through which services can be delivered in all sectors of society. The role of the Internet and the growth of electronic democracy are briefly explored. Part of the rhetoric of both information management and public consultation is the notion of information sharing. This concept is, in fact, one of the central tenants of knowledge management. Despite these good intentions, however, management gurus (Drucker, 1999) find themselves continually admonishing both organizations and knowledge workers of the need to share more information. Is there an information gap between colleagues, so that work is impeded or prevented because co-workers don’t communicate with one another? And by the same token, is there an information gap between knowledge workers and the public, so that the public cannot make informed choices about important decisions?
Maintaining Information Security in E-Government through Steganology
Authors: Si H.
Published: May 2011

Traditional government structures are sometimes regarded as overly bulky. However, with the rapid expansion of interconnected computer networks and the progressive development of information technology (IT), it is now possible to exchange massive amounts of data at light speed over great distances. These infrastructures and technologies provide the opportunity for governments to transform themselves from huge monsters to compact and efficient organizations. Realizing the potential benefits of IT, as of summer 2004, 198 governments had started their e-government plans to construct digital government based on the Internet (West, 2004). One of the essential features of e-government is the transmission of confidential information via computer networks. Depending on the sensitivity of the information, the security of some information should be treated at the same level as national security. Although each e-government has its own networks, no government can say no to the Internet, because it would be a waste of resource. However, the Internet is an open environment; therefore, protecting data flowing on the Internet from attacks is a pressing e-government issue. All governments with such strategies have sought help from cryptographers and devoted huge amounts of both money and time to the development of specially designed information systems and advanced cryptosystems to strengthen information security. Unfortunately, cryptography is not adequate in some applications. As computing power keeps increasing and the techniques of cryptanalysis keep advancing, contemporary cryptosystems cannot and will not work forever. At the 24th Annual International Cryptology Conference (CRYPTO’04), MD5 and a series of related cryptosystems, which are currently in widespread use, were proved unreliable (Wang, Feng, Lai, & Yu, 2004). From the last decade, steganology—the technique for digitally hiding and detecting information – is attracting more attention. It is already regarded as a powerful complement to cryptology and a promising technique for ensuring e-national security. Unlike cryptology, which renders the encrypted information completely meaningless, steganology keeps the host media perceptually unchanged after hiding the secret information. This article will provide an in-depth explanation of the two components of steganology, namely steganography and steganalysis, and discuss their potential applications in the realm of e-national security.
Problems of Offline Government in E-Serbia
Authors: Simonovic S.
Published: May 2011

Various aspects of the Eastern European transition have been extensively researched over the past 15 years. Only recently, studies of democratization have begun to specifically recognize and reflect the context of the information age in which they are taking place. This claim particularly applies to the late and ongoing transitions in the Western Balkans along the new borders of Europe. The least researched aspect of their democratization refers to the modernization of their civil service, particularly through the lenses of the informatization (Frissen, Bekkers, Brussaard, Snellen, & Wolters, 1992) of their administrations and development of e-government as an important element of transparent governance. This is a gradual and uneven development, yet it initiates institutional change toward having friendlier administrations that were hardly conceived at the beginning of the transition.
Transformation of Government Roles toward a Digital State
Authors: Zuccarini M.
Published: May 2011

Information technologies (IT) and the new (virtual) space of dominion that they create can alter the order of the powers of the democratic states. This article will discuss the idea that the digital state is becoming a Virtual state with less power of control over its territory, because the historic power of the state is being restricted by the rise of governance beyond the state. The process of globalization, as well as the larger use of digital technologies, challenges the Westphalian nation-state, changing the state’s boundaries so that new forces and new actors acquire even larger space of dominion. We will explain that the information society challenges, but does not eliminate, the effectiveness of the state. The Web, with its open spaces, extends the state’s boundaries, creating new spaces of virtual dominion and changing governments structures: Actually, digital technologies affect functions of direction, control and organization of governments, and democracy quality, opening new areas of dominion for governments. Even if some of the functions of the states, like those related to economics, are diffuse under the new globalized and virtalized world, the states still preserve most of their political and military power. And more, the regulatory role of the state is considered pivotal: In the future, national governments need to define a new code of regulation of the Internet to defend citizens’ rights in the virtual space.
Equivalence of Electronic and Off-Line Measures
Authors: Roberts L.
Published: May 2011

This paper explores the measurement equivalence of paper-and pencil and electronic surveys and measures. After reviewing competing claims and the limitations of the research, there is a strong case that many measures do retain their psychometric equivalence across modes of administration with the exception of speeded tests and measures that may be subject to social desirability response sets.
Legal and Ethical Concerns of Collecting Data Online
Authors: Sturgill A. , Jongsuwanwattana P.
Published: May 2011

International data collection offers the possibility of greater external validity for studies. However, using the Internet to collect information internationally brings concerns related to data privacy for respondents. Nations vary on their privacy protections for citizens’ Internet use. Beliefs about data privacy, official policies notwithstanding, can also affect respondents and response rates. This article explores these issues and lists issues that should concern the international survey researcher.
Computer-Mediated Communication Research
Authors: Wallace J.D.
Published: May 2011

This chapter asks “what is meant by computer-mediated communication research?” Numerous databases were examined concerning business, education, psychology, sociology, and social sciences from 1966 through 2005. A survey of the literature produced close to two thousand scholarly journal articles and bibliometric techniques were used to establish core areas. Specifically, journals, authors and concepts were identified. Then, more prevalent features within the dataset were targeted and a fine grained analysis was conducted on research affiliated terms and concepts clustering around those terms. What was found was an area of scholarly communication, heavily popularized in education related journals. Likewise topics under investigation tended to be education and internet affiliated. The distribution of first authors was overwhelming populated by one time authorship. The most prominent research methodology emerging was case studies. Other specific research methodologies tended to be textually related such as content and discourse analysis. This study was significant for two reasons. First, it documented CMC’s literature historical emergence through a longitudinal analysis. Second, it identified descriptive boundaries concerning authors, journals, and concepts that were prevalent in the literature.
Design and Development of an Electronic Survey System
Authors: Aaron Bruce
Published: May 2011

Within the Accenture Corporation, the CDO (Capability Development Organization), which manages human resource development, designed and implemented an Electronic Survey System (ESS) as a component of the system that manages learning within the company. This chapter discusses the relationship of the organizational learning infrastructure and the use of survey software (ESS) within the mission of human resource development.
Survey Tracker E-Mail/ Web Survey Software
Authors: Park E.
Published: May 2011

This chapter offers an introductory description of SurveyTracker software. Comparisons are made to competitor software programs. The central focus is an explanation of the functions, features, and advantages of the software application.
Celebrity-Persona Parasocial Interaction Scale
Authors: Bocarnea M.
Published: May 2011

The celebrity-persona parasocial interaction scale (CPPI) is designed to measure how media consumers form parasocial relationships with celebrities or popular fictional characters. A parasocial relationship is defined as an imaginary interpersonal relationship between a media consumer and a media persona (Horton & Wohl, 1956). Persona can be real people, such as actors, athletes, and performing artists; or they can be fictional characters, such as Susan in the television serial Desperate Housewives, a character played by actress Teri Hatcher, or Indiana Jones, a character in the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, played by actor Harrison Ford. The CPPI is derived from several other published parasocial action scales, including Rubin, Perse & Powell (1985), Cole & Leets (1999), and Auter & Palmgreen (2000). While most parasocial interaction scales are designed to measure the strength of parasocial relationships that develop through television viewing, the CPPI is particularly targeted to celebrities whose exposure far exceeds television programs alone.
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire
Authors: Weaver J. , Kiewitz C.
Published: May 2011

We describe a newly developed 12-item short form version of the self-report Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) originally developed by Eysenck and Eysenck (1977) and most recently revised by Eysenck, Eysenck, and Barrett (EPQ-R; 1985). The original EPQ consists of 90 items while the EPQ-R involves 36 items. Both instruments were designed to assess three dimensions of personality – extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism. An understanding of the hierarchical model for personality envisaged by Eysenck (1947) facilitates our explication of these personality dimensions. Eysenck’s system involved four levels. At the lowest level of this system are singly occurring acts or cognitions. Habitual acts or cognitions are at the second level. The third level is composed of traits, defined in terms of significant intercorrelations between different habitual behaviors. The final level is that of personality types or dimensions defined in terms of substantial intercorrelations between traits. Against this backdrop, Eysenck (see Eysenck,1990; Eysenck & Eysenck, 1985) defined extraversion by the observed correlations between the traits sociable, lively, active, assertive, sensation-seeking, carefree, dominant, and venturesome. Neuroticism was defined by the traits anxious, depressed, guilt feelings, low self-esteem, tense, irrational, shy, moody, and emotional. Finally, psychoticism was defined by the traits aggressive, cold, egocentric, impersonal, impulsive, antisocial, unempathic, and tough-minded.
Biometric Identities and E-Government Services
Authors: Scott Murray , Hill Se´amus , Acton Thomas , Hughes Martin
Published: May 2011

Governments are using the Internet and e-commerce technologies to provide public services to their citizens (Watson & Mundy, 2001). In so doing, governments aim to form better relationships with businesses and citizens by providing more efficient and effective services (Al-Kibisi, de Boer, Mourshed, & Rea, 2001). E-government provides opportunities to streamline and improve internal governmental processes, enable efficiencies in service delivery, and improve customer service (Bannister & Walsh, 2002). As a result, achieving successful e-government delivered over the Internet has become a key concern for many governments (Eyob, 2004). Additionally, there are privacy, security, and trust issues for citizens interacting with government services compounded by the electronic nature of the interaction. Biometric identifiers may present a solution to some of these concerns, leading to increased levels of secure, private, and trusted e-government interactions.
BSC-Based Framework for E-Business Strategy
Authors: Wang F.
Published: May 2011

E-business is far more about strategy than technology (Raisinghani & Schkade, 2001). An effective e-business strategy is concerned with e-business multidimensional characteristics associated with different levels, parties, elements, and growth pattern features (Bakry & Bakry, 2001). In the process, the strategy must incorporate the effects of the instant and global Internet communication mechanism on the company’s business management architecture. The global reach and interconnectivity of the Internet have spawned new models of e-business strategy and radically transformed existing ones (Pant & Ravichandran, 2001). Indeed, what distinguishes many of the dot-coms is not their new technical power, but the radical new business models (Hamel, 2000). Aided by such innovative e-business models, managers will be able to identify the major decision factors involved in their business strategies and generate strategies that would improve their overall performance and profitability. In the current context, four essential perspectives are identified to be associated with an e-business strategy: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth. These four perspectives were first introduced in early 1990s as the balanced scorecard concept (BSC) (Kaplan & Norton, 1992). Because the BSC methodology explicitly focuses on links among business decisions and outcomes, it is intended to guide strategy development, implementation, and provide reliable feedback for management control and performance evaluation. This BSC rationale is thereby appealing to managers who face new challenges in the current turbulent e-business climate. The real challenge is to determine how the BSC can be successfully applied in the context of e-business’s constantly changing environment of interdependencies (Hasan & Tibbits, 2000). E-business introduces new business objectives and strategies and the old measures of success may no longer apply. It is anticipated that the departure from the original BSC for a strategic e-business management framework would be more radical than the existing BSC adaptations (e.g., Martinson’s balanced IS scorecard; Martinsons, Davison, & Tse, 1999).
Cyber-Identity Theft
Authors: Close Angeline Grace , Zinkhan George M. , Finney R. Zachary
Published: May 2011

Internet technology facilitates “faceless” transactions. At the same time, a new set of risks arises. In this article, we focus on the Internet-related risks associated with identity theft. Specifically, our objectives are to explain electronic-based identity theft (i.e., cyber-identity theft) and to explore the impact of cyber-identity theft on consumers, businesses, organizations and public policies. Our article makes two specific contributions to the identity theft literature: (a) it explains identity theft as it relates to the Internet and (b) it defines key methods of cyber-identity theft.
E-Commerce Use by Chinese Consumers
Authors: Efendioglu Alev M.
Published: May 2011

The number of Internet users around the world has steadily grown, and this growth has provided the impetus and the opportunities for global and regional e-commerce. However with the Internet, different characteristics of the local environment, both infrastructural and socioeconomic, have created a significant level of variation in the acceptance and growth of e-commerce in different regions of the world. Over time, various studies have been conducted and models have been developed to identify diffusion of e-commerce in different environments (Hasan & Ditsa, 1999; Travica, 2002; Wolcott, Press, McHenry, Goodman, & Foster, 2001; Zwass, 1999). These models have looked at “infrastructure” (e.g., connectivity hardware and software, telecommunications, product delivery and transportation systems) and “services” (e.g., e-payment systems, secure messaging, electronic markets) as the primary diffusion factors. Furthermore, Travica’s (2002) study focused on Costa Rica and its culture, and Hasan and Ditsa (1999) tried to identify and present possible cultural factors that may impact broad-based adoption of information technology. Industry-based organizations have also been interested in diffusion of e-commerce in different countries and have also identified similar factors, and have rated these countries on their readiness for e-commerce using those factors. Most widely cited of these ratings are presented by IBM and the intelligence unit of The Economist, which define e-readiness by measurement in six distinct categories: (a) connectivity and technology infrastructure, (b) business environment, (c) consumer and business adoption, (d) social and cultural environment, (e) legal and policy environment, and (f) supporting e-services. Based on these characteristics, The Economist rated China (the country that is the focus of our research) as number 51 for year 2000, number 52 (a tie with Sri Lanka) for year 2004, and number 12 out of 16 nations included in the Asia-Pacific Region. (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2004).
Emergent Semantic Web
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S. , Sahoo Tapas R.
Published: May 2011

In less than a decade, the World Wide Web has become popular because of the depth of information it provides and the simplicity of its usage by simple clicks through related and interlinked pages. However, the amount of information and the numerous formats in which it is presented are simply overwhelming, and it is not uncommon to get overloaded with irrelevant or unrelated information. For example, a simple search task of finding books written by an author named David Flower would fetch hundreds of pages that merely contain the words David and/or Flower. The Web contains information on millions of Web pages interwoven by the use of hyperlinks and presented in rich HTML (hypertext markup language) formats, such as images, graphics, audio, and video. This rich presentation capability makes the Web highly readable for humans, but adds no meaning to the information when read by computers. The Semantic Web, which is considered to be the next evolution of the current Web, would qualify information with well-defined meaning. This added meaning to data, called metadata, would enable computers and people to work in cooperation (Hendler, Berners-Lee, & Miller, 2002). In addition to having hyperlinked pages containing media objects, the Semantic Web will also contain resources pointing to real-world objects such as people, places, organizations, and events. These objects will be linked based on their real-world relationships. Another goal of the Semantic Web is to develop enabling standards and technologies designed to help machines understand more information on the Web so that they can support richer discovery, data integration, navigation, and automation of tasks (Berners-Lee, Hendler, & Lassila, 2001). The current Web has the potential of becoming the largest database system, but it suffers from its foundation as a presentation media. This article addresses issues involved in effectively storing and managing data on the Web and focuses on various research activities in this direction. The Semantic Web is a vision that will extend the current Web to give well-defined meaning to information, enabling computers and people to work in better cooperation. A collaborative effort between the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and a large number of researchers and industrial partners is defining standards and technologies required for building the Semantic Web. This effort will enable data to be understood by machines and will be used for effective discovery, automation, integration, and reuse across applications.
Gambling Over the Internet
Authors: Brindley Clare
Published: May 2011

Gambling providers have begun to exploit the Internet as a vehicle for marketing their products and services. This article discusses the increase in Internet gambling and how the gambling industry has exploited technology to make market gains. Gambling on the Internet is a billion-dollar industry, with online lotteries and pools generating more than half of the total market value (i.e., $1.66 billion). There is a plethora of gambling opportunities, such as casino games and online games, and horse and event betting, although inevitably some of the rules of the games have had to be adapted to operate via the new medium. The home-based nature of interactive gambling means that consumers are no longer restricted by opening hours, social status, or membership requirements, and are able to choose from a wide selection of gambling sites. The nature of the response by gambling organizations to the changes in consumer behavior has depended on the willingness of providers to become online providers, domestic and/or international legislation, and of course Internet service provision, all of which will differ depending on the gambling products offered.
Internet and Access to Scholarly Publications
Authors: Rennard Jean-Philippe
Published: May 2011

“If I have seen further it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” The famous statement of Sir Isaac Newton demonstrates that the progress of science relies on the dissemination of discoveries and scientific knowledge. Even though scientific progress is not strictly cumulative (Kuhn, 1970), information sharing is the heart of this progress. In the Gutenberg era, researchers had no alternative: Publishers were the only way to reach readers. The development of e-commerce and of digital networks led to the post-Gutenberg era, and offers a powerful alternative that can lead in the long term to a new organization of scientific publications (Harnad, 1999). As well as e-commerce is revolutionizing the distribution of cultural goods (particularly music), the distribution of scientific knowledge through the Internet should contribute to the emergence of a new economic model.
Location Management and Mobility Modeling in Wireless Systems
Authors: Wang Wenye
Published: May 2011

One of the most salient features of wireless communications is that users can deploy a variety of wireless devices to communicate with others, regardless of their locations. Although mobility support provides flexibility and convenience, it introduces many challenging issues to network design, planning, and performance evaluation. With the increasing demand for multimedia applications, location-aware services, and system capacity, many recognize that modeling and management of location and mobility are becoming critical to locating mobile objects in wireless information networks. Location management and mobility modeling strongly influence the choice and performance of mobility and resource management algorithms, such as routing, handoff, and call admission control in many types of wireless networks. For these reasons, it is important to understand mobility modeling and location management mechanisms and the manner in which these mechanisms depend on the characteristics of mobile environments. This article is concerned with issues in, and methods for, location management and mobility modeling in wireless data networks. The most distinguished features of next generation wireless systems can be highlighted as reliable quality of service (QoS) for various applications and global roaming. Since the intrinsic characteristic of mobile communications is mobility support, wireless systems must be able to locate roaming mobile terminals (MTs) at any time to deliver services and to maintain connections, as the MTs move from one service area to another. Location management techniques enable mobile users to move around, even between different systems with dissimilar signaling formats and protocols, while simultaneously offering them incoming calls and maintaining services in progress. Therefore, the objective of mobility modeling is to estimate the current and future locations of a mobile user upon the arrival of a connection request, which involves many parameters, such as moving speed, call duration time, distance between the last known position and destination, and geographical conditions. Location management, however, deals with the problem of how to register or update new location of a mobile user with a wireless system, and how to locate a mobile terminal given the information in system databases.
Managing Advergames
Authors: Gurau Cãlin
Published: May 2011

Advergames have been defined as online games that incorporate marketing content (Dobrow, 2004). They are interactive games that are centered around a brand, a product, or a character associated with a brand or a product. The game can be used to demonstrate the use of a product or to associate the product with an activity or a lifestyle. Studies conducted in the U.S. have discovered that games are extremely popular among all categories of online users. A study conducted by Jupiter Media found that in December 2003, 84.6 million people visited online gaming sites (D5 Games, 2004a). This number is projected to reach 104 million by 2007. The preconception that only kids or teenagers are interested in interactive games is contradicted by findings: in the U.S., 66% of the most frequent game players are over 18 years old, and 40% of them over 35 years old, the average age of a player being 28 year old (D5 Games, 2004a). Another study conducted during December 2003-January 2004 in the U.S. has identified women over 40 years old as a major segment interested in online gaming (Arkadium, 2004)—they spend 9.1 hours per week playing games or 41% of their online time in comparison with only 6.1 hours per week, or 26% of their online time for men. These data demonstrate the huge potential of advergames (Rodgers, 2004; Sennott, 2004). However, despite the hype created by this new advertising method, most of the information presenting advergames is professionally-oriented (DeCollibus, 2002; D5 Games, 2004b; Hartsock, 2004). Very few academic studies have been initiated to investigate the characteristics of advergames, and their influence on consumers’ perceptions and behavior (Hernandez, Chapa, Minor, Maldonaldo, & Barranzuela, 2004; Nelson, 2002). This article attempts to identify, based on the existent professional literature, the specific characteristics of an efficient advergame, and to verify the influence of advergames on players’ behaviour. Therefore, the research objectives of this study are the following: 1. To present the potential of advergames. 2. To discuss the theories explaining the effect of advergames on consumers’ perceptions and behaviour. 3. To analyze the influence of advergames on consumers’ behaviour, using the empirical data collected through an experimental research project. The following section of this article presents the main characteristics of advergames. Section 3 opens a theoretical debate regarding the mechanism of action of advergames on consumers’ perceptions and behaviour, based on the “state of flow” and the AIDA models. The effect of advergames is empirically investigated in Section 4, which presents the results of a survey conducted in Montpellier Business School, France. The article concludes with an overview of the study and with proposition for future research.