Informatics Research Institute (IRIS) June 2001 newsletter

Welcome to the first edition of the Information Systems Institute's Research Newsletter. This Newsletter will be published four times a year (March, June, September and December), and will be published on the ISI research web page. The aim of the Newsletter is to facilitate the exchange of information related to research activities in ISI. Submissions are welcome from staff and research students

Hubble Space Telescope Constraints on the Winds and Astrospheres of Red Giant Stars

We report on an ultraviolet spectroscopic survey of red giants observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, focusing on spectra of the Mg II h & k lines near 2800 A in order to study stellar chromospheric emission, winds, and astrospheric absorption. We focus on spectral types between K2 III and M5 III, a spectral type range with stars that are noncoronal, but possessing strong, chromospheric winds. We find a very tight relation between Mg II surface flux and photospheric temperature, supporting the notion that all K2-M5 III stars are emitting at a basal flux level. Wind velocities (V_w) are generally found to decrease with spectral type, with V_w decreasing from ~40 km/s at K2 III to ~20 km/s at M5 III. We find two new detections of astrospheric absorption, for Sigma Pup (K5 III) and Gamma Eri (M1 III). This absorption signature had previously only been detected for Alpha Tau (K5 III). For the three astrospheric detections the temperature of the wind after the termination shock correlates with V_w, but is lower than predicted by the Rankine-Hugoniot shock jump conditions, consistent with the idea that red giant termination shocks are radiative shocks rather than simple hydrodynamic shocks. A full hydrodynamic simulation of the Gamma Eri astrosphere is provided to explore this further.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, to appear in The Astrophysical Journa

A SOFT SYSTEMS APPROACH TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS QUALITY

Traditional approaches to Information System (IS) development have concentrated upon a production view of quality associated with a controlled development process and metrics that monitor attributes such as software usability, the number of software errors, and developer productivity. IS quality is also concerned with a use view of quality-how those software artefacts are used within an organisational context, recognising the need for a never-ending learning cycle based on experience of the product in use. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is proposed as a framework for considering a relevant notion of IS use quality, enabling discussion to take place about the quality requirements of a technical artefact within the context of an organizational setting. Using the rigour of systemic thinking as a basis, criteria for the assessment of IS quality, labelled the 5Es (efficacy, efficiency, elegance, effectiveness and ethicality), are introduced as a way of identifying the aspects of IS quality that are of concern. A modified form of SSM that incorporates stakeholder analysis and an emphasis on the cultural aspects of quality is proposed for the definition of a relevant (in-context) notion of IS quality

Understanding Big Data Driven Decision Making in British Financial Organisations

Although big data can enhance financial decision-making in organisations (e.g., predicting financial performance), the epistemological argument of big data is that knowledge or truth which relies on (big) data needs to first be generated to make key decisions. Despite big data having the potential to enhance organisational decision-making, little empirical research has been conducted on the epistemology of big data driven financial decision-making. This paper uses knowledge management reliability (KMR) theory, as well as an interpretive strategy and expert interviews to contribute to the existing body of knowledge to understand the epistemological implications of decision-making with large data sets to predict financial performance in British banks. Our findings reveal a shift toward knowledge based data-driven decision making for predicting financial performance

Choice of Target Audience for IS Research: Reflections on Discussions with IS Academic Leaders in the UK

The IS field prides itself on its closeness to practice and needs to ensure its relevance under growing pressures from governments and business for improved utilisation of research results. In this paper we consider choice-making in the research activity from the perspective of Resource-Dependence Theory, with a particular focus on the choice of target audience for research results. IS academic leaders in UK universities were interviewed to gain insights into the influences affecting their choices, taking a broad view of the research context and process, the researchers themselves, and the stakeholders of IS research. The paper aims to provide insights for IS researchers as they reflect on their own individual practice of research and to encourage the explicit inclusion of Resource-Dependence Theory into stakeholder analysis within IS theory. For practitioners it should provide some illumination on the world of academia

Soft Systems Methodology for Modeling Business Processes in EDI Implementation

EDI is a complex and inter-organizational innovation, hence, using traditional development methods in developing EDI applications is no longer appropriate. Several issues - technical, political, economics, intra- and inter-organizational - need to be simultaneously given serious considerations to ensure the adoption and integration of EDI into an existing information systems will truly benefit the adopting organization. Here, the authors proposed the use of the soft approach advocated by Peter Checkland as an alternative to conventional methods