Australian Computer Society: ACS Digital Library
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IT Research and Development: should there be control?
Get PDFTwo views are prevalent with respect to suitable topics for scientific research. One, typically held by researchers, is that any topic of research is fair game for the researcher. The result of research is knowledge, and knowledge in itself is neither good nor bad, therefore there can be no moral reasons for restricting research in any area. The proviso of course is that the research is undertaken in an appropriate manner. The other view is that science, even pure science, should serve the needs of the broader society, and therefore the society should have a say in what scientific research is conducted. Some should be avoided or even forbidden because it is harmful or will most likely be put to some harmful uses, because it is useless and therefore a waste of public assets, or because other research is more important. This debate rests on a tangled web of theories, reasoning and assumptions. This paper will explore some of these underlying issues and examine the responsibilities of professional researchers, with particular reference to research in artificial intelligence
Echoes of Semiotically-Based Design in the Development and Testing of a Workflow System
Get PDFWorkflow systems are information-intensive task-oriented computer applications that typically involve a considerable number of users playing a wide variety of roles. Since communication, coordination and decision-making processes are essential for such systems, representing, interpreting and negotiating collective meanings are a crucial issue for software design and development processes. In this paper, we report and discuss our experience in implementing Qualitas, a web-based workflow system. Semiotic theory was extensively used to support design decisions and negotiations with users about technological signs. Taking scenarios as a type-sign exchanged throughout the whole process, we could trace the theoretic underpinnings of our experience and draw some revealing conclusions about the product and the process of technologically reified discourse. Although it is present in all information technology applications, this kind of discourse is seldom analyzed by software designers and developers. Our conjecture is that outside semiotic theory, professionals involved with human-computer interaction and software engineering practices have difficulty to coalesce concepts derived from such different disciplines as psychology, anthropology, linguistics and sociology, to name a few. Semiotics, however, can by itself provide a unifying ontological basis for interdisciplinary nowledge, raising issues and proposing alternatives, that may help professionals gain insights at lower learning costs. eywords: semiotic engineering, workflow systems, information-intensive task-oriented systems, scenario based design and development of computer systems, human-computer interactio
Knowledge Management Audit - a methodology and case study
Get PDFThe strategic importance of knowledge in today’s organisation has been discussed extensively and research has looked at various issues in developing knowledge management systems. Both the characterisation of knowledge and alternate models for understanding the acquisition and use of such knowledge have taken on significant prominence. This is due to the complexities associated with acquiring and representing knowledge, and the varied nature of its use in knowledge work. However, the role of the knowledge workers and the processes that guide their knowledge work as they meet the knowledge goals of an organisation have received little attention. This paper proposes a knowledge audit (an assessment of the way knowledge processes meet an organisation’s knowledge goals) methodology to understand the “gaps” in the needs of a knowledge worker before one develops KM systems. The methodology also uses “process change” research to help build a socio-technical environment critical for knowledge work. The audit methodology is applied to a particular case and the implementation of the audit recommendations is discussed. Future implications of such an audit are also discussed
An Approach to Managing Repurposing of Digitised Knowledge Assets
Get PDFManaging digital assets not only involves internal distribution, accessibilities and efficiencies, but also wider protections involved when derivative works or repurposings result from external distributions. The inherent polysemy of media artefacts has consequences for the reuse of such artefacts in multimedia systems. The multiplicity of possible meanings of a single media artefact depends on context and intention: reuse of a media artefact thus almost inevitably leads to the artefact being altered to suit the new context, and potentially losing its original meaning in the process. A system of rules is required to identify the circumstances under which a media artefact may or may not be reused throughout its life. Within this context of practice we detail a protocol of usage status and reuse request. In this protocol, usage status is assigned to a media artefact by its initial custodian and the outcome of any reuse request is determined by the intention of the reuse, the current us-age status and the implied new usage status. Possible outcomes are forbidding change, permitting change, artefact forking, and changing artefact custodianship. We present a series of examples to illustrate the range of possible scenarios and their outcomes
Designing for Website Usability
Get PDFThis paper explores the customer perspective of World Wide Web (WWW) site design in the light of current WWW usability research. A usability study undertaken by Spool et al. (1999) is replicated where testers search for specific information on a WWW site and answer a usability questionnaire. The search was carried out on New Zealand winery WWW sites. The results are compared to the findings of Spool in the areas of navigation, graphics and page layout. All three areas are found to be significant influences on WWW usability. Additional recommendations concerning guidelines for usability are made
It Takes More Than Ethics
Get PDFRecent positive developments in ethical outlook are explored, initially within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) profession, and then broadened into other disciplines and the community in general. To understand why there has been a growing ethical problem in the first place, ethical attitudes of university students, ICT exponents and people in other disciplines have been observed and noted.
The search for practical ethical guidelines continues by questioning why, if professionalism indicates an adherence to a code of ethics that seeks high standards, do we still have trouble with the concept of ethics? Ethics differ from one group to another. Furthermore, ethics keep changing, as is evident in the latest codes, in which 'public good' now comes before the more inward-looking 'good of the profession'.
So, how could an ethical code be more than an isolated, somewhat ineffective and temporary set of guidelines? How can it be freed of boundaries, of context and of time? How effective or relevant is the education of university students in practical ethics? How effective are the professional and ethical bodies?
Some answers are proposed and along the way, together with some simple but powerful notions and tools, that facilitate ethical understanding in university education and in professional practice.
It is then argued that as work is a part of life, then a similar range of ethical options would be available in every context of life, be it as a private individual, a society, an employee, a small business, a corporation or in whatever discipline or role. In each situation, a similar range of lifestyle choices exist, for example, wasteful (careless), indulgent (selfish), sustainable (prudent), long-term view (responsible) or a perpetual view (meaningful and truly progressive). In other words, by agreeing to adopt 'the community ethics', one has taken on a dutiful role. For it to be more meaningful and more fruitful, life further demands such things as care of others and environment, along with some sense of humility, giving, gratitude, purpose, distant vision and wardenship.
How can ethical guidelines transcend into being 'inspirational' guidelines, independent of occupation? Is this not the realm of higher values? And if so, is this essential to the fundamental progress of human-kind?
It may well be so. A few more simple observations and tools are offered that could be of assistance
Customers' Beliefs Behind Business-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce
Get PDFWith the rising importance of electronic commerce, it is important for researchers and company executives to understand customers' beliefs behind online shopping behaviour. This proposed study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) to test the influence of experience, self-efficacy, perceived risk, and social influence on customers' acceptance of the business-to consumer (b2c) e-commerce
Theory and Practice: thinking styles in engineering and science
Get PDFThis paper describes knowledge as an element of thinking styles, which are properties of thinking collectives. According to the theory outlined here, the choice of a thinking style to solve a certain problem is relative, but once the thinking has been chosen, realism prevails. This paper also describes the genesis and development of thinking styles and, with them, of facts.
The theoretical concepts are illustrated with two examples of thinking styles: a description of the thinking styles of circuit theorists and circuit designers (theory vs. practice), and a comparison of the thinking styles of two closely related technical societies of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Applications of the theory are also presented in this paper; they include information management, documentation tools, and writing styles, and mainly draw from the author's own experience with these topics