Building hypermedia artifacts by the systematic use of the flexible process model

Most of the current hypermedia model life cycles focus in analysis and design issues, ignoring crucial tasks and activities of hypermedia projects. Others do not take care of basic Software Engineering concepts such as planning, physical and logical modeling, validation and quality assurance, among other issues. In this paper we propose an integrated software process model, called Flexible Process Model, useful in building hypermedia artifacts. This strategy, when instanciated in a specific project, implies a systematic use of model-based constructors, both logical and physical models. The main benefits of this process model are: a) it covers all the principal phases and tasks of a hypermedia project; b) this clear break down can contribute fairly to project planning and can help to establish milestones and metrics; c) it fosters a positive balance by a systematic use of logical and physical modeling; d) it facilitates human communication; e) it promote process improvement and standardization. Therefore, we will discuss and represent, in a medium level of granularity, the phases, tasks and activities, mainly in the dynamic modeling phase. Also we will present some perspectives, stressing the functional, methodological and behavioral perspectives of the three-phased Flexible Process Model. Finally, we will discuss related works and concluding remarks.Eje: Ingeniería de software. Bases de datosRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Overview of a framework to hypermedia process modeling

In this work, we discuss aspects of a framework to support the understanding and the improvement in hypermedia development processes. The framework is built taking into account two modeling approaches and four domain levels. The modeling approaches are called prescriptive and descriptive respectively, and the domain layers are called, namely, enactment, customization, representation, and reuse/knowledge domains. We feed a potential project regarding this framework by applying a mixture of expression and analysis-oriented descriptive process modeling strategy, and expression, analysis and guided-oriented prescriptive process modeling strategy. That is, the actual or desired entities (process, artifact, and resource) are just described, represented, and analyzed in a somewhat formal way. This potentially allows us to understand, communicate, guide and improve different aspects in hypermedia development projects. Ultimately, we summarize some techniques and mechanisms for prescriptive and descriptive software modeling customized to the hypermedia domain. In addition, we present in-progress researchs and developments.Ingeniería de SoftwareRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Metodología cuantitativa para la evaluación y comparación de la calidad de sitios web

El objetivo de esta investigación es definir y discutir una metodología cuantitativa, integral, robusta y flexible para la evaluación de la calidad en aplicaciones centradas en la Web. La metodología, de ahora en más llamada, Metodología de Evaluación de Calidad de Sitios Web (Web-site QEM) pretende realizar un aporte ingenieril al proponer un enfoque sistemático, disciplinado y cuantitativo que se adecue a la evaluación, comparación y análisis de calidad de artefactos Web más o menos complejos. Analizamos sus fases y actividades, describimos los distribuibles producidos, y analizamos modelos, métodos, procedimientos, criterios y herramientas a aplicar en dichas actividades. Delineamos nuestro enfoque y soluciones, utilizando a lo largo de la tesis dos casos de estudio para sitios Web, y otros estudios de campo realizados. Además, presentamos un marco conceptual para la validación de métricas y discutimos la validación teórica de algunas métricas empleadas en el proceso. Finalmente, describimos detalladamente un modelo de proceso de evaluación al que Web-site QEM puede adherir. Algunos aspectos y estudios adicionales se presentan en los apéndices.This research is aimed at defining and discussing a quantitative methodology, the one integral, robust and flexible, for the quality evaluation of Web-based applications. The methodology, from now on called Web-site Quality Evaluation Method (Web-site QEM) is intended to perform an engineering contribution proposing for such an end a systematic, disciplined and quantitative approach customized to the evaluation, comparison and analysis of the quality of more or less complex Web artifacts. We analyze their phases and activities, we describe the produced deliverables, and we present models, methods, procedures, approaches and tools to apply in these activities. We outline the approach and its solutions, using along the thesis two case studies for Web sites, and other carried out field studies. Also, we present a conceptual framework for metric validation and we discuss the theoretical validation of some utilized metrics in the Web evaluation process. Finally, we describe thoroughly an evaluation process model to which Web-site QEM can adhere. Some additional aspects and studies are presented in annexes.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Overview of a framework to hypermedia process modeling

In this work, we discuss aspects of a framework to support the understanding and the improvement in hypermedia development processes. The framework is built taking into account two modeling approaches and four domain levels. The modeling approaches are called prescriptive and descriptive respectively, and the domain layers are called, namely, enactment, customization, representation, and reuse/knowledge domains. We feed a potential project regarding this framework by applying a mixture of expression and analysis-oriented descriptive process modeling strategy, and expression, analysis and guided-oriented prescriptive process modeling strategy. That is, the actual or desired entities (process, artifact, and resource) are just described, represented, and analyzed in a somewhat formal way. This potentially allows us to understand, communicate, guide and improve different aspects in hypermedia development projects. Ultimately, we summarize some techniques and mechanisms for prescriptive and descriptive software modeling customized to the hypermedia domain. In addition, we present in-progress researchs and developments.Ingeniería de SoftwareRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Specifying quality characteristics and attributes for E-Learning sites

Education involves a continuous process of exploration, acquisition, organization, integration and delivery of information and knowledge. In recent years, e-learning sites and applications have exponentially started to grow, being a central phenomenon for the industry and education fields. Key factors for the present and future success of these applications and organizations are, on one hand, the fulfillment of technological standards for e-learning environments, and, on the other hand, the utilization of well-defined development processes and the production of required quality. One of our current concerns is the quality assessment of e-learning sites and applications. In this paper, a taxonomy of e-learning sites and applications, and ultimately the quality requirements for the Functionality characteristic are thoroughly described, regarding an intentional audience. An evaluation case study for this domain, using the WebQEM (Quality Evaluation Methodology) strategy is being runned.Eje: Tecnología informática aplicada en la EducaciónRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Analyzing the Usefulness of ThingFO as a Foundational Ontology for Sciences

This work specifies and defines all terms, properties and relationships of ThingFO –which stands for Thing Foundational Ontology. ThingFO is an ontology for particular and universal Things and Assertions placed at the foundational level in the context of a four-layered ontological architecture called FCDOntoArch. This is a four-layered ontological architecture, which considers foundational, core, domain and instance levels. In turn, the domain level is split down into two sub-levels, namely: top-domain and low-domain. Ontologies at the same level can be related to each other, except for the foundational level where only the ThingFO ontology is. Additionally, ontologies' terms, properties and relationships at lower levels can be semantically enriched by ontologies' terms properties and relationships from the higher levels. Since ThingFO is at the highest level, ontologies at lower levels benefit from reusing and extending its concepts. To illustrate the usefulness of ThingFO, we primarily analyze enriched terms of a couple of ontologies at the core level such as ProcessCO and SituationCO, among others, in which their concepts are cross-cutting concerns for many domain terminologies from diverse sciences.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Metodología cuantitativa para la evaluación y comparación de la calidad de sitios web

El objetivo de esta investigación es definir y discutir una metodología cuantitativa, integral, robusta y flexible para la evaluación de la calidad en aplicaciones centradas en la Web. La metodología, de ahora en más llamada, Metodología de Evaluación de Calidad de Sitios Web (Web-site QEM) pretende realizar un aporte ingenieril al proponer un enfoque sistemático, disciplinado y cuantitativo que se adecue a la evaluación, comparación y análisis de calidad de artefactos Web más o menos complejos. Analizamos sus fases y actividades, describimos los distribuibles producidos, y analizamos modelos, métodos, procedimientos, criterios y herramientas a aplicar en dichas actividades. Delineamos nuestro enfoque y soluciones, utilizando a lo largo de la tesis dos casos de estudio para sitios Web, y otros estudios de campo realizados. Además, presentamos un marco conceptual para la validación de métricas y discutimos la validación teórica de algunas métricas empleadas en el proceso. Finalmente, describimos detalladamente un modelo de proceso de evaluación al que Web-site QEM puede adherir. Algunos aspectos y estudios adicionales se presentan en los apéndices.This research is aimed at defining and discussing a quantitative methodology, the one integral, robust and flexible, for the quality evaluation of Web-based applications. The methodology, from now on called Web-site Quality Evaluation Method (Web-site QEM) is intended to perform an engineering contribution proposing for such an end a systematic, disciplined and quantitative approach customized to the evaluation, comparison and analysis of the quality of more or less complex Web artifacts. We analyze their phases and activities, we describe the produced deliverables, and we present models, methods, procedures, approaches and tools to apply in these activities. We outline the approach and its solutions, using along the thesis two case studies for Web sites, and other carried out field studies. Also, we present a conceptual framework for metric validation and we discuss the theoretical validation of some utilized metrics in the Web evaluation process. Finally, we describe thoroughly an evaluation process model to which Web-site QEM can adhere. Some additional aspects and studies are presented in annexes.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

Building hypermedia artifacts by the systematic use of the flexible process model

Most of the current hypermedia model life cycles focus in analysis and design issues, ignoring crucial tasks and activities of hypermedia projects. Others do not take care of basic Software Engineering concepts such as planning, physical and logical modeling, validation and quality assurance, among other issues. In this paper we propose an integrated software process model, called Flexible Process Model, useful in building hypermedia artifacts. This strategy, when instanciated in a specific project, implies a systematic use of model-based constructors, both logical and physical models. The main benefits of this process model are: a) it covers all the principal phases and tasks of a hypermedia project; b) this clear break down can contribute fairly to project planning and can help to establish milestones and metrics; c) it fosters a positive balance by a systematic use of logical and physical modeling; d) it facilitates human communication; e) it promote process improvement and standardization. Therefore, we will discuss and represent, in a medium level of granularity, the phases, tasks and activities, mainly in the dynamic modeling phase. Also we will present some perspectives, stressing the functional, methodological and behavioral perspectives of the three-phased Flexible Process Model. Finally, we will discuss related works and concluding remarks.Eje: Ingeniería de software. Bases de datosRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Transforming a Business and Information Need Goals’ Ontology into a Formal Specification useful for a Strategy Pattern Recommender System

From a computer science point of view, ontologies are aimed at getting knowledge from a certain domain and providing a consensual understanding of it. In the conceptualization stage, ontologies can be represented by means of UML models. However, UML models are not semantically machine processable. Therefore, during the implementation stage, ontologies expressed as UML models should be translated into formal languages, which allow inferring the ontology. In this work, we present the ontology transformation made from an UML conceptual specification to an OWL formal specification for the quality evaluation domain. This ontology represents concepts and relationships related with goals (both business and information need goals) at different organizational levels in addition to projects, strategies and strategy patterns, which help to achieve specific evaluation goal purposes. The final aim of the transformation is to have a shared knowledge about evaluation goals and strategy patterns that permit to instantiate the suitable strategy to carry out goal purposes. This will allow us to develop a strategy pattern recommender system, which can be useful during the strategy selection process when implementing quality measurement and evaluation projects.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Transforming a Business and Information Need Goals’ Ontology into a Formal Specification useful for a Strategy Pattern Recommender System

From a computer science point of view, ontologies are aimed at getting knowledge from a certain domain and providing a consensual understanding of it. In the conceptualization stage, ontologies can be represented by means of UML models. However, UML models are not semantically machine processable. Therefore, during the implementation stage, ontologies expressed as UML models should be translated into formal languages, which allow inferring the ontology. In this work, we present the ontology transformation made from an UML conceptual specification to an OWL formal specification for the quality evaluation domain. This ontology represents concepts and relationships related with goals (both business and information need goals) at different organizational levels in addition to projects, strategies and strategy patterns, which help to achieve specific evaluation goal purposes. The final aim of the transformation is to have a shared knowledge about evaluation goals and strategy patterns that permit to instantiate the suitable strategy to carry out goal purposes. This will allow us to develop a strategy pattern recommender system, which can be useful during the strategy selection process when implementing quality measurement and evaluation projects.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ