Designing requirements engineering research

Engineering sciences study different different topics than natural sciences, and utility is an essential factor in choosing engineering research problems. But despite these differences, research methods for the engineering sciences are no different than research methods for any other kind of science. At most there is a difference in emphasis. In the case of requirements engineering research - and more generally software engineering research - there is a confusion about the relative roles of research and about design and the methods appropriate for each of these activities. This paper analyzes these roles and provides a classification of research methods that can be used in any science—engineering or otherwise

Adventures in the Not Quite Yet: using performance techniques to raise design awareness about digital networks

Technologists promise a future in which pervasive, distributed networks enable radical change to social and political geographies. Design of these abstract, intangible futures is difficult and carries a special risk of excluding people who are not equipped to appreciate the ramifications of these technological changes. The Democratising Technology (DemTech) project has been exploring how techniques from performance and live art can be used to help people engage with the potential of ubiquitous digital networks; in particular, how these techniques can be used to enfranchise people with little technical knowledge, but who nonetheless will have to live with the design consequences of technical decisions. This paper describes the iterative development of a performance workshop for use by designers and community workers. These workshops employ a series of simple exercises to emulate possible processes of technological appropriation: turning abstract digital networks into imaginable, meaningful webs. They were specifically designed to target a technologically excluded group, older people, but can also be used with other groups. We describe the process of workshop development and discuss what succeeded with our test groups and what failed. In offering our recommendations for working in this space, we consider the methodological issues of collaborating across science/art/design borders and how this impacted on evaluation. And we describe the final result: a recipe for a performance workshop, also illustrated on a DVD and associated website, which can be used to explore the dynamics of technical and social change in the context of people’s own lives and concerns. Keywords: Performance; Older People; Marginalisation; Person-Centred; Ubiquitous Digital Networks; Interdisciplinary; Technology; Future; Evaluation</p

A Call to Arms: Revisiting Database Design

Good database design is crucial to obtain a sound, consistent database, and - in turn - good database design methodologies are the best way to achieve the right design. These methodologies are taught to most Computer Science undergraduates, as part of any Introduction to Database class. They can be considered part of the "canon", and indeed, the overall approach to database design has been unchanged for years. Moreover, none of the major database research assessments identify database design as a strategic research direction. Should we conclude that database design is a solved problem? Our thesis is that database design remains a critical unsolved problem. Hence, it should be the subject of more research. Our starting point is the observation that traditional database design is not used in practice - and if it were used it would result in designs that are not well adapted to current environments. In short, database design has failed to keep up with the times. In this paper, we put forth arguments to support our viewpoint, analyze the root causes of this situation and suggest some avenues of research.Comment: Removed spurious column break. Nothing else was change

SymbolDesign: A User-centered Method to Design Pen-based Interfaces and Extend the Functionality of Pointer Input Devices

A method called "SymbolDesign" is proposed that can be used to design user-centered interfaces for pen-based input devices. It can also extend the functionality of pointer input devices such as the traditional computer mouse or the Camera Mouse, a camera-based computer interface. Users can create their own interfaces by choosing single-stroke movement patterns that are convenient to draw with the selected input device and by mapping them to a desired set of commands. A pattern could be the trace of a moving finger detected with the Camera Mouse or a symbol drawn with an optical pen. The core of the SymbolDesign system is a dynamically created classifier, in the current implementation an artificial neural network. The architecture of the neural network automatically adjusts according to the complexity of the classification task. In experiments, subjects used the SymbolDesign method to design and test the interfaces they created, for example, to browse the web. The experiments demonstrated good recognition accuracy and responsiveness of the user interfaces. The method provided an easily-designed and easily-used computer input mechanism for people without physical limitations, and, with some modifications, has the potential to become a computer access tool for people with severe paralysis.National Science Foundation (IIS-0093367, IIS-0308213, IIS-0329009, EIA-0202067

Design Science Paradigm in the Development of Serious Game for Cognitive Rehabilitation

The use of serious games in cognitive rehabilitation would be invaluable to the rehabilitation process and provide advantages that may not be available in conventional rehabilitation. Although many recent game-based interventions for cognitive rehabilitation have been reported in the literature, not much knowledge is available on the best approach to develop usable games for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Therefore, Design Science approach was adopted to find a solution to this problem. This paper explores an existing Design Science framework and methodology, which are then combined and reduced into one single framework. This paper further examines how this framework can be used as a means to develop an artefact that can be used as a guideline in developing serious games for cognitive rehabilitation. The Design Science paradigm works well for the development of serious game for cognitive rehabilitation. This paper concludes with a discussion of the research contributions

The Integration of Cost into Mechanical Engineering Design Curricula

The integration of cost into design courses in engineering and engineering technology programs is necessary to provide graduating engineers the skills to become immediate contributors to the goals and profits of their chosen companies. There are many methods that can be used, including sophisticated decision science techniques. One example of a teaching and analysis technique developed for use in strength of materials course is described. In this example, a simple selection model, called a decision matrix, is used to decide what combination of factors provided a cost- effective design. This type of technique will allow teaching professionals to introduce and reinforce the concept of cost into basic mechanical engineering design courses. Decision matrices are extensively used in many fields of science, health care, electronics, and manufacturing. Obviously, more sophisticated decision science processes using complex analysis and modeling techniques can also be used. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concepts of cost and optimization of design to engineering students early in their educational careers. The more sophisticated decision science models can be incorporated into advanced engineering design courses. Techniques such as this can also be applied in many other courses and disciplines including project management. The cost of oil and gasoline has tripled in the last few years. The concept of cost-effective design has suddenly reached new heights and now affects almost everyone in the world in which we live