Multi-criteria decision-making in whole process design

PhD ThesisIn recent years, the chemical and pharmaceutical industries have faced increased development times and costs with fewer novel chemicals being discovered. This has resulted in many companies focusing on innovative research and development as they consider this key to business success. In particular, a number of leading industrial organisations have adopted the principles of Whole Process Design (WPD). WPD considers the optimisation of the entire product development process, from raw materials to end product, rather than focusing on each individual unit operation. The complexity involved in the implementation of WPD requires rationalised decision-making, often with limited or uncertain information. This thesis assesses the most widely applied methods in Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) in conjunction with the results of two interviews and two questionnaires that identified the industrial requirements for decision-making during WPD. From the findings of this work, a novel decision-making methodology was proposed, the outcome of which allows a decision-maker to visually interpret their decision results with associated levels of uncertainty. To validate the proposed methodology, a software framework was developed that incorporates two other decision-making approaches, the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and ELimination Et Choix Traduisant la REalité trois (ELECTRE III). The framework was then applied to a number of industrial case studies to validate the application of the proposed methodology.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Chemistry Innovatio

Strategic Information Systems Planning, an Australian Experience

As a basis for examining thedifferences in information systems planning in Australian companies and those in other developed countries, accountants in senior management and executive positions in three samples of Australian companies were surveyed. The findings for small, medium andlarge companies in Australia are reported and discussed. It is apparent that strategic planning for information systems in many organisations is not extensive and in some cases is not fulfilling their own organisational planning objectives. The quality ofstrategic planning for information systems is evaluated. Some organisations successfully adopt a strategic view of their information systems while others do not capitalize on their recognition of information as a strategic resource. Most companies do not appear to view information systems planning as a strategic issue and some do not formally plan for information need

Life in photographs: archaeology, assemblage and temporality in the archive of O.G.S. Crawford

The archaeologist Osbert Guy Stanhope Crawford (1886-1957) was a prolific photographer, taking over 10,000 photographs between 1931 and 1957. Crawford is well-known as the driving force behind the application of techniques of aerial photography to archaeology. For decades scholarship on archaeological photography has emphasized the links between archaeology, photography and the epistemic power dynamics of modernity. Archaeological photography has been characterized as temporally distant, as freezing time, and affecting a detached objective gaze. The distance of the aerial view has thus provided the perfect metaphor to speak of this framing of archaeological photography. And so, Crawford’s archive is doubly trapped in webs of the aerial. However, the photographs held in his archive in the Institute of Archaeology in Oxford offer a very different perspective; there is something intimate; a tactility and a close regard for small details that borders on the sentimental in the detailed studies of mushrooms, romantic views of cloud formations and sand dunes, and joking and irreverent snapshot of colleagues. Turning to look again at the contents of Crawford’s photographic archive not only challenges perceptions of Crawford’s aerial legacy, but pushes us to ask new questions of archaeological photography and to apply new methodological techniques for working with archaeological archive. In this thesis, drawing on the archaeological study of the formation of Crawford’s archive—in conjunction with theories of temporality and assemblage—I make the case that far from Crawford’s photography representing the detached and distant recording of ‘facts’, Crawford’s photographic practice was a lively, dynamic and socially engaged practice

Are cervical collars effective and safe in prehospital spinal cord injury management?

Introduction: The discussion of cervical collars is an area of recent debate in the paramedic profession. Used as a precautionary measure and initially thought of as harmless there is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting otherwise. Aim: This literature review will aim to comprehensively examine research surrounding the adverse effects of cervical collars and the range of movement they enable. Methodology: Ebscohost Health Science Research database was searched between June 2017 and July 2017. Search parameters included peer reviewed, full text, English language, publication dates 1997-2017. Seven articles were found and chosen for inclusion in the literature review. Findings: Two themes were identified in the literature; ‘Adverse Effects’ caused by cervical collars, and ‘Range of movement’. Conclusion: UK Ambulance Guidelines need to be re-evaluated based upon current literature suggesting cervical collars do not provide any significantly increased additional immobilisation, as well as additional chances for potential adverse effects

An Overview of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Application in Managing Water-Related Disaster Events: Analyzing 20 Years of Literature for Flood and Drought Events

This paper provides an overview of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) applications in managing water-related disasters (WRD). Although MCDA has been widely used in managing natural disasters, it appears that no literature review has been conducted on the applications of MCDA in the disaster management phases of mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Therefore, this paper fills this gap by providing a bibliometric analysis of MCDA applications in managing flood and drought events. Out of 818 articles retrieved from scientific databases, 149 articles were shortlisted and analyzed using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach. The results show a significant growth in MCDA applications in the last five years, especially in managing flood events. Most articles focused on the mitigation phase of DMP, while other phases of preparedness, response, and recovery remained understudied. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was the most common MCDA technique used, followed by mixed-method techniques and TOPSIS. The article concludes the discussion by identifying a number of opportunities for future research in the use of MCDA for managing water-related disasters

The societal relevance of communities in the COVID-19 era

Non peer reviewe