Online Recommendation Systems in a B2C E-Commerce Context: A Review and Future Directions

An online recommendation system (RS) involves using information technology and customer information to tailor electronic commerce interactions between a business and individual customers. Extant information systems (IS) studies on RS have approached the phenomenon from many different perspectives, and our understanding of the nature and impacts of RS is fragmented. The current study reviews and synthesizes extant empirical IS studies to provide a coherent view of research on RS and identify gaps and future directions. Specifically, we review 40 empirical studies of RS published in 31 IS journals and five IS conference proceedings between 1990 and 2013. Using a recommendation process theoretical framework, we categorize these studies in three major areas addressed by RS research: understanding consumers, delivering recommendations, and the impacts of RS. We review and synthesize the extant literature in each area and across areas. Based on the review and synthesis, we surface research gaps and provide suggestions and potential directions for future research on recommendation systems

A Conceptual Model for Gender-Inclusive Requirements

Gender equality is a fundamental human right. Empowering all women and girls means empowering half of the world’s population, and therefore it is essential to create a peaceful and sustainable future. However, there is still a great deal to be done to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities for everyone. Gender inequality persists and prevents the development and thriving of individuals and societies. Such is the case of girls’ and women’s under-representation in information, communication, and technology, where only 3% of the graduates worldwide are women. Consequently, technology development holds serious problems of inclusion and diversity. As technologies rapidly evolve and revolutionize the way we live, missing diverse perspectives during development produces a gender-biased technology that, instead of advancing gender equality, creates new barriers in achieving it. Technology can play a fundamental role in progressing gender equality and ensuring gender inclusion. Although considered neutral, the software does not equally serve everyone who depends on it. Software systems favor characteristics that are statistically more observed in majorities, ignoring or even attacking certain minorities. Concerning gender, existing systems favor characteristics that are statistically more observed in men over characteristics observed in other genders (e.g., trans, cis women, non-binary). The goal of this dissertation is to create awareness that the problem of non-inclusive software is real and investigate how to develop software that benefits everyone, regardless of their gender. As a first step, we performed a systematic mapping study to gather a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art on gender issues in software engineering. This study served as the groundwork for the development of a conceptual model for gender-inclusive requirements. The model aims to support requirements engineers by providing a representation of gender domain knowledge that can be used as a resource for eliciting gender-inclusive requirements. To integrate the conceptual model into the existing practices of requirements engineers, we propose a framework that offers a set of guidelines with concrete goals to ensure a focus on gender inclusion from the earliest phases and throughout the development process. We applied the framework to develop a gender-inclusive prototype tool that supports the process of using the framework. The developed model was empirically evaluated by a group of 31 participants and the results were positive. The conceptual model was published in a CORE A conferenceA igualdade de género é um direito humano fundamental. Empoderar todas asmulheres e raparigas significa empoderar metade da população do mundo, e como tal, é crucial para a criação de um futuro pacífico e sustentável. No entanto, há ainda um longo percurso a percorrer na conquista da total igualdade de direitos e oportunidades. A desigualdade de género ainda persiste, impedindo o desenvolvimento e prosperação de indivíduos e sociedades. Este é o caso da área da informação, comunicação e tecnologia que tem apenas 3% graduadas em todo omundo. Consequentemente, a tecnologia apresenta sérios problemas de inclusão e diversidade, desde o seu desenvolvimento à sua adoção e utilização. A tecnologia, e o software em particular, desempenham um papel cada vez mais central na vida de todos nós. Apesar de considerado neutro, o software não serve da mesma forma todos os que dependem dele. De facto, os sistemas de software privilegiam características estatisticamente mais observadas nas maiorias, ignorando ou mesmo atacando certas minorias. No que diz respeito ao género, os sistemas existentes privilegiam características estatisticamente mais observadas nos homens em detrimento das características observadas noutros géneros (por exemplo, trans, mulheres cis, pessoas não-binárias). O objetivo desta dissertação e tomar consciência que o problema de software nãoinclusivo é real e investigar como desenvolver software que beneficie todos os utilizadores, independentemente do seu género. Como primeiro passo, realizámos um mapeamento sistematico de literatura de modo a construir uma visão integrada sobre o estado da arte em questões de género em engenharia de software. Os resultados deste estudo serviram de base para o desenvolvimento de um modelo conceptual para requisitos inclusivos de genero. Este modelo visa apoiar a elicitacao de informacao inclusiva providenciando uma representacao do conhecimento dominio de genero como recurso para a formulacao de requisitos inclusivos. Para integrar o modelo conceptual nas praticas da engenharia de requisitos, desenvolvemos uma framework que oferece um conjunto de diretrizes com objetivos concretos para garantir um foco na inclusao de genero desde as fases iniciais e ao longo do processo de desenvolvimento. Aplicamos a framework na construcao de um prototipo de uma ferramenta inclusiva de genero que apoia o seu processo de uso. O modelo desenvolvido foi avaliado empiricamente por um grupo de 31 participantes e os resultados foram positivos. O modelo conceptual foi publicado numa conferência CORE A

An Experiment Series on App Information Privacy Concerns

The diffusion of smart mobile devices and therewith apps into everyday life comes along with the permanent disclosure of sensitive and personal data. Despite the concerns individuals have regarding their information privacy, they act oppositional. However, through the permanent disclosure of sensitive and personal information, privacy of individuals is at risk. The risk of privacy is intensified by the classification of the mobile app download and the usage decision processing as low effort processes without much deliberation. Therefore, the article follows the call of Dinev et al. (2015) to consider principles from behavioural economics and social psychology to investigate its influences on privacy decisions. This is operationalised with six independent experiments to examine the influence of cognitive biases on app information privacy concerns. The results support the underlying assumption of app decision-making as a low effort process and confirmed that different stimuli do influence privacy concerns of individuals. This research contributes to the increasing importance of understanding individ-uals’ behaviour in digital ecosystems

Towards a Framework of Personalization Techniques

This paper aims to elaborate on the role of user modelling for personalization and enhanced attention support. User modelling is an important element in the management of personal profiles and identity of users, but also a key element for providing adaptive features and personalized interaction. In this paper, we present personalization as the process consisting on the customization, and the adaptation of the interaction along the structure, the content, the modality, the presentation and the level of attention required. The paper surveys personalization techniques and provides concrete examples of personalized interaction. In particular, the paper focuses on the role of user modeling for enhanced, personalized user support within interactive applications. The key contribution of the paper is to propose a framework of personalization techniques and to identify new forms of personalization that aim at taking into account human cognitive capabilities and emotions