Implementing Information Management Strategically: An Australian EDRMS Case Study

Organisations in both private and public sectors are increasingly becoming aware of the need to take a strategic approach to the management of corporate information and records. In this paper we present a case study of a successful Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) implementation within a major Australian capital city council. Guided by Ward and Peppard’s strategic systems framework (2002), the case study highlights a set of strategies which were responsible for the successful outcome of the implementation – and shows just how crucial it is for any organisation to bring with it the people and the processes involved in the creation, management and maintenance of records and information, if a centralised approach is to work over the longer term

A multi-ethnic genome-wide association study implicates collagen matrix integrity and cell differentiation pathways in keratoconus

Keratoconus is characterised by reduced rigidity of the cornea with distortion and focal thinning that causes blurred vision, however, the pathogenetic mechanisms are unknown. It can lead to severe visual morbidity in children and young adults and is a common indication for corneal transplantation worldwide. Here we report the first large scale genome-wide association study of keratoconus including 4,669 cases and 116,547 controls. We have identified significant association with 36 genomic loci that, for the first time, implicate both dysregulation of corneal collagen matrix integrity and cell differentiation pathways as primary disease-causing mechanisms. The results also suggest pleiotropy, with some disease mechanisms shared with other corneal diseases, such as Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy. The common variants associated with keratoconus explain 12.5% of the genetic variance, which shows potential for the future development of a diagnostic test to detect susceptibility to disease

A Review of Information Systems Programs in Universities in Victoria

This paper outlines the current situation of Information Systems (IS) programs within the State of Victoria, Australia. It reports on how Victorian Universities are addressing the challenges associated with reducing local and international student demand, and hence enrolments, at a time when IS in particular and ICT in general are seen by the business sector as necessary components contributing to organisational success. Transcripts of interviews with 14 academicians at nine universities throughout Victoria are analysed to give a current profile of IS programs and identify the trends in their development over time. First, a profile of the State of Victoria, its education system and its ICT industry is provided to place this work in context. Next, the interview sample is described and a number of relevant topics of interest are identified and discussed, comparing and contrasting the various programs. Finally, a summary of the findings is provided in light of the framework used to guide all of the studies of the Australian IS programs described in this special issue

A REVIEW OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROGRAMS IN UNIVERSITIES IN VICTORIA

This paper outlines the current situation of Information Systems (IS) programs within the State of Victoria, Australia. It reports on how Victorian Universities are addressing the challenges associated with reducing local and international student demand, and hence enrolments, at a time when IS in particular and ICT in general are seen by the business sector as necessary components contributing to organisational success. Transcripts of interviews with 14 academicians at nine universities throughout Victoria are analysed to give a current profile of IS programs and identify the trends in their development over time. First, a profile of the State of Victoria, its education system and its ICT industry is provided to place this work in context. Next, the interview sample is described and a number of relevant topics of interest are identified and discussed, comparing and contrasting the various programs. Finally, a summary of the findings is provided in light of the framework used to guide all of the studies of the Australian IS programs described in this special issue

Web content and design : a review of eCommerce/eBusiness program sites

Websites promote or provide information about products, and are the portals through which most electronic transactions are conducted (Singh and Dalal, 1999; Kowtha and Choon, 2001). Nowadays many universities offer e-Commerce/e-Business degree programs (Swatman and Chan, 2001), with information embodied in associated websites. It is less clear whether e-Commerce techniques are utilised by universities at these sites for selling their educational “products” – degree programs. In this paper we apply Ho’s framework for evaluation of websites (Ho, 1997) to review e-Commerce/ e-Business program websites in Australia and Hong Kong SAR1, and suggest ways in which universities could make better use of e-Commerce techniques for their own portals