Recent Development in Information Science: Implications for Information Systems Research

Over past several decades, the management information systems (MIS) community has adopted theories, methodologies, philosophical bases, and assumptions from sister disciplines. This paper reports the changing nature of information science (IS) towards multi-disciplinarity and its development over the past decade. It also examines the contribution of informetrics to MIS research in delineating the intellectual structure of information systems, comparing cumulative research traditions, demonstrating theoretical differences between competing approaches, tracing a paradigm shift. Development in IS provides MIS researchers with ample opportunities for cross-disciplinary research, new research tools, new theories to understand information systems phenomena, etc

Utilizing a 3D game engine to develop a virtual design review system

A design review process is where information is exchanged between the designers and design reviewers to resolve any potential design related issues, and to ensure that the interests and goals of the owner are met. The effective execution of design review will minimize potential errors or conflicts, reduce the time for review, shorten the project life-cycle, allow for earlier occupancy, and ultimately translate into significant total project savings to the owner. However, the current methods of design review are still heavily relying on 2D paper-based format, sequential and lack central and integrated information base for efficient exchange and flow of information. There is thus a need for the use of a new medium that allow for 3D visualization of designs, collaboration among designers and design reviewers, and early and easy access to design review information. This paper documents the innovative utilization of a 3D game engine, the Torque Game Engine as the underlying tool and enabling technology for a design review system, the Virtual Design Review System for architectural designs. Two major elements are incorporated; 1) a 3D game engine as the driving tool for the development and implementation of design review processes, and 2) a virtual environment as the medium for design review, where visualization of design and design review information is based on sound principles of GUI design. The development of the VDRS involves two major phases; firstly, the creation of the assets and the assembly of the virtual environment, and secondly, the modification of existing functions or introducing new functionality through programming of the 3D game engine in order to support design review in a virtual environment. The features that are included in the VDRS are support for database, real-time collaboration across network, viewing and navigation modes, 3D object manipulation, parametric input, GUI, and organization for 3D objects

Resource Discovery Tools: Supporting Serendipity

Serendipity, the accidental discovery of something useful, plays an important role in discovery and the acquisition of new knowledge. The process and role of serendipity varies across disciplines. As library collections have become increasingly digital faculty lament the loss of serendipity of browsing library stacks. Resource discovery tools may have features that support serendipity as part of information seeking. A comparison of four commercial Web-scale discovery tools, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat® Local1, Serials Solution2® Summon3™, ExLibris4® Primo Central5™, and EBSCO Discovery Services (EDS)6™, links product features to characteristics that support serendipitous discovery. However, having such features is only part of the equation. Educators need to include serendipity in discussions about the research process. Future research opportunities include determining whether serendipity can be encouraged, evaluating its occurrence in the web scale environment, and studying serendipity in relation to research instruction

LabKey Server: An open source platform for scientific data integration, analysis and collaboration

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Broad-based collaborations are becoming increasingly common among disease researchers. For example, the Global HIV Enterprise has united cross-disciplinary consortia to speed progress towards HIV vaccines through coordinated research across the boundaries of institutions, continents and specialties. New, end-to-end software tools for data and specimen management are necessary to achieve the ambitious goals of such alliances. These tools must enable researchers to organize and integrate heterogeneous data early in the discovery process, standardize processes, gain new insights into pooled data and collaborate securely.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To meet these needs, we enhanced the LabKey Server platform, formerly known as CPAS. This freely available, open source software is maintained by professional engineers who use commercially proven practices for software development and maintenance. Recent enhancements support: (i) Submitting specimens requests across collaborating organizations (ii) Graphically defining new experimental data types, metadata and wizards for data collection (iii) Transitioning experimental results from a multiplicity of spreadsheets to custom tables in a shared database (iv) Securely organizing, integrating, analyzing, visualizing and sharing diverse data types, from clinical records to specimens to complex assays (v) Interacting dynamically with external data sources (vi) Tracking study participants and cohorts over time (vii) Developing custom interfaces using client libraries (viii) Authoring custom visualizations in a built-in R scripting environment.</p> <p>Diverse research organizations have adopted and adapted LabKey Server, including consortia within the Global HIV Enterprise. Atlas is an installation of LabKey Server that has been tailored to serve these consortia. It is in production use and demonstrates the core capabilities of LabKey Server. Atlas now has over 2,800 active user accounts originating from approximately 36 countries and 350 organizations. It tracks roughly 27,000 assay runs, 860,000 specimen vials and 1,300,000 vial transfers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Sharing data, analysis tools and infrastructure can speed the efforts of large research consortia by enhancing efficiency and enabling new insights. The Atlas installation of LabKey Server demonstrates the utility of the LabKey platform for collaborative research. Stable, supported builds of LabKey Server are freely available for download at <url>http://www.labkey.org</url>. Documentation and source code are available under the Apache License 2.0.</p

VisualBib: A novel Web app for supporting researchers in the creation, visualization and sharing of bibliographies

In this paper, we present VisualBib, a Web application, which allows users to create, visualize, modify, explore, and share bibliographies and the related citation networks, using innovative diagrams, called narrative views. The metadata are retrieved in real-time from four existing bibliographic indexes, Scopus, OpenCitations, and CrossRef/Orcid. Bibliographies and views are formally described and modeled using zz-structures, a semantic, not-hierarchical data model. VisualBib has been evaluated through two evaluation studies, one focused on the quantitative side and another on the qualitative side. Taking into account both studies, they evaluate the tool regarding the effectiveness performing tasks, usability, graphic layout and other questions specific to the VisualBib features. The evaluation throws positive significant results in all areas when compared to Scopus searching features

Creating story maps for learning purposes: The Black Death Atlas

In the current technological context new forms of mapmaking emerge. An increasingly common one produces story maps, maps that are shown with synchronized explanatory text, to visualize events in a spatial context. Story maps could be defined as the explicit display of such spatial and temporal landmarks on the grounds that a story is constructed. In this paper we present a story map oriented to pedagogical purposes. We have compiled an atlas displaying the expansion of the Black Death in Europe between 1346 and 1347, when the largest epidemic outbreak in the History of Europe ravaged the continent. To depict this event, we have used CartoDB, Odyssey and some other Web interactive tools to create eight interactive story maps gathered in an online atlas. The work was made in the frame of an end-of-degree Project (Geomatics Engineering, in Universidad Politécnica de Madrid). By now, it can be found in: http://clarar92.wix.com/atlasdelapestenegr

Digital Image Access & Retrieval

The 33th Annual Clinic on Library Applications of Data Processing, held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in March of 1996, addressed the theme of "Digital Image Access & Retrieval." The papers from this conference cover a wide range of topics concerning digital imaging technology for visual resource collections. Papers covered three general areas: (1) systems, planning, and implementation; (2) automatic and semi-automatic indexing; and (3) preservation with the bulk of the conference focusing on indexing and retrieval.published or submitted for publicatio

Evaluation methodology for visual analytics software

O desafio do Visual Analytics (VA) é produzir visualizações que ajudem os utilizadores a concentrarem-se no aspecto mais relevante ou mais interessante dos dados apresentados. A sociedade actual enfrenta uma quantidade de dados que aumenta rapidamente. Assim, os utilizadores de informação em todos os domínios acabam por ter mais informação do que aquela com que podem lidar. O software VA deve suportar interacções intuitivas para que os analistas possam concentrar-se na informação que estão a manipular, e não na técnica de manipulação em si. Os ambientes de VA devem procurar minimizar a carga de trabalho cognitivo global dos seus utilizadores, porque se tivermos de pensar menos nas interacções em si, teremos mais tempo para pensar na análise propriamente dita. Tendo em conta os benefícios que as aplicações VA podem trazer e a confusão que ainda existe ao identificar tais aplicações no mercado, propomos neste trabalho uma nova metodologia de avaliação baseada em heurísticas. A nossa metodologia destina-se a avaliar aplicações através de testes de usabilidade considerando as funcionalidades e características desejáveis em sistemas de VA. No entanto, devido à sua natureza quatitativa, pode ser naturalmente utilizada para outros fins, tais como comparação para decisão entre aplicações de VA do mesmo contexto. Além disso, seus critérios poderão servir como fonte de informação para designers e programadores fazerem escolhas apropriadas durante a concepção e desenvolvimento de sistemas de VA