An Investigation of the Tables Versus Graphs Controversy in a Learning Environment

The study of computer graphics as decision aids has become popular among MIS researchers in the last several years. However, this area of research, like many others in management information systems, has been plagued with methodological problems and contradictory findings. In light of these difficulties, the current study examined the tables versus graphs controversy within a learning environment. Seventy-five MBA students were exposed to one of three experimental treatments and asked to develop financial forecasts for fictitious companies over five experimental trials. Following their forecasts for each firm, participants were provided with feedback on the quality of their decisions. The information presentation treatments were as follows:(l) traditional spreadsheet (tabular), (2) graphs using standard scaling, and (3) graphs using nonstandard scaling. Results suggest that, although graphics may initially demonstrate no advantage over tables, they do show an advantage i f decision makers are repeatedly exposed to the novel format and given feedback on their performance. L. arning will occur even when improper scaling is used. The implication is that the effectiveness of graphics as decision aids depends on practice. Researchers are encouraged to employ repeated measures, or longitudinal, designs when examining the tables-versus-graphs controversy

Methodological Issues in Experimental IS Research: Experiences and Recommendations

Within the last ten years, the use of experimental methodology in information systems research has substantially increased. However, despite the popularity of experimentation, studies suffer from major methodological problems: (1) lack of underlying theory, (2) proliferation of measuring instruments, (3) inappropriate research designs, (4) diversity of experimental tasks, and (5) lack of internal validity. These problems have led to an accumulation of conflicting results in several areas of IS research, in particular, research in the area of graphics and information presentation. This paper uses the area of information presentation format to explore the nature of the methodological problems mentioned above and to suggest potential remedies: 1. Due to the lackoftheoretical basis, informationpresentationresearchers do nothave any common ground for conducting and interpreting their results. This has resulted in oneshot, ad-hoc studies that do not build on the work of others. No state of relatedness among studies has emerged. Only through progrums of research can we hope for an underlying theory to emerge. 2. The proliferation of measuring instruments, many of which may have problems with reliability and validity, has plagued IS research. Again, only through a program of research can we hope to construct a set ofmeasuring instruments applicable and easily adaptable to a large number of studies 3. With regard to research design, simplistic and nonpragmatic studies as well as poorly controlled experiments have impeded the progress of IS research. Suggested remedies include the adoption of multivariate designs, use of decision maker productivity as a dependent vatiable, and more effective experimental control through measurement of factors that are 1mown from previous research to influence decision performance. 4. The presence of a multitude of task environments has also posed problems. The employment of diverse tasks makes comparisons of results across studies inappropriate. A taxomony of tasks must be developed before we can meaningfully integrate research findings. 5. Many studies have suffered from internal validity problems. A remedy for this requires more effective precautions to ensure that the findings of a study are due to the factors researched rather than to accidents. Tb illustrate this last problem of internal validity and the steps needed to improve the experimental studies involving mangerial graphics is described. The research study conducted at the University of Minnesota was initially set up to investigate the relationship between graphical decision aids, task complexity, and decision maker performance. First, a task, and a case that was to provide a task setting, were developed. Also, questionnaires and tests were constructed to gather information on the (1) backgroundof subjects, (2) motivation of subjects, (3) subjects\u27 satisfaction withthe graphs, (4) perceived complexity and difficulty of the problem solving task, and (5) the subjects\u27 interpretation accuracy in reading graphs After the development of the tasl and other experimental material, the experiment was pretested The results from the pilot study gave the authors every reason to believe that the task did not have any major validity problems. However, whenthe experiment was actually given to 63 graduate students, the data didnotreveal any consistent patterns due to graphical and task treatments. This, of course, concerned the authors, and, as a result, attention was directed toward improving the experimental task, research design, and measurement A second experiment was conducted to test whether the insignificant results in the first experimentwere causedbythegraphsorbymisleadingorconfusinginformationinthetask. The data from the second experiment collected on 20 experimental subjects, convinced the authorsthatthemainproblemcausingtheinsignificantresultshadnotbeenthepoorquality of the graphs, but the fact that, in general subjects were just not able to perform the task However, the authors did not know whether this poor performance was due to an overly difficult task or to misleading or confusing information within the task. Therefore, a third experiment was conducted to resolve this question. The third study used 17 managers as experimental subjects. It was assumed that if the managers couldsatisfactorilycompletethetasktheauthors couldconcludethatthe taskwas valid, but too difficult for graduate students. The analysis of the data collected from the third experiment confirmed, however, that serious problems existed with the task itself. Debriefings of the managers indicated that the case description, in combination with the presented data on marketing variables, included confusing and misleading data Obviously, thetaskwasnotprovidingthebasisforansweringtheresearchquestionontherelationshipof task, presentation format, the decision performance. Thus, a majorrevision of the task was undertaken. The revised material is currently undergoing pretesting. In summary, the authors have gone through several experiments in searching and testing for valid measurements. During this process we have learned an invaluable lesson that we hope willbe usefulto othersintheirresearch endeavors. We discoveredthatthe process of coming up with an effective taskand variable measurementis lengthy, costly, and mayhave uncertain outcomes even if considerable precautions are taken. For experimental IS researchers particularly those performing studies on the use of managerial graphics, cautions and guidelines are provided to help them address more effectively the common methodological

Isotope analysis in central heavy ion collisions at intermediate energies

Symmetry energy is a key quantity in the study of the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter. Heavy ion collisions at low and intermediate energies, performed at Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro and Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, can be used to extract information on the symmetry energy coefficient Csym, which is currently poorly known but relevant both for astrophysics and for structure of exotic nuclei.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure. Proceedings of 7th International Conference on Radioactive Nuclear Beams (RNB7), to be published in The European Physical Journal

Virtual Team Leader Communication:Employee Perception and Organizational Reality

Based on a study of leader communication effectiveness conducted in a large human resource outsourcing firm, this article reports how virtual team members’ perceptions of their leaders’ effective use of communication tools and techniques affect team performance outcomes. The study also investigates the role that trust plays in moderating the relationship between virtual team members’ perceptions of their leaders’ effective use of communication and team performance. Analysis of 458 responses from 68 teams found a positive relationship between virtual team members’ perceptions of leaders’ effective use of communications and team members’ perception of their team’s performance. The study also found that trust strengthens the relationship between perceived leader communication effectiveness and team performance results. Last, the study also revealed serious organizational alignment issues between what team members perceived to be effective leader communication, their perception of team performance outcomes, and the organizations performance measured by a balanced scorecard

Mapping Vesta: First Results from Dawn’s Survey Orbit

The geologic objectives of the Dawn Mission [1] are to derive Vesta’s shape, map the surface geology, understand the geological context and contribute to the determination of the asteroids’ origin and evolution.Geomorphology and distribution of surface features will provide evidence for impact cratering, tectonic activity, volcanism, and regolith processes. Spectral measurements of the surface will provide evidence of the compositional characteristics of geological units. Age information, as derived from crater sizefrequency distributions, provides the stratigraphic context for the structural and compositional mapping results, thus revealing the geologic history of Vesta. We present here the first results of the Dawn mission from data collected during the approach to Vesta, and its first discrete orbit phase – the Survey Orbit, which lasts 21 days after the spacecraft had established a circular polar orbit at a radius of ~3000 km with a beta angle of 10°-15°

Integration of decision support systems to improve decision support performance

Decision support system (DSS) is a well-established research and development area. Traditional isolated, stand-alone DSS has been recently facing new challenges. In order to improve the performance of DSS to meet the challenges, research has been actively carried out to develop integrated decision support systems (IDSS). This paper reviews the current research efforts with regard to the development of IDSS. The focus of the paper is on the integration aspect for IDSS through multiple perspectives, and the technologies that support this integration. More than 100 papers and software systems are discussed. Current research efforts and the development status of IDSS are explained, compared and classified. In addition, future trends and challenges in integration are outlined. The paper concludes that by addressing integration, better support will be provided to decision makers, with the expectation of both better decisions and improved decision making processes

Measurement of Beam-Spin Asymmetries for Deep Inelastic π+\pi^+ Electroproduction

We report the first evidence for a non-zero beam-spin azimuthal asymmetry in the electroproduction of positive pions in the deep-inelastic region. Data have been obtained using a polarized electron beam of 4.3 GeV with the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The amplitude of the $\sin\phi$ modulation increases with the momentum of the pion relative to the virtual photon, $z$, with an average amplitude of $0.038 \pm 0.005 \pm 0.003$ for $0.5 < z < 0.8$ range.Comment: 5 pages, RevTEX4, 3 figures, 2 table

Measurement of the Polarized Structure Function σLT′\sigma_{LT^\prime} for p(e⃗,e′p)πop(\vec{e},e'p)\pi^o in the Δ(1232)\Delta(1232) Resonance Region

The polarized longitudinal-transverse structure function $\sigma_{LT^\prime}$ has been measured in the $\Delta(1232)$ resonance region at $Q^2=0.40$ and 0.65 GeV$^2$. Data for the $p(\vec e,e'p)\pi^o$ reaction were taken at Jefferson Lab with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) using longitudinally polarized electrons at an energy of 1.515 GeV. For the first time a complete angular distribution was measured, permitting the separation of different non-resonant amplitudes using a partial wave analysis. Comparison with previous beam asymmetry measurements at MAMI indicate a deviation from the predicted $Q^2$ dependence of $\sigma_{LT^{\prime}}$ using recent phenomenological models.Comment: 5 pages, LaTex, 4 eps figures: to be published in PRC/Rapid Communications. Version 2 has revised Q^2 analysi

First Measurement of Transferred Polarization in the Exclusive e p --> e' K+ Lambda Reaction

The first measurements of the transferred polarization for the exclusive ep --> e'K+ Lambda reaction have been performed in Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using the CLAS spectrometer. A 2.567 GeV electron beam was used to measure the hyperon polarization over a range of Q2 from 0.3 to 1.5 (GeV/c)2, W from 1.6 to 2.15 GeV, and over the full center-of-mass angular range of the K+ meson. Comparison with predictions of hadrodynamic models indicates strong sensitivity to the underlying resonance contributions. A non-relativistic quark model interpretation of our data suggests that the s-sbar quark pair is produced with spins predominantly anti-aligned. Implications for the validity of the widely used 3P0 quark-pair creation operator are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure