Group Support Systems: The Effects of Mixing Support Systems on Information Pooling, Decision Time, and Decision Quality

Most group support systems (GSS) laboratory studies compare face-to-face groups with groups assigned to either a synchronous or asynchronous decision support system. Research findings have been inconclusive. A laboratory study that compared face-to-face groups with mixed support mode groups was conducted to determine the effectiveness of selectively using information technology to support the group process and explain some of the variability in research findings. Groups that shared information using a Web-based asynchronous system and discussed the shared information in a face-to-face meeting environment, assembled more information and made higher quality decisions in less time than groups that shared and discussed information in a face-to-face meeting environment

The Effects of Augmenting Face-to-Face Meetings with Web-Based Asynchronous Group Support Systems

Most group support systems (GSS) laboratory studies compare face-to-face groups with groups assigned to either a synchronous or asynchronous decision support system. Research findings have been inconclusive. Results of a laboratory study of groups that worked on a selection problem are presented. One set of groups shared information using an asynchronous Web-based system before meeting in a face-to-face setting to discuss and make a decision. The other set of groups met, shared information, discussed the problem, and made a decision in a face-to-face meeting exclusively. Groups that shared information using a Web-based asynchronous system and discussed the shared information in a face-to-face meeting environment assembled more information and made higher quality decisions in less time than groups that shared and discussed information in a face-to-face meeting environment

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN OVERCOMING HYPOTHESIS-CONFIRMING SEARCH STRATEGIES IN COMPUTERIZED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS

A recent trend in information retrieval systems technology is the development of on-line information retrieval systems. One objective of these systems has been to attempt to enhance decision effectiveness by allowing users to preferentially seek information, thereby facilitating the reduction or elimination of information overload. Since information systems users may preferentially seek information to confirm their initial beliefs, decision making effectiveness may be dependent on the accuracy of the decision maker\u27s initial hypothesis of causality. The basic research question addressed in this paper is: Will the use of a knowledge-based DSS (KBDSS), designed to search for and present both confirming and disconfirming evidence, result in enhanced decision effectiveness? To assess the effect of information retrieval system type on decision effectiveness, a laboratory experiment was conducted in which participants were required to make an initial attribution of causality for a problem, to query either a conventional on-line information retrieval system or a KBDSS for additional information, and then to make a final attribution of causality. The conclusions reached from this experiment provide constructive guidance for information systems designers in overcoming the concept known as confirmation bias, that tendency to seek information that confirms the user\u27s first impression

Predicting Returns in the Stock and Bond Markets

Several predetermined variables that reflect levels of bond and stock prices appear to predict returns on common stocks of firms of various sizes, long-term bonds of various default risks, and default-free bonds of various maturities. The returns on small-firm stocks and low-grade bonds are more highly correlated in January than in the rest of the year with previous levels of asset prices, especially prices of small-firm stocks. Seasonality is found in several conditional risk measures, but such seasonality is unlikely to explain, and in some cases is opposite to, the seasonal found in mean returns

MASET: Multi-Attribute Software Evaluation Tool

Software developers and organizational users face many problems in identifying and evaluating features of software products. The products are complex, with numerous options, making design and development of applications time consuming and costly. With many users, it can be difficult to summarize user needs and priorities, let alone identify the functions and features that they need in the applications. Once functions and features are identified, a three stage least squares technique is used to identify and prioritize important features of software products. TheMulti-Attribute Software Evaluation Tool (MASET) can be used to evaluate existing software (commercial or in-house) or proposed features of new software products. This tool combines a series of functions into a software product that aids in the development of an evaluation questionaire, accepts input from respondents, prepares the input for the statistacal analysis package and uses an artifical intelligence module to analyze the result

Wireless Emergency Alerts: Trust Model Technical Report

Trust is a key factor in the effectiveness of the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) service. Alert originators (AOs) must trust WEA to deliver alerts to the public in an accurate and timely manner. Members of the public must also trust the WEA service before they will act on the alerts that they receive. This research aimed to develop a trust model to enable the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to maximize the effectiveness of WEA and provide guidance for AOs that would support them in using WEA in a manner that maximizes public safety. The research method included Bayesian belief networks to model trust in WEA because they enable reasoning about and modeling of uncertainty. The research approach was to build models that could predict the levels of AO trust and public trust in specific scenarios, validate these models using data collected from AOs and the public, and execute simulations on these models for numerous scenarios to identify recommendations to AOs and FEMA for actions to take that increase trust and actions to avoid that decrease trust. This report describes the process used to develop and validate the trust models and the resulting structure and functionality of the models

Introducing an Evaluation Method for Taxonomies

Background: Taxonomies are crucial for the development of a research field, as they play a major role in structuring a complex body of knowledge and help to classify processes, approaches, and solutions. While there is an increasing interest in taxonomies in the software engineering (SE) research field, we observe that SE taxonomies are rarely evaluated. Aim: To raise awareness and provide operational guidance on how to evaluate a taxonomy, this paper presents a three step evaluation method evaluating its structure, applicability, and purpose. Method: To show the feasibility and applicability of our approach, we provide a running example and additionally illustrate our approach to a practical case study in SE research. Results and Conclusion: Our method with operational guidance enables SE researchers to systematically evaluate and improve the quality of their taxonomies and support reviewers to systematically assess a taxonomy\u27s quality

Best Practices in Wireless Emergency Alerts

This material is based on work funded and supported by Department of Homeland Security and is also available at FirstResponder.gov in the Technology Documents Library. This report presents four best practices for the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) program. These best practices were identified through interviews with emergency management agencies across the United States. The WEA "Go Live" Checklist identifies key steps that an emergency management agency should perform when implementing WEA in a local jurisdiction and provides guidance for completing each action. The WEA Training and Drilling Guide identifies the steps for preparing staff to use WEA and includes suggestions shared by alerting authorities that have implemented WEA. The WEA Governance Guide identifies steps for using or preparing to use WEA to ensure coordination between participating alerting agencies. The WEA Cybersecurity Risk Management (CSRM) Strategy describes a strategy that alert originators can use throughout WEA adoption, operations, and sustainment, as well as a set of governance activities for developing a plan to execute the CSRM. Because best practices will evolve as WEA matures and becomes more widely used, an appendix provides information on how a best practice–driven organization can search for best practices, adapt them to the local context, and adopt them for everyday use

Fabrication

What aspects of optical fabrication technology need to be developed so as to facilitate existing planned missions, or enable new ones? Throughout the submillimeter to UV wavelengths, the common goal is to push technology to the limits to make the largest possible apertures that are diffraction limited. At any one wavelength, the accuracy of the surface must be better than lambda/30 (rms error). The wavelength range is huge, covering four orders of magnitude from 1 mm to 100 nm. At the longer wavelengths, diffraction limited surfaces can be shaped with relatively crude techniques. The challenge in their fabrication is to make as large as possible a reflector, given the weight and volume constraints of the launch vehicle. The limited cargo diameter of the shuttle has led in the past to emphasis on deployable or erectable concepts such as the Large Deployable Reflector (LDR), which was studied by NASA for a submillimeter astrophysics mission. Replication techniques that can be used to produce light, low-cost reflecting panels are of great interest for this class of mission. At shorter wavelengths, in the optical and ultraviolet, optical fabrication will tax to the limit the most refined polishing methods. Methods of mechanical and thermal stabilization of the substrate will be severely stressed. In the thermal infrared, the need for large aperture is tempered by the even stronger need to control the telescope's thermal emission by cooled or cryogenic operation. Thus, the SIRTF mirror at 1 meter is not large and does not require unusually high accuracy, but the fabrication process must produce a mirror that is the right shape at a temperature of 4 K. Future large cooled mirrors will present more severe problems, especially if they must also be accurate enough to work at optical wavelengths. At the very shortest wavelengths accessible to reflecting optics, in the x-ray domain, the very low count fluxes of high energy photons place a premium on the collecting area. It is not necessary to reach or even approach the diffraction limit, which would demand subnanometer fabrication and figure control. Replication techniques that produce large very lightweight surfaces are of interest for x-ray optics just as they are for the submillimeter region. Optical fabrication requirements are examined in more detail for missions in each of the three spectral regions of interest in astrophysics