Practices for Engineering Gender-Inclusivity into Software

Although the need for gender-inclusivity in software itself is gaining attention among both SE researchers and SE practitioners, and methods have been published to help, little has been reported on how to make such methods work in real-world settings. For example, how do busy software practitioners use such methods in low-cost ways? How do they endeavor to maximize benefits from using them? How do they avoid the controversies that can arise in talking about gender? To find out how teams were handling these and similar questions, we turned to 10 real-world software teams. We present these teams’ experiences in the form of 12 practices and 3 potential pitfalls, so as to provide their insights to other real-world software teams trying to engineer gender-inclusivity into their software products

Assessment Tool for CAC Self-Study Report

Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET) is the primary organization responsible for monitoring, evaluating and certifying the quality of engineering, engineering technology, computing and applied sciences education in the United States. In 2000, ABET changed the way computer science (and engineering) programs are accredited from a ‘checklist’ approach to an ‘outcomes-based’ approach. This approach is more flexible in that it allows the program to set its own objectives including expected outcomes that its graduates will meet. Although this approach gives more freedom to the program to establish its own set of objectives, it has also created considerable anxiety among people who are responsible for preparing their programs for accreditation. The primary reason for this anxiety is that ABET provides a set of guidelines for interpretation of these criteria; however they are not detailed leaving room for much ambiguity and subjectivity. A program will be initially evaluated based on the data submitted in the Self-Study Report that describes how the program satisfies the criteria. This is followed by an on-site visit by a team of evaluators. This visit is required to gauge various factors that can’t be adequately covered in Self-Study report. Further it provides an opportunity to look at the facilities and other required criteria in more detail. Based on the recommendations of the team, ABET decides on whether or not to accredit the program. The Self-Study Report plays major role in the ABET accreditation process. However, preparation of the Report has become more difficult with the change to an outcomes-based approach. We have developed model of ideal program based on CAC guidelines and standards. Using the model, we have come up with a tool that assesses the thoroughness and completeness of the Report compared to the model. The tool outputs a report pointing out possible problem areas. Programs seeking accreditation can use the tool prior to submitting the Report to the evaluation team

OSU Libraries and Research Dataset Curation: A Beginning

Research & Innovative Services Report 4 (2009). Report on project conducted in AY 2008/09 to identify strategies and resources which have proved successful at other libraries where programs for campus-wide dataset curation are in place; articulate common "problems" that have been encountered by the implementers of these programs; and make recommendations for further investigation and an "upgrade" or enhancement of service based on success at other libraries.Keywords: Curation, Datasets, Institutional Repositories, Librarie

Metadata subsetting framework

The amount of research data online is growing exponentially, scattered across a multitude of locations and stored in various formats on a wide variety of platforms. The value of metadata which assists us in determining the relevance, location, and accessibility of data and related research, has become correspondingly more important. Although there are a number of international standards that govern the format and structure of metadata in specific disciplines, the complexity of these standards makes it difficult for data owners and clearinghouses to create and manage metadata effectively. The Metadata Subsetting Framework is a system that allows metadata clearinghouses to define a subset of a metadata standard, containing the fields most relevant to the specific domain. The system automatically generates an interface specifically customized for the subset, with capabilities for validating user inputs against constraints expressed in the subset. Implemented as a collection of Java components, the system produces a complete in-memory representation of XML Schema documents expressing the structural and data constraints of a subsetted metadata standard. A knowledgeable user builds the subset by manipulating these constraints via a web-based interface. Subsetting makes the metadata entry process easier and less error-prone, thereby improving the quality of metadata.Keywords: Subsetting, Metadata subsetting framework, Metadata standar