Developing a Framework for Examining Systems Development and its Environmental Context: The Relationship Between Giddens\u27 Structuration Theory and Pettigrew\u27s Contextual Analysis

Giddens’ structuration theory and Pettigrew’s contextual analysis have both been influential frameworks for examining the close relationship between information systems initiatives and their organisational environment. Here the relationship between these two theories is examined and it will be argued that they are largely, but not wholly equitable. This comparison has important implications for how the process of systems development can and should be perceived

Expert and Hierarchical Authority in a Systems Development Project

While systems development can be usefully conceived as a process of negotiation, there are many occasions when actions are legitimised not because they reflect the outcome of a bargaining process, but because those with authority utilise power derived from their hierarchical position or their perceived expertise. Here these issues are examined

A Legal Information System Project and its Possible Implications for the Production of Legislation in Tasmania, Australia

The Legislation System Project (LSP) is an information systems development project designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the legislation production process by providing a computerised drafting environment, document tracking and the automatic consolidation of amendments. This paper discusses the implementation of the system in relation to the legislation production process and concludes that, while the system may have a great impact on the drafting of legislation, it is unlikely to have major direct impacts on the broader legislation production process

The Systems Development Lifecycle in Practice

Numerous writers have identified problems with the commonly used systems development lifecycle. Yet it is still commonly used in practice. Here it will be illustrated that, even if developers formally use the model, the activities associated a project do not seem to align particularly well with this popular model

Domain-specific mutations in sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1) cause familial and sporadic Paget's disease

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a common disorder characterized by focal abnormalities of increased and disorganized bone turnover. Genetic factors are important in the pathogenesis of PDB, and in previous studies, we and others identified a locus for familial PDB by genome-wide search on 5q35-qter (PDB3). The gene encoding sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/p62) maps to within the PDB3 critical region, and recent studies have identified a proline-leucine amino acid change at codon 392 of SQSTM1 (P392L) in French-Canadian patients with PDB. We conducted mutation screening of positional candidate genes in the PDB3 locus in patients with PDB, and also identified mutations in the gene encoding SQSTM1 as a common cause of familial and sporadic PDB. Three different mutations were found, all affecting the highly conserved ubiquitin-binding domain. The most common mutation was the P392L change in exon 8, which was found in 13 of 68 families (19.1%). Another mutation-a T insertion that introduces a stop codon at position 396 in exon 8-was found in four (5.8%) families. A third mutation affecting the splice donor site in intron 7 was found in one (1.5%) family. The P392L mutation was also found in 15 of 168 (8.9%) of patients with sporadic PDB and 0 of 160 of age- and sex-matched controls (