110,644 research outputs found
Special Theme of Research in Information Systems Analysis and Design-IV Evaluation Criteria for Information Systems Development Methodologies
The evaluation of information systems development methodologies is becoming increasingly important. Some researchers propose their own criteria for conceptual evaluations. But such criteria are often constrained by the limitation of the researcher\u27s view toward and experience with development methodologies. Furthermore, existing evaluation criteria are either not practical for direct measurement or not tested for validity and reliability. The lack of a generally acceptable, practically valid, and reliable set of criteria for evaluation hinders the development of knowledge in this area. Our study is a step toward developing a systematic process to evaluate information systems development methodologies. We captured the opinions of a group of twenty-eight researchers and practitioners who are experienced in information systems development methodologies. Through a systematic content analysis, the authors classified these criteria into three categories: (1) methodology design, (2) methodology use, and (3) methodology deliverables. The three categories of criteria are not totally separate in that they represent the means and goals of information systems development methodologies. Appropriate criteria should be applied depending on the stages when evaluation is performed
URBANO: A Tour-Guide Robot Learning to Make Better Speeches
âThanks to the numerous attempts that are being made to develop autonomous robots, increasingly intelligent and cognitive skills are allowed. This paper proposes an automatic presentation generator for a robot guide, which is considered one more cognitive skill. The presentations are made up of groups of paragraphs. The selection of the best paragraphs is based on a semantic understanding of the characteristics of the paragraphs, on the restrictions defined for the presentation and by the quality criteria appropriate for a public presentation. This work is part of the ROBONAUTA project of the Intelligent Control Research Group at the Universidad PolitĂ©cnica de Madrid to create "awareness" in a robot guide. The software developed in the project has been verified on the tour-guide robot Urbano. The most important aspect of this proposal is that the design uses learning as the means to optimize the quality of the presentations. To achieve this goal, the system has to perform the optimized decision making, in different phases. The modeling of the quality index of the presentation is made using fuzzy logic and it represents the beliefs of the robot about what is good, bad, or indifferent about a presentation. This fuzzy system is used to select the most appropriate group of paragraphs for a presentation. The beliefs of the robot continue to evolving in order to coincide with the opinions of the public. It uses a genetic algorithm for the evolution of the rules. With this tool, the tour guide-robot shows the presentation, which satisfies the objectives and restrictions, and automatically it identifies the best paragraphs in order to find the most suitable set of contents for every public profil
Research in Information Systems Analysis and Design: Introduction to the Special Theme Papers
Information systems analysis and design are basic topics in the Information Systems (IS) curriculum. A large number of IS graduates are employed as information systems developers. However, research in the IS field pays relatively little attention to IS analysis and design topics. Few of the articles published in leading IS research journals in the last decade deal with these topics In response, CAIS and JAIS are jointly presenting Special Themes on Research in Information Systems Analysis and Design to begin to fill this void and to attract attention of researchers to this important area
Applying Gender Action Plan Lessons: A Three-Year Road Map for Gender Mainstreaming (2011- 2013)
This transition plan identifies key lessons from the implementation of the World Bank Group action plan, Gender Equality as Smart Economics (GAP), and sets out a proposal to improve the performance on Gender and Development. It seeks to strengthen the implementation of the Bank?s gender policy and places special emphasis on improving attention to gender in Bank instruments (CASs). It covers World Bank Group (WBG) operations from 2011 to 2013, and was produced on a request by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors. A GAP Three-year Progress Report accompanies this plan
The strategy of the International Irrigation Management Institute
Research institutes / Research priorities / Strategy planning / Financial resources / Institutional development / Irrigated farming / Irrigation management
Design: One, but in different forms
This overview paper defends an augmented cognitively oriented generic-design
hypothesis: there are both significant similarities between the design
activities implemented in different situations and crucial differences between
these and other cognitive activities; yet, characteristics of a design
situation (related to the design process, the designers, and the artefact)
introduce specificities in the corresponding cognitive activities and
structures that are used, and in the resulting designs. We thus augment the
classical generic-design hypothesis with that of different forms of designing.
We review the data available in the cognitive design research literature and
propose a series of candidates underlying such forms of design, outlining a
number of directions requiring further elaboration
Qualitative software engineering research -- reflections and guidelines
Researchers are increasingly recognizing the importance of human aspects in
software development and since qualitative methods are used to, in-depth,
explore human behavior, we believe that studies using such techniques will
become more common.
Existing qualitative software engineering guidelines do not cover the full
breadth of qualitative methods and knowledge on using them found in the social
sciences. The aim of this study was thus to extend the software engineering
research community's current body of knowledge regarding available qualitative
methods and provide recommendations and guidelines for their use.
With the support of an epistemological argument and a literature review, we
suggest that future research would benefit from (1) utilizing a broader set of
research methods, (2) more strongly emphasizing reflexivity, and (3) employing
qualitative guidelines and quality criteria.
We present an overview of three qualitative methods commonly used in social
sciences but rarely seen in software engineering research, namely
interpretative phenomenological analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse
analysis. Furthermore, we discuss the meaning of reflexivity in relation to the
software engineering context and suggest means of fostering it.
Our paper will help software engineering researchers better select and then
guide the application of a broader set of qualitative research methods.Comment: 30 page
Programmes at the turning point. Challenges, activities and developments for partner regions : September 2003-March 2004
This paper looks at structural funds programmes and a range of issues relating to the mid-term of the programmes, with the completion of the mid-term evaluations, the development of proposals for allocating the performance reserve and the mid term review
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