Item Context Effects in IS Survey Research

This paper discusses correlational and directional item context effects as two method biases that can threaten the validity of survey data. Two empirical studies are used to establish their presence in IS research. In addition, item separation with partial randomization is shown to be a viable way for researchers to control for correlational item context effects associated with inflated Cronbach’s alphas. This paper also presents a procedure to correct the inter-construct correlations and R2 values to account for directional item context effects in comparative experimental studies. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol4/iss4/3

On “Sourcery,” or Code as Fetish

This essay offers a sympathetic interrogation of the move within new media studies toward “software studies.” Arguing against theoretical conceptions of programming languages as the ultimate performative utterance, it contends that source code is never simply the source of any action; rather, source code is only source code after the fact: its effectiveness depends on a whole imagined network of machines and humans. This does not mean that source code does nothing, but rather that it serves as a kind of fetish, and that the notion of the user as super agent, buttressed by real-time computation, is the obverse, not the opposite of this “sourcery.

Collaboration and Author Order: Changing Patterns in IS Research

In this article we examine changes in the patterns of collaboration among information systems researchers since 1987, in terms of number of authors and order of authorship. The proportion of multiple authored papers, particularly among articles published in more prestigious journals, increased significantly. One possible explanation may be in increased research complexity, as evidenced by much longer papers. At the same time, among prestigious journals, the alphabetical model for ordering authorship all but disappeared. The article calls for consideration of a standard for authorship order in IS research

The Influence of Familiarity and Security on Decision Making Processes in E-Commerce: The Role of User Experience

E-commerce can enhance its acceptance among users through fostering online trust, which is vital for decision-making process. The perception and computation of trust is crucial for vendors and users for the success of e-commerce. The calculation and measurement of trust antecedent involves complex aspect such as presence of security controls and familiarity within the Web site. Most companies are acquir- ing security technology because everybody else is doing the same, but not because there has been a proper assessment of its association with trust. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the role of trust antecedents such as security and familiarity when they are used collectively to do online transactions. Trust, in general, is an important factor in conducting e-transactions, which revolve around uncertainty and ambiguity. The fuzzy logic approach provides a means for coping with this uncertainty and vagueness that are present in e-commerce. Therefore, the fuzzy logic approach has been deployed to develop scales to measure the effects of users\u27 familiarity and perception of security in an online business-to-consumer (B2C) context. This research provides guidelines to vendors on how they could ascertain the trust level of their business and ways of mitigate the negative impact on the trust level

The Amis village of Ligats : change and continuity

Trabalho final de mestrado integrado em Medicina (Endocrinologia), apresentado á Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra.O Síndrome do Ovário Poliquístico (SOP) é um distúrbio complexo e heterogéneo caracterizado por hiperandrogenia, insulinorresistência com hiperinsulinémia compensatória e anovulação crónica. Sua fisiopatogenia e etiologia permanecem até hoje por esclarecer mas sabe-se que envolvem múltiplas interacções genéticas e ambientais com início na vida intrauterina e agravadas pelo estilo de vida da maioria dos países industrializados. É a principal endocrinopatia na mulher em idade fértil e tem importantes repercussões tanto a nível reprodutivo sendo causa de infertilidade e de neoplasia do endométrio, como metabólico e cardiovascular com progressão para uma Diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e Sindrome Metabólica. A sua abordagem terapêutica incide na instituição de medidas higienodietéticas e farmacológicas com vista à melhoria da sensibilidade à insulina, tratamento do hirsutismo ou outros estigmas de hiperandrogenia clínica e terapêutica de indução da ovulação em caso de infertilidade. Um baixo peso à nascença, um relato de pubarca precoce ou a obesidade infantil aumentam a probabilidade de desenvolvimento a posteriori de um Síndrome dos Ovários Poliquísticos. Assim sai reforçada a necessidade de prevenção das várias complicações a médio e longo prazo o mais precocemente possível de modo a melhorar a qualidade de vidaThe Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance with compensatory hyperinsulinemia and chronic anovulation. Its etiology and pathogenesis still remain unclear, but it’s known it envolves multiple genetic and environmental interactions starting in intrauterine life and that it’s aggravated by most industrialized countries’ lifestyle. This syndrome is the main endocrinopathy in women of childbearing age, has important effects on reproduction and causes infertility, metabolic and cardiovascular disease as type 2 Diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. The therapeutic approach focuses on the imposition of hygiene and pharmacological measures to improve insulin sensitivity, treatment of hirsutism or other stigmata of clinic hiperandrogenism and ovulation induction in cases of infertility. A lowbirth weight, a premature pubarche or early childhood obesity increase the likelihood of a subsequent development of a polycystic ovary syndrome. It also strengthens the need for prevention, as early as possible, of this syndrome’s various medium and long term complications in order to improve patients’ quality of lif