bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Formal Modelling of the Dynamic Behaviour of Biology-Inspired, Agent-Based Systems
Authors: Kefalas Petros , Eleftherakis G. , Stamatopoulou I.
Published: May 2011

Multi-agent systems are highly dynamic since the agents’ abilities and the system configuration often changes over time. In some ways, such multi-agent systems seem to behave like biological processes; new agents appear in the system, some others cease to exist, and communication between agents changes. One of the challenges is to attempt to formally model the dynamic configuration of multi-agent systems. Towards this aim, we present a formal method, namely X-machines, that can be used to formally specify, verify, and test individual agents. In addition, communicating X-machines provide a mechanism for allowing agents to communicate messages to each other. We utilize concepts from biological processes in order to identify and define a set of operations that are able to reconfigure a multi-agent system. In this chapter we present an example in which a biology-inspired system is incrementally built in order to meet our objective.
Stages of Growth in Knowledge Management Technology
Authors: Gottschalk Petter
Published: May 2011

Stages of growth models have been used widely in both organizational research and information technology management research. According to King and Teo (1997), these models describe a wide variety of phenomena — the organizational life cycle, product life cycle, biological growth, and so forth. These models assume that predictable patterns (conceptualized in terms of stages) exist in the growth of organizations, the sales levels of products, and the growth of living organisms. These stages are (1) sequential in nature, (2) occur as a hierarchical progression that is not easily reversed, and (3) involve a broad range of organizational activities and structures.
Template-Based Definition of Information Systems and Enterprise Modelling Constructs
Authors: Opdahl Andreas , Henderson-Sellers Brian
Published: May 2011

The chapter reviews and augments a previously proposed template for defining enterprise and information systems (IS) modelling constructs. The purpose of the template is to provide clear and precise definitions of modelling constructs in a common format and, thereby, to facilitate intra- and inter-language integration. The template is based on the Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW) model of information systems and has been used on several existing modelling languages and frameworks. It is defined by a meta-model expressed as a UML class diagram. The purpose of this chapter is to clarify the template further by formalising the meta-model through semi-formal constraints expressed in the object constraint language (OCL) and by populating the meta-model with definitions of example constructs from the UML version 1.4. The purpose is to make the template easier to understand, to validate it, to pave the way for stronger tool support for the template and to further our work on providing a complete template-based definition of the UML.
Applying the ONTOMETRIC Method to Measure the Suitability of Ontologies
Authors: Gomez-Perez Asunción , Lozano-Tello Adolfo
Published: May 2011

In the last years, the development of ontology-based applications has increased considerably, mainly related to the Semantic Web. Users currently looking for ontologies in order to incorporate them into their systems, just use their experience and intuition. This makes it difficult for them to justify their choices. Mainly, this is due to the lack of methods that help the user to determine which are the most appropriate ontologies for the new system. To solve this deficiency, the present chapter proposes a method, ONTOMETRIC, which allows the users to measure the suitability of existing ontologies, regarding the requirements of their systems. ONTOMETRIC, based in the analytic hierarchy process, can be used to select the mostappropriate ontology among various alternatives. This chapter describes the main techniques and activities to apply the method.
Ecoinvent Database
Authors: Frischknecht Rolf
Published: May 2011

In late 2000 the project ecoinvent 2000 was officially launched. Several Swiss Federal Offices and research institutes of the ETH domain agreed on a joint effort to harmonise and update life cycle inventory (LCI) data for its use in life cycle assessment (LCA). Life cycle assessment is a technique for assessing the environmental aspects and potential impacts associated with a product or service from resource extraction, manufacturing and use to final disposal.
Integration of Material Flow Management Tools in Workplace Environments
Authors: Hedemann Jan , Moller Andreas , Muller-Beilschmidt Peter , Rohdemann Dirk , Schmidt Mario , Schmitt Bernd
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes how information technology (IT) support for industrial ecology can be integrated in a workplace environment, providing a homogeneous user interface and role-based access to information. The term “industrial ecology” comprises all activities of a company in regard to the natural environment. These can be, among others: operative tasks (e.g., handling of hazardous materials), compliance tasks (e.g., preparing declarations to be submitted to authorities), as well tasks involved in building up an environmental management system. It may also include innovative new approaches, such as “Design for Environment” or recycling oriented design. Other terms with a similar connotation are “cycle-oriented industry” or “integrated production”. To the user it is not really relevant which application furnishes the data he or she accesses. Rather, the user wants the data to be served in a harmonized way and adapted to his or her specific work context; the user wishes to use it in material flow models and he or she needs to utilize the data in cooperative work processes. Computer support and data aggregation are therefore only one aspect. Additionally it is required to work with adequate tools for creating and using material flow models as well as for supporting communication in business processes. The result is a “Business Package for Industrial Ecology”.
Advanced Middleware for eScience Applied to Environmental Integrated Systems
Authors: Houstis Catherine , Lalis Spyros , Vavalis Emmanuel , Pitikakis Marios , Vasilakis George V.
Published: May 2011

An advanced eScience middleware system is designed and implemented (the middleware has been developed within the ARION project, IST-2000-25289, funded by EU 5th Framework Programme) to support search and retrieval of scientific information. It is capable of integrating collections of scientific datasets, including simulation models and associated tools for statistical analysis and dataset visualization. These collections represent application software in several scientific domains, they reside in geographically disperse organizations and constitute the system content. It also actively supports on-demand scientific data processing workflows. The system design makes use of two recently advancing technologies, the Semantic Web and the Grid, as well as state of the art distributed systems’ technology. The systems’ demonstration scenarios involve mainly environmental applications.
Information Systems for Co-Operative Procurement of Organic Food as a Basis for Decentralised Eco-Villages
Authors: Naumann Stefan
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we describe the “eFood-Coop” software system that supports an eco-community in ordering, purchasing and delivering organic products such as food, clean construction material and so forth. In addition, offering services and hiring or lending goods such as tools and so forth can be supported. Besides presenting products, the software supports communication and co-operation among the members/consumers. This promotes a sustainable economy locally and makes it possible to order organic food at wholesale (which requires collecting single orders to exceed the minimum order quantities required to obtain wholesale sales units). Thus, it is one essential contribution to a decentralised eco-village structure, where several hundred people consider themselves as inhabitants of a virtual village. This village is spread over a limited area with a diameter of about 20-30 miles. The local restriction is necessary because otherwise material flows would be too extensive and maintaining social bindings would be more difficult.
E-Government Applications and User Acceptance in Taiwan
Authors: Hung Shin-Yuan , Ku Cheng-Yuan , Chang Chia-Ming
Published: May 2011

E-government has become one of the most important issues in the transformation of the public sector in many countries. However, it is not easy to implement. According to a report by the Center for Public Policy at Brown University, Taiwan’s e-government was ranked the first among the 198 countries in 2002. Therefore, the developing experience of Taiwan may be a useful lesson for other countries. In this chapter, we briefly introduce the history, current status and the architecture of Taiwan’s e-government. To further help, this chapter also identifies the critical factors of e-government adoption in Taiwan, using the Online Tax Filing and Payment System.
Rebuilding Core Competencies When a Company Splits
Authors: Corbitt Gail
Published: May 2011

In 1999, Hewlett Packard announced the split of its company into two smaller companies, HP and Agilent. As a result, the financial work, processes, and systems needed to be cloned in both new organizations at the same time people, assets, and transactions were becoming separate and distinct. The focus of this case study is on how the core competencies associated with the split were defined, identified, and transferred to all employees who needed to have them. The results of an internal and external literature search are included along with survey results. Results indicate that the purposes of and processes used for data collection concerning core competencies within an organization are critical to their usefulness.
Challenges in Developing a Knowledge Management Strategy for the Air Force Material Command
Authors: Bartczak Summer E. , England Ellen C.
Published: May 2011

It is widely acknowledged that an organizational knowledge management strategy is a desired precursor to the development of specific knowledge management (KM) initiatives. The development of such a strategy is often difficult in the face of a lack of organizational understanding about KM and other organizational constraints. This case study describes the issues involved in developing a new KM strategy for the Air Force Material Command (AFMC). It centers around the AFMC KM program manager, Randy Adkins, and his challenges in developing the future KM strategy direction for the AFMC enterprise. The case study begins with a description of the history of the AFMC KM program and the existing KM system, but then focuses primarily on issues to be considered in future strategy development, such as maintaining top leadership support and understanding, conflict with the IT organization, funding cuts, future KM system configuration needs, and outsourcing of KM. The intent of this case study is to demonstrate, using Randy Adkins and AFMC as an example, many common issues that can be encountered as leaders struggle to develop viable KM strategies.
Introduction
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

One cannot help but admire the accomplishments achieved by organizations over the years, and their impact on society in general. While some may argue that we have become too urbanized and materialistic, it is undeniable that today most of us can buy many more goods and services than our great grandparents could (at a lower price relative to inflation), which seems to make our life easier and more comfortable. Of course, that makes us more prone to buy things that we don’t need, and feel unhappy about the results. But that is not the fault of progress; we should blame our inability to deal with progress.
Some Realistic Recommendations for Organizations
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

The first electronic digital computer, the ENIAC, was developed in 1946 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, with funding from the United States Army. By then, computers were seen as giant calculators, capable of performing thousands of complex mathematical operations per second. As World War II had just ended, and the prospect of a global nuclear race was looming large, one of the main applications of computers at that time was ballistics calculation. Among other ballistics-related applications, computers were extensively used for the calculation of warhead missile trajectories with both high speed and unprecedented precision.
A Close Look at Twelve Business Process Improvement Groups
Authors: Kock Ned
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, I provide a structured description of 12 business process improvement groups conducted at MAF Quality Management and Waikato University, both in New Zealand. I facilitated these groups based on the MetaProi methodology described earlier in this book, and the majority of the communication in these groups took place through an e-collaboration system. The group descriptions provided in this chapter and other group-related information have been used in several analyses discussed in previous chapters. Each group description comprises the following elements:
Uncertainty and Information in Construction
Authors: Wild Alan
Published: May 2011

This chapter questions the possibility of knowledge management in construction, other than among leading organisations handling a restricted population of projects. Socio-technical research in UK coal mining from the 1950s and construction from the 1960s and other relevant studies are compared. The extent to which the tacit order, instability, and diffuseness of construction may, practically, undermine knowledge management is explored. Knowledge management is compared to other methods in terms of the stability required for it to be effective. It is demonstrated that this stability is not usually available in construction, whose projects and processes are subject to an unusually wide range of disturbances.
Knowledge Emergence and Adaptive Management
Authors: Whelton Michael , Pennanen Ari , Ballard Glenn
Published: May 2011

Project definition is the project phase that identifies the needs and values of project stakeholders, and develops appropriate design solutions to satisfy them. Project purposes are constructed through the interconnected relationships of stakeholder needs and values, and the project constraints. Projects comprise diverse stakeholders whose needs and values often conflict given that environments have limited project resources to fulfill all stakeholder interests. The research adopts the perspective that project definition is a learning process that requires the shared understanding of stakeholder needs and values, in order to resolve them into a collective statement of project purpose. This chapter describes the significance of the project definition as a project delivery phase and outlines a project definition model for knowledge creation. The research identifies that project managers must be able to learn about the needs and values of stakeholders, and adapt the process accordingly to solve those needs. A workplace planning system is described and a case study is documented to support the proposition that project definition is a complex adaptive process, and that knowledge about project purpose emerges from group collaboration.
Configurable Environments
Authors: O’Brien William J. , Issa Raja R.A. , Shen Zhigang , Xie Haiyan
Published: May 2011

Configurable environments are presented as a specific vision for information technologies to support design and construction professionals. Configurable environments combine data integration capabilities with visualization and analysis tools in a format customized to the needs of specific users and projects. A key component of the approach is the deployment of formal user models to direct configuration of generalized tools and distributed data. This chapter details the need for and technical aspects of the configurable environments approach in the context of an illustrative case study of construction space management. Issues with current practice and implications for future practice are discussed in the context of project professionals’ information processing and evaluative capabilities and needs. Also discussed is the relationship of the configurable environments approach to current technologies and to broader visions for information technology development in design and construction.
Socio-Economic Impacts and Influences of E-Commerce in a Digital Economy
Authors: Sharma Sushil K.
Published: May 2011

Innovations in information and communications technologies have created a digital revolution that is changing the way the world works, learns, communicates and transacts business. E-commerce continues to show strong growth and has been influencing the social and economic growth of nations. On one hand e-commerce technologies have helped nations to accelerate their economic growth and to provide more opportunities for businesses to grow, but it has also created many challenges and effects across numerous domains of society, and for policy makers. These issues involve economic productivity, intellectual property rights, privacy protection, and affordability of and access to information, among other concerns. This chapter describes the various socio-economic impacts and influences that have been created by e-commerce in a digital economy.
Re-Intermediation and Deferment through E-Commerce
Authors: Banerjee Parthasarathi
Published: May 2011

Contrary to the common belief that e-commerce disintermediates—or even while reintermediation takes place the economic circuit fails to get lengthened—this chapter argues following the Austrian perspective, that through e-commerce consumption gets deferred and the economic circuit lengthens. Inappropriate use of transaction cost theory, in particular, has often weakened the received theory. This implies that e-commerce increases capital because capital is time according to the Austrian theory. Consequently the efficiency-focus of received theory is replaced by a capital-enhancing theory of this new commerce. Several novel functions of intermediaries including coordination have been utilized to support the departure from the efficiency perspective. Citing several well-known examples from the literature has adumbrated this argument.
Digital Products on the Web
Authors: Schneider Gary P.
Published: May 2011

Products that exist in digital form can be bought, sold, and, in some cases, delivered, online. The pricing issues that arise in the sale of these products are different from those that sellers face when pricing physical goods and can lead to interesting opportunities for devising revenue models. The success of revenue models for companies that sell digital products depend on the nature of the product, the characteristics of the buyers, and the traditional practices in the industry. This chapter examines the nature of digital products, their pricing issues, and the efficacy of various revenue models that have been implemented by companies that deal in digital products.
Digital Engineering Campus
Authors: Mahajan Milind J. , Umrani Sunil S. , Chaudhari Narendra S.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we introduce two existing web-based, e-learning approaches, and examine economic and social aspects of their usage in society. Specifically, we briefly introduce an e-learning initiative in Singapore. Secondly, we give a detailed description of a case study regarding the experiment called “Digital Engineering Campus,” which is an NGO initiative to provide supplementary educational facilities for engineering colleges in India. Considering the economic as well as social benefits, using our detailed case-study of Digital Engineering Campus, we argue that developing countries like India have tremendous growth potential in web-based education. Further, the experiences of developed countries with web-based education will prove to be highly beneficial for developing countries like India.
Design for Evolution
Authors: Dalcher Darren
Published: May 2011

This chapter highlights the pervasiveness of change in most developed systems, and the resulting implications on development practice. A key problem with developed software systems is the focus on discrete one-off development. Emphasizing continuity and evolution requires a way of distinguishing between systems that can be assumed to remain stable and those that continuously “live” and evolve in their environment. Developing systems that are expected to evolve calls for a dynamic activity of design that is responsive to changes in the environment. The chapter concludes by discussing the role of design in such environments and characterizing design as a complex, responsive and negotiated search for an acceptable, yet changeable trade-off. This is taken forward by highlighting the implications for the adoption of adaptive design in dynamic environments, thereby justifying the move from discrete and project-based software engineering to a more strategic, continuous and evolving discipline of adaptive design.
Upfront Corrective Maintenance at the Front-End Support Level
Authors: Kajko-Mattsson Mira
Published: May 2011

This chapter presents the process of upfront corrective maintenance at the front-end support level. The chapter is logically divided into two parts. The first part introduces the domain of the upfront corrective maintenance process, and presents its current status practiced in the industry. It first describes the process, places it within a global virtual IT enterprise and explains its role within the enterprise. It then puts the process in the context of a total front-end support process, the process performing a multitude of diverse types of support activities. Finally, it lists the problems encountered by the front-support organisations today. The second part provides a glimpse into Corrective Maintenance Maturity Model (CM3): Upfront Maintenance, a process model specialized in upfront corrective maintenance. It describes its process phases, maturity levels, and collaboration with the CM3: Problem Management model, a problem management process model at the back-end support level. The goal of this chapter is to provide a detailed insight of the process of upfront corrective maintenance.
An Open Architecture for Visual Reverse Engineering
Authors: Telea Alexandru C.
Published: May 2011

Tool support for program understanding becomes increasingly important in the software evolution cycle, and it has become an integral part of managing systems evolution and maintenance. Using interactive visual tools for getting insight into large evolving legacy information systems has gained popularity. Although several such tools exist, few of them have the flexibility and retargetability needed for easy deployment outside the contexts they were initially built for. The lack of flexibility and limitations for customizability is a management as well as a technical problem in software evolution and maintenance. This chapter discusses the requirements of an open architecture for software visualization tools, implementation details of such an architecture, and examples using some specific software system analysis cases. The focus is primarily on reverse engineering, although the proposed tool architecture is equally applicable to forward engineering activities. This material serves the software architects and system managers as well as the tool designers.
Software Maintenance of Process Modeling Line Model
Authors: Car Zeljka
Published: May 2011

The chapter provides the insight into software maintenance process, its features, actors, activities and results, with the emphasis on the importance and complexity of systems maintenance. The issues related to maintenance modeling, maintenance process evaluation and improvement are addressed. The chapter proposes a method for system maintenance modeling and analysis. Software maintenance process is modeled in terms of queuing network with applied simulation. Method implementation is described by a case study of telecommunication maintenance with the field process data. The case study and the related maintenance activities with data are described in detail. The results of the method application show how the process bottlenecks are formally identified and how new proposals for the improved process design should be analyzed. The chapter emphasizes the importance of a well-defined and balanced process indispensable for efficient maintenance of the large telecommunication software.
The Impact of eBay Ratings and Item Descriptions on Auction Prices
Authors: Sena Mark P. , Heath C. Edward , Webb Michael A.
Published: May 2011

Buyers on eBay commonly rely on seller feedback ratings to determine bidding strategies.  Various studies have examined the impact of eBay’s reputation system on auction outcomes.  This study builds on prior research by examining the relationship between seller ratings on auction prices for two distinct product types, DVDs and designer watches and by benchmarking the bid prices against retail prices. The results show that eBay ratings explain a greater degree of price variation in Designer Watches than in DVDs.  The study also suggests that high quality product listings with such features as digital images, formatted pages, and product details may result in higher bid prices.
Online Privacy
Authors: Raman Pushkala , Pashupati Kartik
Published: May 2011

The primary research objectives of this chapter are to: (a) investigate consumer attitudes to the invasion of online privacy, and (b) discover coping strategies used by consumers when they are online. Using a grounded theory approach, a framework of how consumers deal with online privacy concerns was developed from the analysis of six focus groups across gender and age segments. The framework suggests that people differ in their level of self-perceived technological competence (SPTC), which in turn determines their level of concern and coping strategies used. We define SPTC as a subjective self-rating of how much individuals know about technology, and how comfortable they feel with it. The level of SPTC appears to differentiate the online behaviors and privacy concerns of consumers. People with low levels of SPTC tend to be more concerned about privacy invasion, feel more comfortable with offline interactions, reduce their Internet usage, and seek regulatory solutions to privacy invasion threats. People with higher levels of SPTC are more willing to accept the risks of being online, and tend to be cautious in their online dealings without foregoing the benefits of the Internet. This group is also more likely to know about and use features such as security locks, and Internet seals of approval.
Evaluating Conceptual Coherence in Multi-Modeling Techniques
Authors: Hommes Bart-Jan
Published: May 2011

Meta-modeling is a well-known approach for capturing modeling methods and techniques. A meta-model can serve as a basis for quantitative evaluation of methods and techniques. By means of a number of formal metrics based on the meta-model, a quantitative evaluation of methods and techniques becomes possible. Existing meta-modeling languages and measurement schemes do not allow the explicit modeling of so-called multi-modeling techniques. Multi-modeling techniques are techniques that offer a coherent set of aspect modeling techniques to model different aspects of a certain phenomenon. As a consequence, existing approaches lack metrics to quantitatively assess aspects that are particular to multi-modeling techniques. In this chapter, a modeling language for modeling multi-modeling techniques is proposed as well as metrics for evaluating the coherent set of aspect modeling techniques that constitute the multi-modeling technique.
Validating an Evaluation Framework for Requirements Engineering Tools
Authors: Matulevicius Raimundas
Published: May 2011

Automated support for the requirements engineering (RE) process is a recognized research area. However, the mainstream practice still relies on word processors and drawing tools rather than the requirements engineering tools (RETs). The aim of this chapter is to validate an evaluation framework for RETs. The validation process concerns an RET acquisition process for concrete organizational needs. An observation of maintaining requirements specification shows the important organizational and environmental characteristics for a proper automated support of RE process. The contribution of this work is twofold: first, the validation of the evaluation framework for RETs according to environmental needs in a specific environment, and second the identification of environmental needs, which emerge from the requirements specification maintenance process.
SAP R/3 Implementation Approaches
Authors: Zwicker Ronaldo , de Souza Cesar Alexandre
Published: May 2011

The approach used to implement an ERP system is an important decision in its implementation project as it greatly affects the configuration of the system, the allocation of resources and the management of the project and its risks. It will also play a decisive role at all the stages of the ERP system’s life cycle. This chapter discusses the different ways of “going-live” of ERP systems: big-bang, small-bangs and implementation in phases, and describes their advantages and disadvantages. The chapter also presents results of an exploratory study made in 53 Brazilian companies, which implemented SAP R/3. Based on these results, influences of the companies’ characteristics and of the project on the selected method are discussed. The relation of the implementation approach and project time is also presented.
Workflow Collaboration
Authors: Yen Benjamin , Wan Guohua
Published: May 2011

The chapter focuses on a summary of the contemporary development of workflow management systems in collaborative commerce. The technical facet is demonstrated from perspectives of architectures, standards, and system analysis. The business requirements and application scenarios are exemplified in knowledge sharing, marketing services, and procurement processes. The evaluation approaches are introduced for assessment of system performance and information quality. Conclusions with future trends are illustrated in three aspects — from tangible to intangible access, from internal to external coordination, and from physical to virtual application.
Similarity Learning in GIS
Authors: Mountrakis Giorgos , Agouris Peggy , Stefanidis Anthony
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we review similarity learning in spatial databases. Traditional exact-match queries do not conform to the exploratory nature of GIS datasets. Non-adaptable query methods fail to capture the highly diverse needs, expertise and understanding of users querying for spatial datasets. Similarity-learning algorithms provide support for user preference and should therefore be a vital part in the communication process of geospatial information. More specifically, we address machine learning as applied in the optimization of query similarity. We review appropriate definitions of similarity and we position similarity learning within data mining and machine learning tasks. Furthermore, we outline prerequisites for similarity learning techniques based on the unique characteristics of the GIS domain. A description of specific methodologies follows based on the highly diverse attributes of GIS datasets (for example, text, images, video), and application examples are presented. We summarize previously set requirements and present future trends expected to emerge in the coming years.
Applications of Agent-Based Technologies in Smart Organizations
Authors: Varga László Z.
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces agent technology as a means of creating dynamic software systems for the changing needs of smart organizations. The notion of agency is introduced, and individual and collective agent architectures are described. Agent interaction methods and agent system design techniques are discussed. Application areas of agent technology are overviewed. The chapter argues that the autonomous and proactive nature of agent systems make them suitable as the new information infrastructure for the networked components of dynamically changing smart organizations.
Using an Interactive Feedback Tool to Enhance Pronunciation in Language Learning
Authors: Zhang Felicia
Published: May 2011

This chapter focuses on the effect of a learning environment in which biological, physical and technological ways of perceiving Mandarin Chinese sounds have been used. One of the most important tools of this environment is the use of a speech analysis tool for audio and visual feedback. This is done by way of incorporating a visual representation of student’s production that can be easily compared to the speech of a native speaker. It is the contention of this chapter that such an interactive feedback tool in conjunction with other feedback mechanisms can provide opportunities for increasing the effectiveness of feedback in language learning.
What Have We Learned from Almost 30 Years of Research on Causal Mapping? Methodological Lessons and Choices for the Information Systems and Information Technology Communities
Authors: Hodgkinson Gerard P. , Clarkson Gail P.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter we review major developments that have occurred over the past 30 years or so in the philosophical underpinnings, elicitation, analysis, aggregation and comparison of causal maps (also known as cause maps) across a wide range of domains of application in the fields of management and organization studies, in order to distill vital lessons concerning the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches for the information systems (IS) and information technology (IT) research communities. We offer some general guidelines to aid the would-be user in making methodological choices appropriate to particular contexts of application. The importance of attending to measurement issues in respect to reliability and validity at all stages of the research process, from initial data collection to final analysis and comparison, is highlighted and an accompanying appendix presents an overview of selected computer software systems supporting the full range of activities associated with causal mapping.
Revealing Social Structure from Texts
Authors: Diesner Jana , Carley Kathleen M.
Published: May 2011

Texts can be coded and analyzed as networks of concepts often referred to as maps or semantic networks. In such networks, for many texts there are elements of social structure — the connections among people, organizations, and events. Within organizational and social network theory an approach called the meta-matrix is used to describe social structure in terms of the network of connections among people, organizations, knowledge, resources, and tasks. We propose a combined approach using the meta-matrix model, as an ontology, to lend a second level of organization to the networks of concepts recovered from texts. We have formalized and operationalized this approach in an automated tool for text analysis. We demonstrate how this approach enables not only meaning but also social structure to be revealed through text analysis. We illustrate this approach by showing how it can be used to discover the social structure of covert networks — the terrorist groups operating in the West Bank.
Expanding Horizons
Authors: Armstrong Deborah J. , Narayanan V. K.
Published: May 2011

In this chapter, we compare the findings from causal maps derived from semi-structured interviews with that obtained from survey respondents, using a data set originally constructed to characterize object-oriented (OO) software development expertise. To compare the results, we invoke three different theories to capture evoked concepts in the interviews, but discover one theory provided more robust theoretical constructs in embracing the evoked concepts. The survey responses were factor analyzed to explore if the factor structure matched the structure derived from revealed causal maps. Although there was significant similarity between the results, the survey yielded more factors than predicted by the theory. The lessons learned from this process are discussed.
Reflections on the Interview Process in Evocative Settings
Authors: Nelson Kay M.
Published: May 2011

Revealed causal mapping (RCM) represents one of the best ways to study a phenomenon in a discovery or evocative setting. The RCM method provides rich data that facilitates a deeper understanding of the cognitive facets of a phenomenon not available with other methods. In this chapter I will share insights gained from conducting several interactively elicited causal mapping studies in the discovery and evocative research contexts. I address issues a researcher will encounter during in the interview process, the causal statement identification procedure, and the development of the coding scheme. I conclude with some thoughts on lessons learned in the field.
GIS as Spatial Decision Support Systems
Authors: Jarupathirun Suprasith , Zahedi Fatemeh
Published: May 2011

This chapter discusses the use of geographic information systems (GIS) for spatial decision support systems (SDSS). It argues that the increased availability in spatial business data has created new opportunities for the use of GIS in creating decision tools for use in a variety of decisions that involve spatial dimensions. This chapter identifies visualization and analytical capabilities of GIS that make such systems uniquely appropriate as decision aids, and presents a conceptual model for measuring the efficacy of GIS-based SDSS. The discussions on the applications of SDSS and future enhancements using intelligent agents are intended to inform practitioners and researchers of the opportunities for the enhancement and use of such systems.
The Value of Using GIS and Geospatial Data to Support Organizational Decision Making
Authors: Meeks W. Lee , Dasgupta Subhasish
Published: May 2011

For several years GIS has been expanding beyond its niche of analyzing earth science data for earth science purposes. As GIS continues to migrate into business applications and support operational decision-making, GIS will become a standard part of the portfolio that information systems organizations rely on to support and guide operations. There are several ways in which GIS can support a transformation in organizational decision-making. One of these is to inculcate a geospatial “mindset” among managers, analysts, and decision makers so that alternative sources of data are considered and alternative decision-making processes are employed.
GIS in Agriculture
Authors: Adrian Anne Mims , Dillard Chris , Mask Paul
Published: May 2011

This chapter introduces the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) in agricultural production. Precision agriculture is a catch-all term that describes using GIS and GPS technologies to manage specific areas of fields. Precision agriculture technologies use information from multiple sources to assist farmers in making crop production and management decisions based on the variability of production potential within fields. In this chapter, we describe the technologies used in production agriculture and we review some of the research associated with the use and future trends of these technologies. The purpose of this chapter is to define and explain GIS and GPS technologies used in agriculture and some of the economic benefits, impacts, and challenges of using these technologies.
Integration in Cooperative Distributed Systems
Authors: Masaud-Wahaishi Abdulmutalib , Ghenniwa Hamada
Published: May 2011

A cooperative distributed systems approach is a promising design paradigm for many application environments, such as virtual enterprises, distributed manufacturing, e-business, and tele-learning. However, coordination is a major challenge in developing cooperative distributed systems in open environments. This chapter discusses in detail, brokering as a capability-based aspect of coordination in cooperative distributed systems. Architecturally, the brokering is viewed as a layer of services where a brokering service is modeled as an agent with a specific architecture and interaction protocol that are appropriate to serve various requests. The architecture of the proposed brokering layer supports ad hoc configurations among distributed, possibly autonomous and heterogeneous entities with various degrees of privacy requirements in terms of three attributes: entity’s identity, capability, and preferences. A prototype of the proposed architecture has been implemented to support and provide information-gathering capabilities in healthcare environments using a FIPA-complaint platform (JADE).
IT Infrastructures and Standards for VE Integration Development
Authors: Protogeros Nicolaos
Published: May 2011

In recent years, the new notion of virtual enterprises has sparkled, concentrating efforts to adapt existing technologies and realize this new paradigm. This chapter attempts to understand the needs of information technology (IT) in the virtual enterprises, and to research existing technologies that can help tackle the problem. Technologies such as Web services and software agents are examined that help business process management and thus offer the IT infrastructures to achieve integration. Also, the efforts toward standardization are considered along with the current situation in this area.
Information Technology Infrastructure and Solutions
Authors: Cunha Maria M. , Putnik Goran D. , Silva Joaquim
Published: May 2011

Agile and virtual enterprise (A/VE) is a leading organisational model characterized by a high flexibility and a fast reconfigurability or adaptability of the networked structure to face the dynamically changing market. A Market of Resources is a tool proposed in the BM_virtual enterprise architecture reference model (BM_VEARM) as an appropriate environment to accomplish the intrinsic requirements of the A/VE model, by supporting the creation, dynamic integration, and operation of A/VEs. The Market of Resources is an electronic and virtual market matching the offer and demand of resources providers, the basic elements that will integrate the A/VE. The existing e-marketplaces support a wide range of features required by the Market of Resources. Given the available software development platforms based on the existing technology and standards that support the e-marketplaces, we discuss in this chapter the feasibility the Market of Resources and its implementation using those software platforms.
The Personal and Professional Learning Portfolio
Authors: Sherry Lorraine , Havelock Bruce , Gibson David
Published: May 2011

This chapter describes the Personal and Professional Learning Portfolio (PLP), a software application designed to provide a flexible learning environment connecting learners and advisors in discussions of posted works-in-progress and the relation of those works to mutually valued goals, standards, and rubrics. We describe the PLP’s origins, structure, and pilot implementations across a range of educational settings including K-12 education, higher education, and professional agencies. We describe in greater detail two higher education sites to illustrate the key issues surrounding PLP adoption. Through our discussion, we hope to bring awareness of the PLP to new audiences and expand consideration of its potential applications, while also shedding insight on the factors that influence adoption of collaborative technologies in institutional settings.
Online, Offline and In-Between
Authors: Johri Aditya
Published: May 2011

Online collaborative learning is a situated activity that occurs in complex settings. This study proposes a sociocultural frame for theorizing, analyzing, and designing online collaborative- learning environments. The specific focus of this study is: learning as situated activity, activity theory as a theoretical lens, activity system as an analytical framework, and activity-guided design as a design framework for online learning environments. Using data gathered from a naturalistic investigation of a global online collaborative-learning site, this study reveals how these lenses and frameworks can be applied practically. The study also identifies the importance of design iterations for learning environments.
SENDA
Authors: Sanchez-Segura Maria-Isabel , de Antonio Angélica , de Amescua Antonio
Published: May 2011

The use of virtual environments (VEs) is increasing rapidly, and people are demanding easier and more credible ways to interact with these new sites. We define VEs as a special kind of 3D virtual environment, inhabited by avatars which represent humans in the VE, or even autonomous agents. This kind of software was selected because of its increasing importance as the new future trend in interactive software applications. From a software engineering point of view, VEs can be seen as a special kind of information system, so they must be analyzed, designed, and implemented in this respect. Our aim is to improve software engineering’s traditional software processes to achieve quality VEs. In this chapter, we present a framework called SENDA, which defines a formal process model to develop VEs.
Ontology Learning from a Domain Web Corpus
Authors: Navigli Roberto
Published: May 2011

Domain ontologies are widely recognized as a key element for the so-called semantic Web, an improved, “semantic aware” version of the World Wide Web. Ontologies define concepts and interrelationships in order to provide a shared vision of a given application domain. Despite the significant amount of work in the field, ontologies are still scarcely used in Web-based applications. One of the main problems is the difficulty in identifying and defining relevant concepts within the domain. In this chapter, we provide an approach to the problem, defining a method and a tool, OntoLearn, aimed at the extraction of knowledge from Websites, and more generally from documents shared among the members of virtual organizations, to support the construction of a domain ontology. Exploiting the idea that a corpus of documents produced by a community is the most representative (although implicit) repository of concepts, the method extracts a terminology, provides a semantic interpretation of relevant terms and populates the domain ontology in an automatic manner. Finally, further manual corrections are required from domain experts in order to achieve a rich and usable knowledge resource.
Data Cleansing and Validation for Multiple Site Link Structure Analysis
Authors: Thelwall Mike
Published: May 2011

A range of techniques is described for cleansing and validating link data for use in different types of Web structure mining, and some applications are given. The main application area is Multiple Site Link Structure Analysis, which typically involves mining patterns from themed collections of Websites. The importance of data cleansing and validation stems from the fact that Web data are typically very messy. It involves extensive duplication of pages and page components, which when analyzing raw Web data may give meaningless results.