978 research outputs found
Mediating boundaries between knowledge and knowing: ICT and R4D praxis
Research for development (R4D) praxis (theory-informed practical action) can be underpinned by the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) which, it is claimed, provide opportunities for knowledge working and sharing. Such a framing implicitly or explicitly constructs a boundary around knowledge as reified, or commodified – or at least able to be stabilized for a period of time (first order knowledge). In contrast ‘third-generation knowledge’ emphasizes the social nature of learning and knowledge-making; this reframes knowledge as a negotiated social practice, thus constructing a different system boundary. This paper offers critical reflections on the use of a wiki as a data repository and mediating technical platform as part of innovating in R4D praxis. A sustainable social learning process was sought that fostered an emergent community of practice among biophysical and social researchers acting for the first time as R4D co-researchers. Over time the technologically mediated element of the learning system was judged to have failed. This inquiry asks: How can learning system design cultivate learning opportunities and respond to learning challenges in an online environment to support R4D practice? Confining critical reflection to the online learning experience alone ignores the wider context in which knowledge work took place; therefore the institutional setting is also considered
Practical lessons for winning support for radical transport projects
This paper proposes that while many plans and
solutions to the transport problems of the 21st Century
have been mooted, very few have succeeded in
significantly improving the situation within Europe. It
is suggested that many schemes face problems at the
project implementation stage due to adverse public
and/or political reaction. This paper incorporates a
series of vignettes, several of which are based on indepth
interviews with practitioners directly involved
in the implementation of 'radical'transport schemes
from around the world in an attempt to draw lessons as
to how they overcame this, not least in terms of how
the implementation of alternative strategies by
European policy-makers could be shaped and adopted
world-wide
The transferability of the low-cost model to long-haul airline operations
Since their emergence in the US in the mid 1970's there has been
significant growth in the low-cost airline sector but with a few notable
exceptions low-cost airlines have operated on short-haul routes. This
paper examines the extent to which the low-cost model is, or could be,
applicable to long-haul operations and whether the recent emergence of
long-haul low-cost carriers is a sustainable phenomenon. The authors
explore the extent to which elements of the so-called low-cost model
might be transferable to long-haul operations. The paper seeks to quantify
the potential cost differentials that might be achievable on a long-haul service. The paper also speculates as to the development and sustainability of the low-cost long-haul operations
Analysis of the Federal Aviation Administration\u27s Small UAS Regulations for Hobbyist and Recreational Users
Widespread proliferation of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), particularly those used for hobby and recreational purposes, have become a growing problem for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in recent years. Reports of aircraft and sUAS near misses are on the rise and several similar anecdotes of ground injuries and property damage can be traced back to sUAS operations. This study sought to explore recent regulatory and policy initiatives in place to deter unsafe hobby and recreational sUAS use and hold operators accountable for hazardous sUAS activities. Using document analysis, case study, and conceptual analysis methodology, researchers analyzed 40 information sources. The study evaluated the FAA’s sUAS registration policy, current agency civil enforcement guidance, and the potential for criminal prosecution or civil liability. The study specifically addresses the risk to pilots for certificate suspension or revocation and evaluates the applicability of the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) for mitigating FAA enforcement actions against recreational sUAS operators. Finally, the study examines the potential liability incurred by sUAS operations and the applicability of various insurance policies
Unmanned Aerial Systems and Airport Master Plans
Investigative research study to establish best practices that may lead to a model for integrating UAS operations into airport master plans.
Qualitative, observational, and case analysis to determine best ways to incorporate UAS integration into the airport planning process, specifically airport master plans
Automatic annotation of bioinformatics workflows with biomedical ontologies
Legacy scientific workflows, and the services within them, often present
scarce and unstructured (i.e. textual) descriptions. This makes it difficult to
find, share and reuse them, thus dramatically reducing their value to the
community. This paper presents an approach to annotating workflows and their
subcomponents with ontology terms, in an attempt to describe these artifacts in
a structured way. Despite a dearth of even textual descriptions, we
automatically annotated 530 myExperiment bioinformatics-related workflows,
including more than 2600 workflow-associated services, with relevant
ontological terms. Quantitative evaluation of the Information Content of these
terms suggests that, in cases where annotation was possible at all, the
annotation quality was comparable to manually curated bioinformatics resources.Comment: 6th International Symposium on Leveraging Applications (ISoLA 2014
conference), 15 pages, 4 figure
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