Psychological elements explaining the consumer's adoption and use of a website recommendation system: A theoretical framework proposal

The purpose of this paper is to understand, with an emphasis on the psychological perspective of the research problem, the consumer's adoption and use of a certain web site recommendation system as well as the main psychological outcomes involved. The approach takes the form of theoretical modelling. Findings: A conceptual model is proposed and discussed. A total of 20 research propositions are theoretically analyzed and justified. Research limitations/implications: The theoretical discussion developed here is not empirically validated. This represents an opportunity for future research. Practical implications: The ideas extracted from the discussion of the conceptual model should be a help for recommendation systems designers and web site managers, so that they may be more aware, when working with such systems, of the psychological process consumers undergo when interacting with them. In this regard, numerous practical reflections and suggestions are presented

Towards an understanding of process model quality. Methodological considerations

Quality is one of the main topics in current conceptual modelling research, as is the field of business process modelling. Yet, widely acknowledged academic contributions towards an understanding or measurement of business process model quality are limited at best. In this paper I argue that the development of methodical theories concerning the problem of process model quality must be preceded by methodological elaborations on business process modelling. I further argue that existing epistemological foundations of process modelling are insufficient for describing the extrinsic and intrinsic traits of model quality. Taking into account the inherent social and purpose-oriented character of process modelling in contemporary organizations I present a socio-pragmatic constructionist methodology of business process modelling and sketch out implications of this perspective towards an understanding of process model quality. I anticipate that, based on this research, theories can be developed that facilitate the evaluation of the ’goodness’ of a business process model

Modelling Early Transitions Toward Autonomous Protocells

This thesis broadly concerns the origins of life problem, pursuing a joint approach that combines general philosophical/conceptual reflection on the problem along with more detailed and formal scientific modelling work oriented in the conceptual perspective developed. The central subject matter addressed is the emergence and maintenance of compartmentalised chemistries as precursors of more complex systems with a proper cellular organization. Whereas an evolutionary conception of life dominates prebiotic chemistry research and overflows into the protocells field, this thesis defends that the 'autonomous systems perspective' of living phenomena is a suitable - arguably the most suitable - conceptual framework to serve as a backdrop for protocell research. The autonomy approach allows a careful and thorough reformulation of the origins of cellular life problem as the problem of how integrated autopoietic chemical organisation, present in all full-fledged cells, originated and developed from more simple far-from-equilibrium chemical aggregate systems.Comment: 205 Pages, 27 Figures, PhD Thesis Defended Feb 201

Multilingualism and conceptual modelling

[EN] One of the leading motivations behind the multilingual semantic web is to make resources accessible digitally in an online global multilingual context. Consequently, it is fundamental for knowledge bases to find a way to manage multilingualism and thus be equipped with those procedures for its conceptual modelling. In this context, the goal of this paper is to discuss how common-sense knowledge and cultural knowledge are modelled in a multilingual framework. More particularly, multilingualism and conceptual modelling are dealt with from the perspective of FunGramKB, a lexico-conceptual knowledge base for natural language understanding. This project argues for a clear division between the lexical and the conceptual dimensions of knowledge. Moreover, the conceptual layer is organized into three modules, which result from a strong commitment towards capturing semantic knowledge (Ontology), procedural knowledge (Cognicon) and episodic knowledge (Onomasticon). Cultural mismatches are discussed and formally represented at the three conceptual levels of FunGramKB.We would like to thank Guadalupe Aguado-de-Cea, Christopher Butler, Lachlan Mackenzie, Elena Montiel-Ponsoda and Brian Nolan for detailed comments on the first draft of this paper. Any error is ours. Financial support for this research has been provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, grants FFI2011-29798-C02-01 and FFI2014-53788-C3-1-P.Mairal-Usón, R.; Periñán-Pascual, C. (2016). Multilingualism and conceptual modelling. Circulo de Linguistica Aplicada a la Comunicacion. 66:244-277. https://doi.org/10.5209/CLAC.52774S2442776

Hydrology modelling R packages: a unified analysis of models and practicalities from a user perspective

Following the rise of R as a scientific programming language, the increasing requirement for more transferable research, and the growth of data availability in hydrology, R packages containing hydrological models are becoming more and more available to hydrologists. Corresponding to the core of the hydrological studies workflow, their value is increasingly meaningful regarding the reliability of methods and results. Despite package and model distinctiveness, no study has ever 5 provided a comparison of R packages for conceptual rainfall-runoff modelling from a user perspective, contrasting their philosophy, model characteristics and ease of use. We have selected eight packages based on our ability to consistently run their models on simple hydrology modelling examples. We have uniformly analysed the exact structure of seven of the hydrological models integrated in these R packages in terms of conceptual storages and fluxes, spatial discretisation, data requirements and output provided. The analysis showed that very different modelling choices are associated with these packages, which emphasises various hydrological concepts. These specificities are not always sufficiently well explained by the package documentation. Therefore a synthesis of the package functionalities was performed from a user perspective. This synthesis helps inform selection of what packages could/should be used depending on the problem at hand. In this regard, technical features, documentation, R implementations and computational times were investigated. Moreover, by providing a framework for package comparison, this study is a step forward towards supporting more transferable and reusable methods and results for hydrological modelling in R

Empirical modelling principles to support learning in a cultural context

Much research on pedagogy stresses the need for a broad perspective on learning. Such a perspective might take account (for instance) of the experience that informs knowledge and understanding [Tur91], the situation in which the learning activity takes place [Lav88], and the influence of multiple intelligences [Gar83]. Educational technology appears to hold great promise in this connection. Computer-related technologies such as new media, the internet, virtual reality and brain-mediated communication afford access to a range of learning resources that grows ever wider in its scope and supports ever more sophisticated interactions. Whether educational technology is fulfilling its potential in broadening the horizons for learning activity is more controversial. Though some see the successful development of radically new educational resources as merely a matter of time, investment and engineering, there are also many critics of the trends in computer-based learning who see little evidence of the greater degree of human engagement to which new technologies aspire [Tal95]. This paper reviews the potential application to educational technology of principles and tools for computer-based modelling that have been developed under the auspices of the Empirical Modelling (EM) project at Warwick [EMweb]. This theme was first addressed at length in a previous paper [Bey97], and is here revisited in the light of new practical developments in EM both in respect of tools and of model-building that has been targetted at education at various levels. Our central thesis is that the problems of educational technology stem from the limitations of current conceptual frameworks and tool support for the essential cognitive model building activity, and that tackling these problems requires a radical shift in philosophical perspective on the nature and role of empirical knowledge that has significant practical implications. The paper is in two main sections. The first discusses the limitations of the classical computer science perspective where educational technology to support situated learning is concerned, and relates the learning activities that are most closely associated with a cultural context to the empiricist perspective on learning introduced in [Bey97]. The second outlines the principles of EM and describes and illustrates features of its practical application that are particularly well-suited to learning in a cultural setting

Interaction-driven definition of e-business processes

Business-to-business interaction (B2Bi) is the next step for corporate IT [1]. Business relationships become increasingly dynamic, and new requirements emerge for data and process management. Standardisation initiatives are successfully targeting business ontology [4]. Still, business agility mainly depends on the flexibility of the business processes of a company. In the B2B space, traditional approaches to process modelling and management are inadequate. Today more than ever, traditional workflow management is crucial for the internal effectiveness of a company. Internal efficiency is a prerequisite for external agility. From both a technical and a business perspective, internal workflow management relies on specific assumptions in terms of resources involved in the process, as well as the process itself [2]. Level of control, availability, reliability, and cost stability are parameters that traditional process models and technology can almost take for granted. A single authority ruling on the process definition and the total control over process execution are also basic concepts for internal workflows. From a business perspective, a big upfront investment is put in the complete definition of process specifications. A different conceptual framework is required for the definition and management of e-business processes [3, 5]. The intrinsic capability to adapt to rapidly changing business requirements becomes crucial. The line of research explored in this paper derives from an approach to process modelling and management that explicitly targets the peculiarities and dynamics of B2Bi. In the model we propose, the upfront specification of the interaction logic of a company can be limited to partially specified processes and basic interaction rules. Specific information is then gathered from the observation of actual instances of business interaction, and used to refine and extend the initial model. In addition to the enforcement of explicit business requirement, the goal is to capture and leverage implicit operational knowledge. In the following sections, we present an overview of the methodology we are currently experimenting with for the inference of complex processes from business interaction flows. For our initial experiments, we focus on business messages compliant with the RosettaNet standard [4]

Building a shared representation of the landscape as a socio-ecological system and visualizing the challenges of climate-smart agriculture.

International audienceClimate threats exacerbate issues of natural resource management in rural landscapes, namely water, forest and agricultural land. In order to consistently address these issues, we highlight the usefulness of a joint vision of the landscape where the actors share their knowledge on the mechanisms at work when considering the central problem that affect the landscape as well as the proposed solutions. On the basis of several case studies, we present and analyze participatory conceptual modelling as a process and a series of methods that allow building a shared understanding of the landscape as a socio-ecological system. The case study that better illustrates the diversity of suitable methods and necessary adjustments in the modelling process, is the Zapoco watershed in the Chiquitano Model Forest (Bolivia), characterized both by its natural richness and its economic poverty. In the framework of the research-action EcoAdapt project for community-based adaptation at the landscape level, we reviewed the modelling approaches which better served our purpose and ended in the articulation of tools belonging to different approaches. As a main result, we obtained graphical representations that the actors can easily understand and use to describe their context (Open Standards for the Practices of Conservation), their practices (Problem-Actors-Resources-Dynamics-Interactions) and their history (Resilience thinking). In a practical way, the models built address the complexity of the landscape and bring into focus needs for research (knowledge gaps, main uncertainties) and for action (coordination failures, unsustainable dynamics). From the perspective of companion modelling, we finally discuss the outreach of participatory conceptual modelling in the promotion of climate smart agriculture

Supporting conceptualisation processes in collaborative networks: a case study on an R&D project

The development of new products or processes involves the creation, re-creation and integration of conceptual models from the related scientific and technical domains. Particularly, in the context of collaborative networks of organisations (CNO) (e.g. a multi-partner, international project) such developments can be seriously hindered by conceptual misunderstandings and misalignments, resulting from participants with different backgrounds or organisational cultures, for example. The research described in this article addresses this problem by proposing a method and the tools to support the collaborative development of shared conceptualisations in the context of a collaborative network of organisations. The theoretical model is based on a socio-semantic perspective, while the method is inspired by the conceptual integration theory from the cognitive semantics field. The modelling environment is built upon a semantic wiki platform. The majority of the article is devoted to developing an informal ontology in the context of a European R&D project, studied using action research. The case study results validated the logical structure of the method and showed the utility of the method