Developing living information systems through systems tailorability: Deferred systems design

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.An interpretivist investigation of computer-based business information systems was conducted in two commercial companies and two higher education institutes, by using both quantitative questionnaire survey and qualitative interview research methods. The investigation focused on the social and organisational context of information systems development and usage in these organisations. The utility of structured methodologies is now being questioned by some researchers who are calling for alternative approaches, and this investigation draws on that alternative strand of thinking. The collected data primarily reveals that the development and usage of information systems happens in changing organisations, which suggests that the design and usage of information systems must cater for such a changing or dynamic environment. Therefore the data is interpreted using a philosophical outlook encompassing the notion of "living" information systems and Critical Theory, and this philosophical stance regards information technology as liberating human endeavour in organisations. Five sub-concepts and the concept of deferred system's design are derived from the data, which have been formulated to account and cater for change in information systems environments. The concept of deferred system's design encourages the design of information systems which allow for organisational human behaviour, consisting of organisational change, uncertainty, and learning, to be mediated by information technology. A systems design principle called `deferred system's design decisions' is derived to enable designs of tailorable information systems, which may be regarded as one form of living information systems to facilitate such organisational behaviour. An intersubjective theoretical model called the spiral of change model of tailorable information systems is proposed to explain and understand better the changing organisational environment in which information systems must be developed and in which they must function. To inform practice a computer tool is proposed which enables conceptions of " tailorable information systems that employ the principle of deferred system's design decisions and enables modelling changing or dynamic information systems

Computational Sociolinguistics: A Survey

Language is a social phenomenon and variation is inherent to its social nature. Recently, there has been a surge of interest within the computational linguistics (CL) community in the social dimension of language. In this article we present a survey of the emerging field of "Computational Sociolinguistics" that reflects this increased interest. We aim to provide a comprehensive overview of CL research on sociolinguistic themes, featuring topics such as the relation between language and social identity, language use in social interaction and multilingual communication. Moreover, we demonstrate the potential for synergy between the research communities involved, by showing how the large-scale data-driven methods that are widely used in CL can complement existing sociolinguistic studies, and how sociolinguistics can inform and challenge the methods and assumptions employed in CL studies. We hope to convey the possible benefits of a closer collaboration between the two communities and conclude with a discussion of open challenges.Comment: To appear in Computational Linguistics. Accepted for publication: 18th February, 201

Quantitative methods and gender inequalities

This paper argues that concerns that the feminist agenda is better served by qualitative not quantitative methodology were based on a rather narrow definition of feminism and a somewhat misleading portrayal of quantitative research. Using exemplar studies undertaken as part of the ESRC Research Priority Network on Gender Inequalities in Production and Reproduction (GeNet), I show how quantitative analysis can forward our understanding of the processes that underlie gender inequalities. Quantitative approaches are essential to examine the processes of selection and exclusion that reflect and create gender inequalities as manifest in changing lives and structures. Quantitative analysis of longitudinal data is used for investigating dynamic processes and different patterns of gendered resource allocation in productive and reproductive activities; whereas in-depth qualitative analysis is used to unpick the different national policy contexts for work-family balance. This can help inform how quantitative researchers (some of whom are feminists) interpret what they coun

Young people's attitudes to religious diversity : quantitative approaches from social psychology and empirical theology

This essay discusses the design of the quantitative component of the ‘Young People’s Attitudes to Religious Diversity’ project, conceived by Professor Robert Jackson within the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, and presents some preliminary findings from the data. The quantitative component followed and built on the qualitative component within a mixed method design. The argument is advanced in seven steps: introducing the major sources of theory on which the quantitative approach builds from the psychology of religion and from empirical theology; locating the empirical traditions of research among young people that have shaped the study; clarifying the notions and levels of measurement employed in the study anticipating the potential for various forms of data analysis; discussing some of the established measures incorporated in the survey; defining the ways in which the sample was structured to reflect the four nations of the UK, and London; illustrating the potential within largely descriptive cross-tabulation forms of analysis; and illustrating the potential within more sophisticated multivariate analytic models

Efficiently Clustering Very Large Attributed Graphs

Attributed graphs model real networks by enriching their nodes with attributes accounting for properties. Several techniques have been proposed for partitioning these graphs into clusters that are homogeneous with respect to both semantic attributes and to the structure of the graph. However, time and space complexities of state of the art algorithms limit their scalability to medium-sized graphs. We propose SToC (for Semantic-Topological Clustering), a fast and scalable algorithm for partitioning large attributed graphs. The approach is robust, being compatible both with categorical and with quantitative attributes, and it is tailorable, allowing the user to weight the semantic and topological components. Further, the approach does not require the user to guess in advance the number of clusters. SToC relies on well known approximation techniques such as bottom-k sketches, traditional graph-theoretic concepts, and a new perspective on the composition of heterogeneous distance measures. Experimental results demonstrate its ability to efficiently compute high-quality partitions of large scale attributed graphs.Comment: This work has been published in ASONAM 2017. This version includes an appendix with validation of our attribute model and distance function, omitted in the converence version for lack of space. Please refer to the published versio

Using a qualitative approach to explore the human response to vibration in residential environments in the United Kingdom

As a growing number of areas in the UK become ever more densely populated, increasing construction work is being undertaken and transportation networks built in order to cope with the growing population. The development of this infrastructure, coupled with the mechanisation of modern life, often results in exposure to various types of vibration from a range of sources such as rail, road traffic and construction activity causing considerable disturbance. The study of vibration effects within residential settings is a developing area of research. Previous research on ambient stressors in residential environments has focused primarily on noise; one of the most prevalent environmental stressors in living environments. Some noise surveys have highlighted vibration as a contributor to noise annoyance while others have explored the combined effects of noise and vibration on human response. Research on vibration is largely a quantitative effort using laboratory experiments or social surveys with associated vibration measurements in order to establish dose-response relationships. However, as the human response to vibration is particularly diverse and complex this paper aims to explore how qualitative methodologies can compliment the quantitative approach to vibration research. People’s experiences, expectations and attitudes vary with regards to vibration, the noise it produces, and the source it derives from. For the pragmatic researcher qualitative methodologies can help unravel some of these issues, providing a further understanding of the complexities of the human response to vibration in residential environments

The reasons for attrition: we (still) haven't got a clue

This paper describes a small survey (attrition survey) undertaken to ascertain reasons of attrition and non-response in questionnaire responses from student participants as part of a larger longitudinal survey (longitudinal study). Due to difficulties in retaining participants within the longitudinal study, determining reasons for attrition and non-response became important; mainly. The questionnaire employed in the longitudinal study was developed by the Cambridge Management Institute (CMI) and is widely known as the HEGI instrument or the SPEED network questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to be completed three times by the participants; one pre-test and two post-tests. Following 18 months of problems of attrition, questions were raised about its value and whether it was suitable to be administered in the environment and setting within which we were using it, in traditional semesters in higher education. Therefore, the subsequent attrition survey was undertaken to look at a number of factors that the authors believed were significant in causing the high rates of attrition and non-response. This data was obtained using a very short questionnaire sent to a proportion of the sample originally part of the longitudinal study. The factors deemed to be of potential significance were plenty and are discussed at detail throughout the paper. Predominantly, issues concerning web-based and paper-based survey methods were also of significance as the former becomes more prevalent but raises the question, how do response rates compare with traditional methods? This was a further area of concern for the authors because a change to the survey mode i.e. distribution and completion method from paper to online was reluctantly introduced as a cost-saving measure. This paper will report the results of the attrition survey in relation to the participants’ responses about reasons for attrition and non-response

Can qualitative and quantitative methods serve complementary purposes for policy research?

Qualitative and quantitative methods in social science research have long been separate spheres with little overlap. However, recent innovations have highlighted the complementarity of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The Accra Food and Nutrition Security Study was designed to incorporate the participation of a variety of constituencies in the research, and to rely on a variety of approaches — both qualitative and quantitative — to data collection and analysis. This paper reviews the way in which qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the Accra study. The argument of the paper is that the complementary use of qualitative and quantitative approaches provides a greater range of insights and perspectives and permits triangulation or the confirmation of findings by different methods, which improves the overall validity of results, and makes the study of greater use to the constituencies to which it was intended to be addressed. But the search for truly complementary methods presents substantial challenges as well. These include extra costs, both in financial and human terms, ethical dilemmas regarding follow-up, and the need for teamwork and respect for different methodological and epistemological positions.Nutrition Research. ,Social sciences Methodology. ,

How to Handle Assumptions in Synthesis

The increased interest in reactive synthesis over the last decade has led to many improved solutions but also to many new questions. In this paper, we discuss the question of how to deal with assumptions on environment behavior. We present four goals that we think should be met and review several different possibilities that have been proposed. We argue that each of them falls short in at least one aspect.Comment: In Proceedings SYNT 2014, arXiv:1407.493

Death of mixed methods?: Or the rebirth of research as a craft

The classification by many scholars of numerical research processes as quantitative and other research techniques as qualitative has prompted the construction of a third category, that of ‘mixed methods’, to describe studies that use elements from both processes. Such labels might be helpful in structuring our understanding of phenomena. But they can also inhibit our activities when they serve as inaccurate or limiting descriptors. Based on the observation that mixed methods is fast becoming a common research approach in the social sciences, this paper questions whether the assumptions that are used and perpetuated by mixed methods are valid. The paper calls for a critical change in how we perceive research, in order to better describe actual research processes. A more ethological taxonomy of the mechanisms underlying research structures and processes is posited to encourage creative thinking around alternatives to the three purported paradigms of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. This ‘return to basics’ seeks to encourage new and innovative research designs to emerge, and suggests a rebirth of research from the ashes of mixed methods