bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Verifying Web Site Properties Using Computational Logic
Authors: Cavalcanti Joao , Robertson David
Published: May 2011

The continuing increase in size and complexity of Web sites has turned their design and construction into a challenging problem. Systematic approaches can bring many benefits to Web site construction, making development more methodical and maintenance less time consuming. Computational logic can be successfully used to tackle this problem, as it supports declarative specifications and reasoning about specifications in a more natural way. Computational logic also offers metaprogramming capabilities that can be used to develop methods for automated Web site synthesis. This chapter presents an approach to Web site synthesis based on computational logic and discusses in more detail two important features of the proposed approach: the support for property checking and integrity constraint specification and verification.
Adaptive Web-Based Database Communities
Authors: Bouguettaya Athman , Benatallah Boualem , Medjahed Brahim , Ouzzani Mourad , Hendra Lily
Published: May 2011

The evolution into the global information infrastructure and the concomitant increase in the available information on the Web, is offering a powerful distribution vehicle for organizations that need to coordinate the use of multiple information sources. However, the technology to organize, search, integrate, and evolve these sources has not kept pace with the rapid growth of the available information space. In this chapter, we present our work in the WebFINDIT project. WebFINDIT aims to achieve the scalable integration and efficient querying of Web-accessible databases through the incremental data-driven discovery and formation of interrelationships between information sources. WebFINDIT uses an ontological organization of the information space to filter interactions and accelerate service searches. More precisely, the information space is organized as domain-specific groups. Each group forms a database community to represent the domain of interest of the related databases. Additionally, WebFINDIT provides a monitoring mechanism to dynamically alter relationships between different database communities. This is achieved by using distributed agents that work as background processes. They continually gather and evaluate information about the intercommunity relationships to recommend changes. A prototype has been fully implemented in the context of a healthcare application.
Materialized Views in Multidimensional Databases
Authors: Paraboschi Stefano , Sindoni Giuseppe , Baralis Elena , Teniente Ernst
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents materialized views in the context of multidimensional databases (MDDBs). A materialized view is a view whose content is explicitly stored in the database. The advantage of materializing views is that it is not necessary to recompute the query every time the view is accessed. The shortcoming is that it has to be kept consistent with the updates on the base tables. However, efficient incremental maintenance techniques have been proposed. MDDBs are an ideal environment for materialized views because frequency of updates is low, MDDB data models permit easy adoption of incremental maintenance, and queries can be modeled in such a way to allow an easy definition of the view selection problem, i.e., the problem of selecting which query to materialize in an MDDB. Hence, we present the problems of choosing and maintaining materialised views with the corresponding solutions.
Querying Multidimensional Data
Authors: Tininini Leonardo
Published: May 2011

A powerful and easy-to-use querying environment is certainly one of the most important components in a multidimensional database, and its effectiveness is influenced by many other aspects, both logical (data model, integration, policy of view materialization, etc.) and physical (multidimensional or relational storage, indexes, etc.). As is evident, multidimensional querying is often based on the metaphor of the data cube and on the concepts of facts, measures, and dimensions. In contrast to conventional transactional environments, multidimensional querying is often an exploratory process, performed by navigating along the dimensions and measures, increasing/decreasing the level of detail and focusing on specific subparts of the cube that appear to be “promising” for the required information. In this chapter we focus on the main languages proposed in the literature to express multidimensional queries, particularly those based on: (i) an algebraic approach, (ii) a declarative paradigm (calculus), and (iii) visual constructs and syntax. We analyze the problem of evaluation, i.e., the issues related to the efficient data retrieval and calculation, possibly (often necessarily) using some pre-computed data, a problem known in the literature as the problem of rewriting a query using views. We also illustrate the use of particular index structures to speed up the query evaluation process.
Privacy in Multidimensional Databases
Authors: Malvestuto Francesco M. , Moscarini Marina
Published: May 2011

When answering queries that ask for summary statistics, the query-system of a multidimensional database should guard confidential data, that is, it should avoid revealing (directly or indirectly) individual data, which could be exactly calculated or accurately estimated from the values of answered queries. In order to prevent the disclosure of confidential data, the query-system should be provided with an auditing procedure which, each time a new query is processed, checks that its answer does not allow a (knowledgeable) user to disclose any sensitive data. A promising approach consists in keeping track of (or auditing) answered queries by means a dynamic graphical data structure, here called the answer map, whose size increases with the number of answered queries and with the number of dimensions of the database, so that the problem of the existence of an efficient auditing procedure naturally arises. This chapter reviews recent results on this problem for “additive” queries (such as COUNT and SUM queries) by listing some polynomially solvable problems as well as some hard problems, and suggests directions for future work.
Business Planning Frameworks and IDCM
Authors: Asprey Len , Middleton Michael
Published: May 2011

This chapter provides a synopsis of the contemporary business environment and reviews some internal and external factors that influence enterprise planning, with particular reference to document role. Several business sectors are considered. Some of the information systems and technologies available on the market to support planning initiatives are examined. The relevance of managing documents and their content is discussed in the context of a strategic planning framework that takes into account matters such as regulatory compliance and commercial processes. Our view is that effective application of IDCM strategy cannot be undertaken unless attention is paid to the general context of an organization’s business processes and the IT environment in which they operate. Our objectives are to do the following: • Outline the enterprise business planning framework. • Consider the commercial landscape and review some of the issues that may impact on business planning. • Consider the regulatory landscape and review some of the legislative, administrative regulations, and standards that may impact on business planning. • Reflect on the IT landscape and the implications for business planning. • Discuss at a conceptual level the role of document management systems as a key enabler of business planning. • Consider the overall implications of fragmented and mismanaged document environments on business planning.
Chinese Culture and Internet E-Commerce
Authors: Hsu Jeffrey
Published: May 2011

The potential for the Internet and e-commerce in China and Chinese-speaking nations (including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore) is huge. Many experts believe that China will have the second largest population of web surfers, after the United States, by the year 2005 (McCarthy, 2000). Currently, the Internet population in China is doubling every six months (CNNIC, 2001). There are many issues relating to China’s cultural aspects and society, which can impact the design and content of web sites that are directed towards Chinese audiences. Some of these issues include basic differences between Chinese and American/Western cultures, family and collective orientations, religion and faith, color, symbolism, ordering and risk/uncertainty. Attention is given to the differences between the cultures of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as addressing issues brought up by related theories and frameworks. A discussion of important considerations that relate to using Chinese language on the World Wide Web (WWW) is also included. Finally, insights are gained by examining web sites produced in China and Chinese-speaking countries. This chapter will focus on many of these issues and provide practical guidelines and advice for those who want to reach out to Chinese audiences, whether for e-commerce, education, or other needs.
A Proposed Process for Performing Data Mining Projects
Authors: Hirji Karim K.
Published: May 2011

There is an enormous amount of data generated by academic, business, and governmental organizations alike; however, only a small portion of the data that is collected and stored in databases is ever analyzed. Since data are the building blocks for both information and knowledge, the opportunity costs (to organizations) of ignoring data assets can range from competitive disadvantage to organizational demise. Data mining has thus emerged as a discipline focusing on unleashing the potential of data in organizations. The enthusiasm surrounding data mining at large continues to grow; however, at the same time, there are claims that data mining projects fail in delivering the expected value. Many of the causes of the failures can be traced back to strategy, process and technology variables. The purpose of this chapter is to discover a process for performing data mining projects and to propose this process to practitioners as a starting point when making decisions about planning, organizing, executing and closing data mining projects. Literature on package implementation, rapid application development and new product development together with results from a case study are used to arrive at the proposed data mining process. More research is needed to evaluate, refine and validate the proposed process before it can be used as the basis for developing a comprehensive methodology for performing data mining projects.
A Telecommunications Model for Managing Complexity of Voice and Data Networks and Services
Authors: Ghahramani Bahador
Published: May 2011

The telecommunications industry (TI) is challenged by a significant increase in the complexity of information transfer due to a recent proliferation of data mining technologies, techniques and applications. As the result, TI is facing a fundamental paradigm shift, with the convergence of voice and data services as well as ever expanding technologies to its users. This technological movement towards a convergence of telephony and computer technologies, web-based networks, and wired and wireless services is creating areas of tremendous opportunities. These areas of opportunity are for continuous quality improvements and applications of the voice and data convergence mining techniques and their implementations. The TI’s implementation of the data mining algorithms reduces information overload, increases data integrity and accuracy, and effectively manages its global networks.
Combination Forecasts Based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo Estimation of the Mode
Authors: Pang Wan Kai , Wong Heung , Chan Chi Kin , Troutt Marvin D.
Published: May 2011

This chapter proposes an approach to the combination of forecasts from a new perspective and uses a new estimation methodology. Concepts from optimization and statistics are combined in order to cast the problem as one of estimating the minimizer of a loss function, which is assumed to be not explicitly known. Using weak assumptions on the unknown loss function, and on the performance distribution of the experts, a density for the expert estimates may be derived. Sufficient conditions are then obtained for reducing the problem to that of statistical mode estimation. By regarding individual forecasts as expert estimates of the minimizer of the decision maker’s loss function, the mode of these forecasts becomes a combination forecast. Using the Bayesian approach and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method, an empirical distribution corresponding to the predictive density of the expert estimates can be constructed. Hence the mode can be estimated and a probability interval for the forecast value can also be obtained. The probability interval associated with a combination forecast has not previously been studied in the literature. Thus, the construction of the probability interval is a new contribution. Simulation studies as well as an empirical example are presented to illustrate our method.
Electronic Mail in the Public Workplace
Authors: Prysby Charles L. , Prysby Nicole D.
Published: May 2011

The increasing use of electronic mail in the workplace has generated important legal questions for public organizations. The legal questions concerning e-mail in public institutions and agencies fall into two basic categories: (a) issues of employee privacy regarding e-mail messages; and (b) public access to e-mail under applicable freedom of information legislation. While the employer has broad legal grounds for reading workplace e-mail, at least if there is some legitimate business reason for doing so, employees frequently feel that such monitoring is an excessive invasion of their privacy, and the result sometimes is organizational conflict over these privacy issues. These privacy concerns have generated demands for greater protection of employee privacy in this area, and some states have responded with legislation that covers e-mail in the workplace. Government organizations also must treat at least some of their e-mail as part of the public record, making it open to public access, but this also can lead to conflict between public administrators, who may feel that much of their e-mail represents thoughts that were not intended for public disclosure, and external groups, such as the press, who feel that all such information belongs in the public domain. State laws vary considerably in terms of how they define the types of e-mail messages that are part of the public record, some being far more inclusive than others. Given the uncertainty and confusion that frequently exist regarding these legal questions, it is essential that public organizations develop and publicize an e-mail policy that both clarifies what privacy expectations employees should have regarding their e-mail and specifies what recording keeping requirements for e-mail should be followed to appropriately retain public records.
Preproduction Stages in the Multimedia Development
Authors: Klassen Johanna
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the focus is on the design of autonomous language learning courseware based on the Constructivist view, where learners only learn how to learn when they are actively involved in the learning process. This calls for programs that are designed to be interactive, encouraging students to select the type and pace of work, and providing feedback for decisions made. The author draws on the experience of producing an interactive multimedia package, Virtual Language University, for English-language learning. The focus is on the decision-making process in front-end design work. The conceptualization stage addresses: (a) specification decisions related to educational needs; (b) interface design with emphasis on metaphor, menu selection, diagnostic testing, and screen design; and (c) navigation. Decisions related to scripting include the general format, coding, and creation of templates, graphics and animation, video specifications, and task interaction. Each phase has examples taken from the Virtual Language University, a CD-ROM package.
Beyond the Web
Authors: Parikh Mihir A.
Published: May 2011

Internet technologies are changing the way we provide education and training at all levels. However, we have not yet fully utilized the power of these technologies. The focus has only been on the Web, which is only one of many Internet technologies. In this chapter, we go beyond the Web to leverage multiple Internet technologies to support in-class education. In this chapter, common problems in Web-based education are discussed, an experiment in developing and implementing a framework that seamlessly integrate various Internet technologies is presented, and the increase in learning effectiveness yielded by the new methodology is described.
Program Execution and Visualization on the Web
Authors: Pareja-Flores C. , Velazquez-Iturbide J. A.
Published: May 2011

Programming is a demanding task with an education program that requires the assistance of complex tools such as programming environments, algorithm animators, problem graders, etc. In this chapter, we give a comprehensive presentation of tools for program execution and visualization on the Web. We summarize the technical evolution of these tools, describe educational uses, report lessons learned, and look at formal evaluations of their educational effectiveness. We also deal with a closely related matter, namely, collections of Web documents containing programming exercises. Finally, we outline our view of future trends in the use of the Web for programming education, and we give our personal conclusions. This chapter is of interest to educators and researchers, because it gives a comprehensive presentation of the main issues and results of a field where most of the contributions are sparse in the literature.
Human-Computer Interaction in Education
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Film Theory
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Stories, Simulations and Case Studies
Authors: Berg Gary A.
Published: May 2011

I come to the subject of this book from a very different path than most of those thinking about the use of computers in educational environments. My formal education focused originally on literature and film studies, and film production at the University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. I became professionally involved in educational administration through the backdoor of continuing education focused first on the entertainment industry, and then more broadly. It was after this combined experience of studying film and television and working in adult education that I began research in education and earned a doctorate in the field of higher education from Claremont Graduate University, with a special emphasis on distance learning. I hope that the different point of view I have developed from my eclectic background gives me the ability to make something of a unique contribution to this evolving new field. What follows is an attempt to spark a discussion that will lead to answers to the question of what are the most effective techniques for the design of computer learning environments. This is not a how-to book—we are too early in the evolutionary process of the medium to give such specific guidance. Rather, my intention is to offer some theories to elevate the thinking bout computers in education. Because the subject is interdisciplinary, combining science with the humanities, the theoretical discussion draws from abroad range of disciplines: psychology, educational theory, film criticism, and computer science. The book looks at the notion of computer as medium and what such an idea might mean for education. I suggest that the understanding of computers as a medium may be a key to re-envisioning educational technology. Oren (1995) argues that understanding computers as a medium means enlarging human-computer interaction (HCI) research to include issues such as the psychology of media, evolution of genre and form, and the societal implications of media, all of which are discussed here. Computers began to be used in educational environments much later than film, and I would have to agree with others who claim that the use of computers instructionally is still quite unsophisticated.
Issues of Quality in Online Degree Programmes
Authors: Grasso Floriana , Leng Paul
Published: May 2011

Online delivery of degree-level programmes is an attractive option, especially for working professionals and others who are unable to contemplate full-time residential university attendance. If such programmes are to be accepted, however, it is essential that they attain the same standards and quality as conventionally delivered degrees. We describe here the structures and processes developed for quality management and assurance in a programme of online master’s level degrees in a UK university. The pedagogical approach places great emphasis on the role of online discussion in the teaching and learning process, and we argue that this also has a key role in the quality assurance process. We discuss ways in which techniques of artificial intelligence can be used to assist instructors and others to manage and evaluate discussions effectively.
How Useful are WWW Discussion Boards and Email in Delivering a Case Study Course in Reproductive Medicine
Authors: Cahill David , Cook Julian , Jenkins Julian
Published: May 2011

A pilot course was carried out aiming to evaluate the relative potential of email and World Wide Web-based discussion boards to deliver an online course in reproductive medicine to 18 doctors training in obstetrics and gynecology, distributed around the South West region of England. The course organisers presented one case study per month and asked participants to comment on it by electronic means. The course was evaluated for its ability to deliver and ease of access. Tutors’ and participants’ views were sought. The information gathered was incorporated into the development of further Internet-based educational projects.
Ensuring Optimal Accessibility of Online Learning Resources
Authors: Sloan David , Gibson Lorna , Milne Scott , Gregor Peter
Published: May 2011

Online educational resources have the potential of providing enhanced access to education for everyone. To achieve this, these resources must be accessible both to the increasingly diverse range of potential users and via the diverse browsing environments now available. Legal and moral obligations also exist to ensure that disabled people are not unjustifiably denied access to education. Established accessible design guidelines and techniques exist which, if followed, help to ensure a more usable, portable and effective learning resource for all users. However, due to a lack of awareness of these amongst educational resource providers and shortcomings in courseware authoring tools, many current online learning resources may contain significant accessibility barriers. This chapter outlines arguments for accessible design and provides a brief overview of accessible design techniques. Also discussed are strategies for ensuring accessibility of e-learning, which should include provision of appropriate support to resource providers in terms of training and guidance in accessible courseware design, as well as provision of technologies which promote creation of and access to accessible online learning resources.
Web Accessibility at University Libraries and Library Schools
Authors: Schmetzke Axel
Published: May 2011

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that library programs and services must be accessible to people with disabilities. In an era in which much information resides in digitized form on the World Wide Web, the ADA’s mandate must be interpreted as applying not only to physical space but also to cyberspace. Just as in the physical world, proper design is a crucial issue. Only accessibly-designed Web pages ensure that all people, including those with print disabilities, have access to Web-based information. Previous studies indicate that a large proportion of campus, as well at the main libraries on these campuses. This study looks at all 56 North American ALA-accredited schools of library and information science (SLIS), as well at the main libraries on these campuses. Accessibility data collected in February 2002 are compared to 2000 data. The findings continue to give cause for concern: It is reasonable to assume that low Web page accessibility at the nation’s library schools reflects a lack of awareness about this issue among the leaders and trainers in the library profession.
Overcoming Organizational Barriers to Web Accessibility in Higher Education
Authors: Metcalfe Amy
Published: May 2011

The number of students with disabilities who attend college is rising, which may be one of the many positive outcomes of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. While issues of adequate access to assistive technologies in computer labs, classrooms and libraries continue to be of importance for students with disabilities, it is apparent that consideration of the accessibility of academic cyberspace is also important for this growing population of students. This chapter is a case study of a successful Web accessibility initiative at the University of Arizona. Recommendations for both policy and implementation are included, with a discussion of how organizational culture and structure affects such efforts.
Technology in the Social Studies Classroom
Authors: Agostino V. Robert
Published: May 2011

Claude Shannon died in my hometown, Medford, Massachusetts, in February, 2001. Age 84, he apparently had Alzheimer’s disease. It is a great irony that the man most responsible for digital memory and information transmission ended his life not being able to remember. I am not sure why Claude Shannon was in my hometown at the end of his life; perhaps his long connection to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) made him buy a house there, or maybe it was the Alzheimer’s care facility. When he died, his obituary was carried by a number of national newspapers and several Web sites. These obituaries all mentioned the same facts. Shannon was a genius, receiving dual bachelor degrees in 1936 in electrical engineering and mathematics from the University of Michigan. He also received a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in mathematics in 1940 from MIT. His master’s degree thesis, “A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits,” is regarded as the most important thesis ever written about the topic of information. Combined with his 1948 paper, “A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” Shannon revolutionized the way engineers thought about hardware, and how technologists today are reconceptualizing learning theory, software design, and electronic communications. It is that evolution of technological thought that has impacted social studies so directly.
Creating and Using Multiple Media in an Online Course
Authors: Wright Maurice W.
Published: May 2011

The adaptation of a traditional, face-to-face course to an online format presents both challenges and opportunities. A face-to-face fundamentals course treating the science of musical sound and the methods used to code and transform musical sound using digital computers was adapted for online delivery. The history of the course and the composition of its audience are discussed, as are the decisions to create movies, web pages, electronic mail, and a paper textbook for the course. Practical choices for technology, which reflect the conflicting benefits of choosing simple versus more sophisticated technology, are outlined and the reactions of the students to these choices are discussed. An anecdotal comparison between an online and a face-to-face course section is offered, along with ideas for future development.
Digital Government and Individual Privacy
Authors: Mullen Patrick R.
Published: May 2011

The growth of the Internet and digital government has dramatically increased the Federal government’s ability to collect, analyze, and disclose personal information about many private aspects of citizens’ lives. Personal information once available only on paper to a limited number of people is now instantly retrievable anywhere in the world by anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. Over time, there has also been a declining level of trust by Americans in government, and currently, many perceive the government as a potential threat to their privacy. Given these forces at work in our society, one should not be surprised to read the results of surveys that show privacy as a top concern of citizens in the 21st century. If citizens do not believe that the government is adequately protecting the privacy of their individual information, they may be less willing to provide this information. Such reluctance could compromise the ability of government to collect important information necessary to develop, administer and evaluate the impact of various policies and programs. Privacy issues discussed in this chapter include challenges regarding (1) protecting personal privacy; (2) ensuring confidentiality of data collected; and (3) implementing appropriate security controls. Perspectives on privacy and stewardship responsibilities of agencies are also discussed.
Digital Government and Citizen Participation in the United States
Authors: Holzer Marc , Hu Lung-Teng , Song Seok-Hwi
Published: May 2011

This chapter addresses the topic of citizen participation via digital government in several sections: first, we discuss the relationship between digital government and citizen participation from the academic literature. Second, we introduce some best practices of citizen participations through digital government in the United States; third, we offer some principles and implications from these best practices; and fourth, we discuss several potential problems of digitized citizen participation in terms of further research. The best practices described in this chapter include Minnesota’s Department Results and Online Citizen Participation Opportunities, Santa Monica’s Budget Suggestions, California’s California Scorecard, Virginia Beach’s EMS Customer Satisfaction Survey and others. We extract some common features from these best practices, such as citizen as customer, recognizing a citizen’s capacity, and direct participation. Further, we recommend principles for designing digitized citizen participation: operationalize direct policy involvement, enable the citizen to influence policy priorities, enhance government accountability, encourage participatory deliberation and shape digital citizenship.
Managing Cognitive and Affective Trust in the Conceptual R&D Organization
Authors: Sonnenwald Diane H.
Published: May 2011

In today’s knowledge-based and competitive economy, research and development (R&D) efforts are increasingly geographically distributed across multiple institutions. This chapter explores the management of cognitive and affective trust and distrust within a new type of geographically distributed and multi-institutional R&D organization, called the conceptual organization. Both cognitive and affective trust are important to the conceptual organization because it relies on collaboration among individual members to achieve its goals, and collaboration is not possible without cognitive or affective trust. Data from a two-year case study of a conceptual organization illuminates how the organization’s structure, use of power and information and communications technology (ICT) shape and are shaped by cognitive and affective trust. Tightly-coupled collaboration appears to only emerge in situations where high cognitive and affective trust simultaneously exist, and no collaboration will emerge in situations with high cognitive and affective distrust exist. In comparison, limited collaboration emerges when affective trust and cognitive distrust exist concurrently, and competitive collaboration appears to emerge when cognitive trust and affective distrust exist concurrently. Different mechanisms to manage the collaboration emerged in these situations. These results help inform our understanding of cognitive and affective trust and distrust, and their management in R&D.
Peopleware
Authors: Nelson R. Ryan , Todd Peter A.
Published: May 2011

The hiring and retention of IT personnel has remained a top priority for managers given the increasingly important role that information technology plays in the success of virtually all companies today. In this chapter, through a series of case studies, we report on a set of best practices that are designed to help organizations develop strategy, recruit, hire, develop, compensate, and ultimately retain valued IT personnel. In addition, a model is presented that describes the key drivers of job satisfaction, and ultimately determine turnover. It is suggested that the relative importance of these drivers, which include the quality of management, work attributes, compensation, and career development, will change for employees over time. Therefore, managing these drivers using the identified best practices can significantly assist organizations in attracting and retaining IT personnel.
Organizational Entry and Transition from Acedemic Study
Authors: Lee Denis M.S.
Published: May 2011

A critical stage in the development of young Information Systems (IS) professionals is when they make the transition from academic study to industrial work. At this stage, the young IS professional must learn about his work requirements, understand work procedures, and develop new skills and knowledge in order to function effectively in the workplace. This study develops a three-phase model of organizational socialization to analyze this process of organizational boundary crossing and professional development for a group of recent Information Systems graduates. Overall, this exploratory study illustrates that the socialization framework could provide a useful research model for examining the early professional development of young IS workers. The results indicate that the effective preparation of young IS workers involves far more than just a fixed set of academic subjects. The framework is also useful to reveal some specific characteristics of information technology work that could pose particular challenges for the adjustment process of young IS workers in the workplace. The implications of the preliminary findings from this exploratory study for educators, managers, and researchers are discussed.
Is There a Retention Gap for Women and Minorities? The Case for Moving In Versus Moving Up
Authors: Tapia Andrea H. , Kvasny Lynette , Trauth Eileen M.
Published: May 2011

This chapter will examine the “retention gap” between the goals of gender and racial diversity and the workplace/management behaviors that affect retention of individuals in those groups. Women, as well as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans, are represented in the information technology (IT) workforce in percentages that are far lower than their percentages in the population as a whole. These populations are also under-represented in the educational programs that prepare people for careers as IT workers. While recruiting efforts are crucial for increasing the participation of women and minorities, it is equally important that we retain those already in the IT workforce. It is clear that nothing is gained by bringing women and minorities into the workforce to simply have them drop out or be weeded out. There is a need to deepen our understanding of retention issues for women and minorities in order to inform intervention strategies. This chapter addresses this need by providing an in-depth examination of factors affecting attraction, development, and especially retention of minorities and women in IS.
Teledemocratic Innovations that Public Officials Ignore-At Our Great Peril
Authors: Becker Ted
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, the author tackles the major problems plaguing representative democracies around the world. Importantly, these problems originate from the alienation of citizens. The problems manifest themselves, for example, in the dramatic decrease of voting turnouts particularly in the United States. There is a disconnect between the citizenry and political power in the field of public administration. Becker maintains that despite much talk about the needs to develop citizen-centered public administration, little practical change can be seen in this respect and by and large, the attempts to make governmental services more accessible by ICT have not lessened citizen’s feelings of estrangement and apathy. Having diagnosed the ills of representative democracy and public administration, Becker discusses new methods to bridge the gap between government and citizens and to fight political apathy. One of the methods of empowering citizens is scientific deliberative polling which has been experimented with successfully since the 1970s. The author also reviews the experiences of electronic town meetings, for example, AmericaSpeaks which was organized in New York in July 2002 to discuss how to rebuild the World Trade Center.
What's New? Perspectives on Freedom of Information and the Internet
Authors: Bugdahn Sonja
Published: May 2011

Critics of the notion or concept of “information society” have often made claims to put the new ICTs into a more historical and institutional context. As a response, in this chapter, the more than 200-year-old right of access to governmental information is selected as a reference point. A comprehensive review of literature reveals that this right can be analyzed from various perspectives. Examples are the politics, policy, and polity perspective; the market perspective; and the citizenship perspective. Each perspective highlights different aspects of the impacts a right of access to information can possibly have. The citizenship perspective turns out to be particularly interesting, because the traditional, but changeable concept of citizenship, and the right of access to information interact with each other. In a second step, the same perspectives can be utilized for an analysis of documents and literature on new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in order to determine whether truly new and original elements are added to what has previously been analyzed in terms of access to information rights. The application of the freedom of information perspectives to Internet-based access to information allows for the identification of interesting research questions on the changing concept of citizenship, the future of national and transnational governance and the future of regulation.
Measuring the Effectiveness of Training to Improve Electronic Information Literacy
Authors: Fahey Nicole , Taylor Wal
Published: May 2011

This chapter uses a case study approach to highlight issues surrounding the provision of government agency sponsored programs aimed at increasing Electronic Information Literacy (EIL), as a basic requirement for community engagement in an electronically enabled world. The Skills.net program was designed to increase EIL skills by providing “free or low cost access to training in online services and the Internet for those in the community who are least likely to have access” in Victoria, Australia. This study found that whilst the Skills.net program did increase EIL, it did not adequately address the accepted training needs of the participants nor did it adequately adhere to known guidelines for success in information literacy enhancement. This experience provides further evidence of lessons being learned from many government agency imposed programs which do not provide adequate outcomes for regional areas as they grapple with the impact of being increasingly marginalized in an electronically enabled age.
Portals for Older People in Regional Areas
Authors: Lepa Jerzy , Tatnall Arthur
Published: May 2011

GreyPath is a Web portal designed to provide information, services, facilities and links useful to older people. Although carrying some advertising and offering some services for a charge, use of the portal is free. This chapter examines potential uses of this portal and how it might be able to foster the creation and maintenance of virtual Internet communities of older people that could be of benefit to older Australians regardless of where they live. Virtual Internet communities like this are of particular importance to people living in regional or remote areas, those with a disability of some kind, and those who, for whatever reason, find it difficult to mix with other people with similar interests. Although further work needs to be done to assess the effectiveness of the GreyPath portal in fulfilling the needs of older people, this chapter identifies potential advantages of portal technology in this context.
Updating and Developing Course Materials
Authors: Porter Lynnette R.
Published: May 2011

As you develop the entire curriculum for a degree program, you want both uniqueness and similarity among courses. Each course should be unique, with its own purpose, objectives, requirements, content, and activities. It must have its own special place in a program.
Governance in IT Outsourcing Partnerships
Authors: Beulen Erik
Published: May 2011

An IT outsourcing partnership consists of an outsourcing relationship and one or more external IT suppliers and the relationship between them. Alignment of mutually set goals of the IT outsourcing relationship is a prerequisite to achieve governance. In order to achieve governance the management of IT outsourcing partnerships is also essential. Managing an IT outsourcing relationship requires substantial effort from both the outsourcing organisation and the IT supplier. This chapter is based on 11 international IT outsourcing partnerships, five expert interviews and on literature. Three dimensions are described in a descriptive IT outsourcing partnership governance framework: outsourcing organization, the maintenance of the relationship, and the IT supplier. Eleven governance factors are detailed in the framework. These governance factors include guidelines for the implementation of the IT strategy and the information management. Furthermore, this chapter focuses on the IT outsourcing contract. The role of the contract management and account management of the IT suppliers and the implementation of global service delivery processes is also detailed in this chapter.
Improving Competitive Intelligence Through System Synamics
Authors: Pala Özge , Vriens Dirk , Vennix Jac A.M.
Published: May 2011

To survive in a complex and dynamic world, organizations need relevant, timely, and accurate information about their environment. Due to the increasing complexity and dynamics of the environment, organizations run into several difficulties in their efforts to structure the intelligence activities. Two particularly persistent problems are (1) determining the relevant environmental cues and (2) making sense of the particular values of these cues. The current available methods for competitive intelligence do not eliminate these problems. In this chapter, system dynamics (SD) is proposed as an appropriate tool for competitive intelligence. System dynamics is a simulation methodology that deals with the dynamics of complex systems from a feedback perspective. How SD can help in dealing with the problems in direction (selecting the relevant environmental cues) and analysis (making sense of cues) stages and how ICT can support the use of SD in intelligence activities are discussed.