Master\u27s and Doctoral Thesis Citations: Analysis and Trends of a Longitudinal Study

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An Experimental Study of the Effects of Representing Property Precedence on the Comprehension of Conceptual Schemas

Conceptual modeling is the process of using a grammar to construct abstractions of relevant phenomena in a domain. The resulting conceptual schemas are intended to facilitate understanding of and communication about a domain during information systems requirements analysis and during design. Despite keen practitioner interest in conceptual modeling, there is general agreement that the modeling constructs comprising grammars lack theoretical foundations pertaining to what the constructs are intended to represent, which, in turn, inhibits our understanding of whether and why they are effective. This research contributes to our understanding of conceptual modeling grammars by proposing a theoretically-grounded approach for modeling an important aspect of the nature of properties of the phenomena of interest in a domain. Specifically, conceptual schemas typically fail to express explicitly the semantics that, when things possess particular properties, they must also possess certain other properties. This research uses Bunge’s ontological notion of property precedence as the theoretical rationale for explicitly modeling this dependence in conceptual schema diagrams. We examine several forms of precedence, and propose an approach to representing one form in conceptual schemas. We present the results of a laboratory experiment that tests the impact of explicitly representing precedence on how well participants comprehend the semantics conveyed by a conceptual schema. The results indicate that modeling precedence explicitly improves the comprehension of domain semantics expressed in a diagram’s structure, but has varying effects on subjects’ confidence in their comprehension

Master\u27s and Doctoral Thesis Citations: Analysis and Trends of a Longitudinal Study

This article reports the results of a longitudinal study of over 9100 citations from 629 master’s and doctoral theses written between 1973 and 1992 at a large mid-western landgrant university. The results of this study suggest that graduate students writing theses favor current research regardless of disciplinary affiliation. The length of theses increased over time and the number of citations in thesis bibliographies varied by discipline. Implications of the results for collection development and scholarship as well as areas for future research are discussed

A FOUNDATION FOR OPEN INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTS

Traditionally, information systems were developed within organizations for use by known audiences for known purposes. Advances in information technology have changed this landscape dramatically. The reach of information systems frequntly extends beyond organizational boundaries for use by unknown audiences and for purposes not originally anticipated. Individuals and informal communities can generate and use information in ways previously restricted to formal organizations. We term applications with these characteristics open information environments (OIEs). OIEs are marked by diversity of information available, flexibility in accommodating new sources, users and uses, and information management with minimal controls on structure, content, and access. This creates opportunities to generate new information and use it in unexpected ways. However, OIEs also come with challenges in managing the semantic diversity, flexibility of use, and information quality issus arising from the range of users and lack of controls. In this paper, we propose a set of principles for managing OIEs effectively. We outline a research program to examine the potential of OIEs, the challenges they present, and how to design OIEs to realize the benefits while mitigating the challenges. We highlight our ongoing research in this area, and conclude with a call for more research on this important phenomenon

Generating Effective Recommendations Using Viewing-Time Weighted Preferences for Attributes

Recommender systems are an increasingly important technology and researchers have recently argued for incorporating different kinds of data to improve recommendation quality. This paper presents a novel approach to generating recommendations and evaluates its effectiveness. First, we review evidence that item viewing time can reveal user preferences for items. Second, we model item preference as a weighted function of preferences for item attributes. We then propose a method for generating recommendations based on these two propositions. The results of a laboratory evaluation show that the proposed approach generated estimated item ratings consistent with explicit item ratings and assigned high ratings to products that reflect revealed preferences of users. We conclude by discussing implications and identifying areas for future research

Using The Internet To Simulate Virtual Organizations In MBA Curricula

Communications technology is shifting the basic architecture of organizations from hierarchies to networks. Organizations are becoming flatter, increasing the need for peer communication. There are also emerging virtual organizations, temporary network[s] of independent companies ... linked by information technology to share skills, costs, and access to one another\u27s markets (Byrne et al., 1993). Today, that linking technology is often the Internet, Compuserve or a similar network. For example, one of the authors is currently working with an organization of consultants which is seeking to replace its outdated F-style communication (fone, fax and fly) with a much cheaper and more effective Internet-based system. This organization has no headquarters and makes extensive use of ad hoc task forces to address specific issues. This paper describes a project which attempts to offer MBA students realistic exposure to work in a such a virtual organization as a pedagogical exercise. Two MIS classes at widely separated universities were each divided into teams. Each team was assigned to study a local organization. Then, based on the type of organization being studied, teams were paired (one from each university) and asked to exchange results over the Internet and come to some joint conclusions. This type of project also provides potential research opportunities. The length and format are more realistic than typical lab studies, while offering better control and subject availability than field researc

Using the Internet to Simulate Virtual Organizations in MBA Curricula

Emerging telecommunications technology is enabling individuals or organizations to jointly create “virtual organizations.” These organizations can exploit opportunities that require a variety of resources or skills not possessed by any individual member. While most MBA programs discuss the growing importance of new organizational forms, our study shows that simulating virtual organizations not only gives students a chance to experience this environment first-hand but can also create new learning opportunities. Students taking introductory MIS classes at two widely separated MBA programs were divided into teams. Each team was assigned to a local organization and asked to examine their process for approving new information system projects. The organizations were selected in pairs, e.g., two electric utility companies, so that each team in one class had a corresponding team studying a similar organization in the other. By comparing their results, both students and participating organizations received a broader perspective of the issue than would have occurred through a purely local study. Overall student reaction was positive, although more so at “East” University than “West.” While technical problems created some early frustrations for West students, there appears to be considerable potential for enhancing virtual links across MBA programs. We offer suggestions for faculty considering incorporating this type of project in the MBA curriculum

Research Perspectives: Design Theory Indeterminacy: What Is it, How Can it Be Reduced, and Why Did the Polar Bear Drown?

Design science research strives to be practical and relevant. Yet few researchers have examined the extent to which practitioners can meaningfully utilize theoretical knowledge produced by design science research in solving concrete real-world problems. Are design theories developed by scientists readily amenable to application by practitioners? Does the application of a theory by practitioners always lead to the outcomes predicted (by the scientists)? We examine a particularly difficult challenge—ensuring that the development and deployment of an IT artifact by practitioners based on a design theory result in appropriate changes in the environment predicted by the design theory. As we show in our paper, a gulf exists between theoretical propositions and concrete issues faced in practice—a challenge we refer to as design theory indeterminacy. Design theory indeterminacy might result in considerable ambiguity when implementing a design theory in practice and reduce the potential relevance of information systems knowledge. In this paper, we articulate the problem of design theory indeterminacy, examine factors that contribute to it, and suggest fruitful directions for future research to help reduce it

Technology-Mediated Active Learning in Information Systems Development Pedagogy: A Case Study

We describe the use of a newsgroup to support an active learning approach for teaching requirements analysis. The newsgroup was used forcommunication between students and a client to elicit requirements for a transaction processing system. The outcomes suggest that this technology is effective in supporting active learning. We offer recommendations for adopters of this approac