Bridging the Gap Between Traditional Metadata and the Requirements of an Academic SDI for Interdisciplinary Research

Metadata has long been understood as a fundamental component of any Spatial Data Infrastructure, providing information relating to discovery, evaluation and use of datasets and describing their quality. Having good metadata about a dataset is fundamental to using it correctly and to understanding the implications of issues such as missing data or incorrect attribution on the results obtained for any analysis carried out. Traditionally, spatial data was created by expert users (e.g. national mapping agencies), who created metadata for the data. Increasingly, however, data used in spatial analysis comes from multiple sources and could be captured or used by nonexpert users – for example academic researchers ‐ many of whom are from non‐GIS disciplinary backgrounds, not familiar with metadata and perhaps working in geographically dispersed teams. This paper examines the applicability of metadata in this academic context, using a multi‐national coastal/environmental project as a case study. The work to date highlights a number of suggestions for good practice, issues and research questions relevant to Academic SDI, particularly given the increased levels of research data sharing and reuse required by UK and EU funders

A case study of performance appraisal in a small public sector organisation: The gaps between expectations and experience

The research project sets out to identify the gaps between expectations and experiences of performance appraisal in a small public sector organisation. The document explains how Passenger Focus, the rail watchdog, has undergone a successful corporate transformation from the previous federal network of regional committees into a new credible consumer body. The organisation has a new vision, and robust business planning processes have been introduced. However, there is a need to improve performance management through a new performance appraisal system. The overall purpose of the research is to assess the gaps between expectations and experiences in order to inform a new system. The literature review explains the background to the development of performance and its measurement in the public sector. It includes a detailed analysis of thinking on performance appraisal. The literature review concludes that performance appraisal can greatly benefit organisations, but appears to not be delivering in many cases. A conceptual model is developed to frame the empirical research. The research takes the form of a case study, and the findings are collated through qualitative interviews. A focus group was conducted, which framed the issues of concern, and these were explored in much more detail through semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that there was a high level of understanding from staff of the need for performance appraisal. The largest gap between expectations and experiences lay in the current system, with respondents particularly concerned about the lack of training and over-simplistic documentation. Non-measurement of competencies was also a concern. Respondents were generally positive about recent experiences of appraisal. The findings suggest that motivated managers have made the system work for them, despite concerns about process, and respondents believe fairness is generally achieved. More attention is required to appraise team effort. There was little appetite for a system that links appraisal to financial reward. The conclusions of the research have informed the main recommendation, to develop a new system that is much more comprehensive, and incorporates training and guidelines. That new system should be developed through engagement with staff

OPTIMAL SPATIAL SCALE FOR EVALUATING ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRADEOFFS

This paper develops a conceptual framework that can provide a scientific foundation for formulating policies that consider environmental and economic tradeoffs. It addresses a critical problem recognized in the environmental sciences, namely, choosing the appropriate spatial scale for measurement and analysis of spatially variable economic and biophysical processes.scale, carbon sequestration, agriculture, economic policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Industrial Organization,

The Cluster School teachers : a study in adult development.

During the 1960\u27s and 1970\u27s, because of wide-spread dissatisfaction with traditional public schooling, there was a dramatic increase in the number of alternative schools in the United States. One such school, the Cluster School (1974-1980), a democratically-run, high school program in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was the site for the first systematic application of Lawrence Kohlberg\u27s theories of just community and moral reasoning development. This thesis is a case study of ten teachers (including the author) who worked in the Cluster School. Using information collected through in-depth interviews with the teachers, it examines such matters as the formative moral influences in their lives, and the reasons why they joined the School. It then explores the ways in which being members of Cluster\u27s adult community, which included Kohlberg, influenced their own development. The thesis contends that, among other reasons, the teachers were attracted to the School because they had come from backgrounds where moral questions were accorded importance, and that once there, they created a supportive environment which promoted adult growth. The Introduction defines the thesis and its methodology, and includes a discussion of the author\u27s role as a participant observer in the study. Chapter 2 discusses the theoretical underpinnings of the School, defines the School\u27s governance structure and gives an overview of the School\u27s history. Chapter 3 presents the biographies of the teachers, each of which is followed by a summary of the salient points found in the biography. Chapter 4 addresses six recurring themes which emerge from the teacher interviews and suggests their interrelatedness to one another. Chapter 5 compares the moral atmosphere of Cluster\u27s host school with that of Cluster, and concludes that the teachers, although somewhat inadvertently, created for themselves a supportive community which encouraged their own growth and development. The chapter closes with recommendations for staff development

Optical and Digital Technique for Watermark Detection

A digital watermark is a visible, or preferably invisible, identification code that is permanently embedded in some digital data to prove owner authentication and provide protection of that document. In this paper we utilize a watermark generation technique based on the use of chaotic functions and the motivation for using these functions is presented. The technique used for watermark embedding is also described, together with a watermark detection scheme based on an optical Matched Filter correlator. We provide results of optical simulations of the watermark detection scheme and show that correlation-based detection is an excellent method for detecting chaotically-generated watermarks embedded in the Fourier domain using multiplicative embedding.We also show that it is possible to detect chaotically-generated watermarks in images that have been subjected to noise

The Impact of the theoretical properties of the Logistic Function on the generation of optically detectable watermarks

A digital watermark is a visible, or preferably invisible, identification code that is permanently embedded in digital media, to prove owner authentication and provide protection for security or defence documents.In this paper, we present an approach for the generation of watermarks using a logistic chaotic function. Using this function in conjunction with seed management, it is possible to generate chaotic sequences that may be used to create highpass or lowpass digital watermarks. A slight change in the initial conditions will quickly lead to a significant change in the subsequent states of the system, and thus will generate substantially different watermarks. This technique has been shown to offer an added security advantage over the more traditionally generated watermarks created from pseudorandom sequences, in that only the function seed needs to be stored. We have previously presented a study where an optical correlator was suitable for the detection of chaotically generated watermarks.We have also studied the impact of shot noise present in an optical detector for watermarks generated using the logistic function. The logistic function presented in this paper is ill-defined for certained seed values and has not been fully investigated for the purpose of watermark generation. We consider the impact of the theoretical properties of the logistic function on watermark generation and their highpass and lowpass properties, which when embedded in digital media, are suitable for optical detection

Generation and Detection of Watermarks Derived from Chaotic Functions

A digital watermark is a visible, or preferably invisible, identification code that is permanently embedded in digital media, to prove owner authentication thereby providing a level of document protection. In this paper, we review several approaches for the generation of watermarks using chaotic functions, and in particular, the logistic chaotic function. Using this function, in conjunction with seed management, it is to generate chaotic sequences that may be used to create highpass or lowpass digital watermarks.A slight change in the initial conditions will quickly lead to a significant change in the subsequent states of the system, and thus will generate substantially different watermarks. This technique has been shown to offer an added security advantage over tha more traditionally generated watermarks created from pseudorandom sequences, in that only the function seed needs to be stored. It also has the advantage that , through examination of the theoretical properties of the function, it is possible to choose seeds that lead to robust, lowpass watermarks. We review various detection techniques including correlation and statistical methods, and present an analysis of the impact of noise present in a model optical detector. The logistic function presented in this paper is ill defined for certain seed values and has not been fully investigated for the purpose of watermark generation. We consider the impact of the theoretical properties of the logistic function for several chaos-based watermark generation techniques, in particular, their highpass and low pass properties, which when embedded in digital media, are suitable for correlation and statistical based detection methods