GIS and participatory approaches in natural resources research

Geographical information systems (GIS) have an important role to play in natural resources (NR) research to support rural livelihoods, in particular, and pro-poor development more generally. In this Guide we do not attempt to address the whole range of issues associated with applications of GIS in development, but address specific questions relating to: stakeholder and beneficiary participation in the data collection process; participation in the planning process: assessment of planning and management options, conflicts and development scenarios; integration of social and natural science information using spatial databases in natural resources research and development. A rationale is presented for the integration of GIS and participatory approaches, highlighting the needs for close interdisciplinary collaboration and the application of GIS to development processes through interaction with local stakeholders. The issues involved are illustrated by examples of participatory GIS applications, and by practical case studies in Brazil, Tanzania and Uganda, and Ghana (found at the end of the Guide), and literature-based' examples from South Africa. The basic requirements for making effective use of GIS are discussed along with, in an interdisciplinary, participatory context, the methodological issues involved in data collection, integration of biophysical and socio-economic data, data management, and data feedback and availability to stakeholders. Areas for further research and development are considered and overall recommendations on best practice are made. A glossary of terms used in GIS and participatory approaches in NR research is provided at the end of this Guide along with a list of further reading and a contact list. Guidance is also provided on suitability and cost-effective choice of hardware and software for GIS and participatory approaches

CAiSE Radar 2016

The CAiSE Radar is an experimental format, established for CAiSE 2016, to make CAiSE workshops livelier, exciting, stimulate discussions, and attract additional active participants by establishing an environment where not only well established and validated research is reported but research in infancy, new ideas, and potentially interesting research projects can be presented and discussed. So similarly to a radar, the idea is to enable researchers to look into the future of the field and identify upcoming trends early. The aim of such effort is on one hand to contribute to the building of research communities and promote the integration of young researchers into the community, and on the other hand to provide opportunities to discuss ideas early and to receive additional opinions on planned research

Guiding the development of a controlled ecological life support system

The workshop is reported which was held to establish guidelines for future development of ecological support systems, and to develop a group of researchers who understand the interdisciplinary requirements of the overall program

An Approach to Analyze Tradeoffs for Aerospace System Design and Operation

There are important tradeoffs that need to be considered for the design and operation of aerospace systems. In addition to tradeoffs, there may also be multiple stakeholders of interest to the system and each may have different preferences as to the balance amongst the tradeoffs under consideration. A tradeoff hyperspace is created when there are three or more tradeoff dimensions and this increases the challenge associated with resolving the hyperspace in order to determine the best design and operation of a system. The corresponding objectives of this research are to develop a framework to analyze tradeoff hyperspaces and to account for the preferences of multiple stakeholders in this framework.This work was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under grant NRA- #NNX10AN92A (NASA Ames). The authors are grateful to Dr. Neil Y. Chen and Dr. Banavar Sridhar in the Aviation Systems Division at NASA Ames for their valuable guidance and feedback in managing this project