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Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper attempts to develop a non-reductionistic and transdisciplinary view on human knowing in the light of the growing development of transdisciplinary practices and sciences. Medicine is one of the oldest; ecology and information science are some of the newer examples of radical transdisciplinarity. I discuss the lack of a recognized place and value of phenomenological knowledge in relation to the general mechanistic scientific ontology that still seems to be the only generally accepted background for the transdisciplinary areas to build on. Ontologically we cannot say much about reality except that it is very complex and dynamic, but still has structures and causal relations of a certain stability, which can be modelled mathematically. We further have to admit that there are aspects of reality that are beyond measuring. I suggest that the dualistic idea of transcendental and eternal mathematical natural laws and an algorithmic programme behind intelligence and language is rejected for its lack of ability to include the phenomenological and existential perspective of science and the practical knowledge beyond words. Instead I am promoting an epistemology, which sees science as only one aspect of our knowledge and sees human knowledge as going beyond language. An opening for the phenomenological aspect is then created in our modern scientistic and mechanistic metaphysics. I suggest a view of knowledge seen as self-organized signification systems based on metaphysical frameworks in social practice. The interpretation of sign in a systematized knowledge framework is actually where the medical sciences started in the classical Greek tradition of Hippocrates. This non-reductionistic framework promises to open towards a non-Cartesian transdisciplinary understanding of the basis for the generation and communication of knowledge in society without giving up what we have gained through the rigour and the methods of the sciences and the logic of philosophical analysis. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we reflect on the first 17 years of the Information Systems Journal (ISJ). The reflections are considered under three headings: origin of papers (authors, geographical period, gender and departments), research paradigms (positive/interpretive, qualitative/quantitative, non-empirical/empirical, espoused theories and research method) and finally, topics. We find that throughout the period, the published papers evidenced a greater internationalization of the journal. On the other hand, some regions and countries are poorly represented. Another imbalance concerns the lack of practitioner papers along with an author-gender imbalance. Qualitative research exceeds quantitative research by a factor of more than 2:1. Interestingly, papers classified as descriptive/conceptual/theoretical have been largely superseded in the period by those that have some empirical evidence to illustrate the points made. Sometimes it is argued that the discipline of information systems lacks theory and thinking pieces but the ISJ suggests that this is far from the truth. Further, our analysis has revealed around 250 topics discussed using many research methods to explain the phenomena. Depending on the point of view, this may show that the discipline either lacks focus or is exciting and pluralistic. We lean to the latter view, but others have argued for focusing on fewer topics and research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several announcements and follow-up reports on various conferences regarding systems science in the U.S. and abroad in 2005. The 9th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics; The International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability; The First International Congress of the International Federation Systems Research: The New Roles of System Sciences.

Big data and analytics (BDA) are gaining momentum, particularly in the practitioner world. Research linking BDA to improved organizational performance seems scarce and widely dispersed though, with the majority focused on specific domains and/or macro‐level relationships. In order to synthesize past research and advance knowledge of the potential organizational value of BDA, the authors obtained a data set of 327 primary studies and 1252 secondary cited papers. This paper reviews this body of research, using three bibliometric methods. First, it elucidates its intellectual foundations via co‐citation analysis. Second, it visualizes the historical evolution of BDA and performance research and its substreams through algorithmic historiography. Third, it provides insights into the field's potential evolution via bibliographic coupling. The results reveal that the academic attention for the BDA–performance link has been increasing rapidly. The study uncovered ten research clusters that form the field's foundation. While research seems to have evolved following two main, isolated streams, the past decade has witnessed more cross‐disciplinary collaborations. Moreover, the study identified several research topics undergoing focused development, including financial and customer risk management, text mining and evolutionary algorithms. The review concludes with a discussion of the implications for different functional management domains and the gaps for both research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the number of journals that publish articles without considering their scientific merit, but simply because the author has paid a fee, has expanded dramatically. Because non-predatory journals are unable or unwilling to accept more than a small fraction of the vast numbers of research papers being written, the predatory journal industry has a guaranteed supply of willing authors. Reputable journals could, at least in principle, refuse to process articles that cite predatory journals. [Extracted from the article]

Industrie 4.0, also called Industry 4.0, represents the current trend of manufacturing industry characterized by high level of automation, industrial integration, and industrial information integration. It mainly includes enabling technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber‐physical systems (CPS), cloud computing, industrial integration, industrial information integration, and other technologies. Systems science has been emerged and well developed since the second half of the twentieth century. From 1940s until now, systems science has been called systems science, systems engineering, systems theory, cybernetics, systems analysis, systems methodology, systems approach, and systems thinking. Since its emergence, a wealth of research has produced an astonishing array of theoretical results and empirical insights, and a large suite of methods and techniques. Systems science has been continuously, widely, and successfully applied to many subjects in natural science and social sciences. This paper aims at discussing the potential contribution of systems science to Industry 4.0. As we approach the era of Fourth Industrial Revolution, this paper points out that systems science is a necessity to deal with the overwhelming systems complexity in Industry 4.0 and the surrounding industrial ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of this Special Issue is "Information and Operational Decision Sciences: The Interplay of Information Technology and Operational Decision Sciences." Firms' ability in using and leveraging innovative IT resources may facilitate the development of operational capabilities, and ensure standardized and disciplined business processes to increase firm performance. Based on a study in Spain, they found that a firm's IT capabilities improve firm performance by enabling organizational agility. [Extracted from the article]

A calendar of events from April 6 to August 26, 2010 is presented including European Meetings on Cybernetics and Systems Research (EMCSR) conference to be held in Austria, the International Multi-Conference on Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics to be held in Orlando, Florida and 4th International Conference on Knowledge Generation, Communication and Management (KGCM 2010) to be held in Orlando, Florida.

This paper introduces the idea of coding a practically relevant body of knowledge (BoK) in Information Systems (IS) that could have major benefits for the field. In its main part, the paper focuses on the question if and how an underlying body of action-oriented knowledge for IS experts could be distilled from the IS research literature. For this purpose the paper identifies five knowledge areas as the most important parts for an IS expert's BoK. Two of these are claimed as distinct areas of competence for IS experts: IS application knowledge and IS development (ISD) process knowledge. The paper focuses particularly on ISD process knowledge because it allows the organizing of practically relevant IS knowledge in an action-oriented way. The paper presents some evidence for the claim that a considerable body of practically relevant IS process knowledge might, indeed, exist, but also notes that it is highly dispersed in the IS literature. It then argues that the IS research community should take stock of this knowledge and organize it in an action-oriented way. Based on results from prior work it proposes a four-level hierarchical coding scheme for this purpose. In order to test the idea of coding action-oriented knowledge for IS experts, the paper reports the results of a coded literature analysis of ISD research articles published from 1996 to 2000 in two leading IS journals– Information Systems Journal and MIS Quarterly. The results suggest that ISD approaches form a useful framework for organizing practically relevant IS knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. It has commonly been argued that the use of different research methods within the information system (IS) discipline and within individual pieces of research will produce richer and more reliable results. This paper reports on a survey of the IS literature to discover the extent of multimethod research. The findings are that such work is relatively scarce, and where it occurs involves only a small set of traditional methods. Possible reasons for this are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper critically evaluates systems approaches to knowledge management to identify if health care professionals value systemic development. Research in knowledge management and health informatics is reviewed to see if multiple systems perspectives exist, and if and how concepts from multiple systems perspectives are integrated, or ‘swept in’ to a complex whole. The first finding is that knowledge management strategies in health do ‘sweep in’ insights from three systems perspectives: personal learning (knowledge creation); communities of practice (knowledge normalization) and the exercise of technical expertise and technology (knowledge application). The second finding is that health knowledge management has an architecture that does promote systemic development. An empirical case example of systemic intervention by an executive team is discussed in terms of micro evolution in social ecology. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies multiagent systems where each agent has access to local observations of a dynamic environment and needs to build from this partial information an hypothesis on the state of the system. Each agent ensures that its hypothesis is consistent with its observations, and communicates with other agents to refine this hypothesis by confronting them to their own views. However, these communications are restricted by temporal and topological constraints, and can only be bilateral. We first study in this paper an abstract model of this problem, identifying conditions under which satisfying states can (or will) be reached. We rely in particular on a compositional consistency relation. We then detail a case study involving agents able to reason abductively (with Theorist), and study how demanding are the conditions required in this context. Different bilateral protocols are finally introduced and formally studied, to account for both compositional and noncompositional settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Knowledge map is an important and effective instrument for enterprise knowledge management. A large number of unordered knowledge resources in the enterprises bring about difficulties to the knowledge map construction. It is necessary to construct the enterprise knowledge map from a systematic perspective. Considering influences of individual's cognition on the organizational knowledge structure, this paper introduces social classification into the enterprise context and proposes a three-level architecture for enterprise knowledge map construction, i.e. the individual knowledge tagging, the domain topic selection and the inter-domain association analysis layer. In this architecture, domain serves as the basic unit to display knowledge and their relationships, as well as provides a pragmatic context for knowledge navigation and reuse. Incorporating the above elements, a method is formulated and applied to a real-world case. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial modeling is a core element in geographical information science. It incorporates geographic information to construct the relationship for interpreting the behavior of spatial phenomena. In this paper, a broad learning framework for nonparametric spatial modeling is presented. Broad learning overcomes the obstacle of expensive computational consumption in deep learning and provides a powerful computationally efficient alternative. In contrast to the deep learning architecture that is configured with stacks of hierarchical layers, broad learning networks are established in a flat manner that can be flexibly reconfigured with the inherited information from the trained network. To develop the broad learning network, a simple prototype network is established as the initial trial and it is modified incrementally to enhance its data fitting capacity. Consequently, complex relationship of unstructured spatial data can be modeled efficiently. To demonstrate the efficacy and applicability of the broad learning framework, we will present a simulated example and a real application using the strong ground motion records on the 2008 great Wenchuan earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern strategic management theories try to explain why firms differ, because new sources of competitive advantage are keenly sought in the dynamic and complex environment of global competition. Two areas in particular have attracted the attention of researchers: the role of dynamic capabilities, and the firm's abilities for knowledge management. In this paper, we argue that there is a link between these two concepts, which has not been fully articulated in the literature. The aim of the paper is therefore to ascertain the conceptual connection between them as a basis for future research. Our proposed framework acknowledges and critiques the distinct roots of each field, identifies boundaries, and proposes relationships between the constructs and firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), with the Internet being one of the most significant, is shaking the foundation of the banking industry. Simply deploying the Internet as a more efficient distribution channel will not bring sustainable strategic advantages. To compete effectively, banks may need to embrace a new set of strategic priorities, based on the ‘unbundling’ of banking services and processes, and the ‘deconstruction’ of the integrated banking model. Such a radical transformation threatens the profitability and survival of some existing incumbent banks, and at the same time, it brings a cohort of new opportunities and powerful new players to the market. This paper reviews existing studies on the use of the Internet in banking, and highlights two prevailing models and the strategic thinking behind them. Based upon recent empirical evidence gathered from in-depth case studies and other information sources in the UK, the paper discusses a number of emerging tendencies and explores possibilities to reconcile the discrepancies between the two prevailing models. The paper calls for a radical departure from existing strategies in the banking industry based on the concept of process integration and service bundling. A new framework is outlined for banks and other financial organizations in developing and evaluating their strategies. The latest evidence suggests that at least eight models of Internet banking, somewhere on the spectrum between the two prevailing models highlighted by previous studies, have emerged in the UK. These models are illustrated briefly in the paper. This is still a rapidly evolving area, and new research is clearly needed to understand the key dynamics of the banking industry in the networked economy. Finally, some themes for further research are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in information systems (IS) indicates an absence of clear-cut models to assess IS effectiveness. While the costs are easily identifiable it is the benefits which are most difficult to assess due to the scope of impact of information systems. In order to provide structure to the problem this paper presents a hierarchical approach to develop an IS effectiveness model using structured modelling techniques. This study uses the prior research work and a survey to identify and relate factors of IS effectiveness. The results of the model show that ‘improving systems integration’ has the highest influence on information systems effectiveness, followed by ‘facilitating information retrieval’. We were able to validate our results by showing that they are consistent with the widely accepted ‘stages model’ of IS development. Of particular interest is the finding that significantly high levels of IS effectiveness are experienced by organizations in the penultimate or final stage of IS development. The most significant contribution of this study is the development of a comprehensive IS effectiveness evaluation framework that resolves many subjective dilemmas of traditional user-centred evaluation approaches. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning with the information economics framework and a multi-period decision model, this paper considers the use of computer simulation methods within an information system choice environment. Actual decision behavior is replaced by optimal decision rules, and simulation is used to evaluate the effects of parameter changes in the environmental model. Simulation is shown to be functional (1) in estimating the value of alternative information structures within a fifteen period decision model and (2) in providing sensitivity and statistical data which would be useful both for different decision maker utility functions and for a variety of information system design questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the value of information when a number of independent sources provide information related to a common set of states of nature. The starting point is the information economic model of information structures. The model is augmented to represent independence of informational sources by means of orthogonality of the information structures. A new mathematical operator, orthogonal product, is defined and its properties are probed. It is shown that this operator maintains some mathematical properties such as closure, association, unity element, null element, and so forth. It is demonstrated how the orthogonal product represents the notion of multisource information. The paper proves that an orthogonal product is generally more informative than its multipliers, namely, if cost is not considered a constraining factor, then there is a nonnegative value to obtaining a second opinion. An appendix to the paper expands this result to a case of partially dependent signals. The paper concludes with a numerical example and a discussion of the model's applicability for practical problems such as cost estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies some possibilities for the creation and practical use of a visual graphic information model (as a spatial graph in a coordinate system, created by information variables, chosen for the system description) for systems research of complex objects and problems. The main features, possibilities and limits of the model in particular as regards the visual representation of the existence, structure and qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the system's elements and relations are described. The model is used as an aid to analysis based on principles of architecture for systems study and forecasting. As an example, a graphic model of an industrial corporation is considered. Recommendations for the application of this model for systems management, project management, information resources management and for the creation of a computerized information system for competitor analysis are given. It is also demonstrated that the model may be used for the description and study of some other kinds of objects and problems as well as for illustration of some statements on system features made by the contributors of GST and different strands of systems thinking. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key pointsThe relationship between the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) and Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice (JISTaP) enables both to benefit from the other.KISTI is able to test new systems with its own journal, JISTaP.JISTaP benefits from both financial and technical support of its parent, although this can restrict its ability to make changes and use alternative technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of interdependent structural systems greatly complicates the analysis of any single structure. This is particularly the case when a structure represents some behavioral process. For this reason it is necessary to devise measures which can differentiate qualitatively and quantitatively between structures as well as between subsets (or points) of a particular structure. For example, consider the authority structures of two different organizations. They exhibit similarities and differences which a behavioral analyst tries to identify and explain. Typically, both similarities and differences are compared by structural indices which, on the basis of past data and prior information, tend to reflect certain organizational traits. The purpose of this paper is to investigate one particularly important index centrality. Centrality conveys the notion that points in a structure are not all 'equal'. This 'inequality' vis-a-vis the structure creates a situation in which certain points will be more 'central' than others. In this paper we first identify the characteristics of centrality and observe how they may relate to behavioral research. We then develop a procedure for measuring centrality which is based on information theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores developments in bibliometric criteria that assess aspects of journal article importance. The journal Impactor Factor (IF) is designed to be an index to permit comparison of the scientific significance of journals, but is not readily applied to individual authors or departments. The h-index can be calculated for both journals and individual authors. It may offer a better estimate of a journal's overall long-term clinical or scientific importance than traditional IF.

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Key policy drivers worldwide include optimizing patients' roles in managing their care; focusing services around patients' needs and preferences; and providing information to support patients' contributions and choices. The term information need penetrates many policy documents. Information need is espoused as the foundation from which to develop patient-centred or patient-led services. Yet there is no clear definition as to what the term means or how patients' information needs inform and shape information provision and patient care. The assimilation of complex theories originating from information science has much to offer considerations of patient information need within the context of health care. Health-related research often focuses on the content of information patients prefer, not why they need information. This paper extends and applies knowledge of information behaviour to considerations of information need in health, exposing a working definition for patient information need that reiterates the importance of considering the patient's goals and understanding the patient's context/situation. A patient information need is defined as ' recognition that their knowledge is inadequate to satisfy a goal, within the context/ situation that they find themselves at a specific point in the time'. This typifies the key concepts of national/international health policy, the centrality and importance of the patient. The proposed definition of patient information need provides a conceptual framework to guide health-care practitioners on what to consider and why when meeting the information needs of patients in practice. This creates a solid foundation from which to inform future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the needs and threats for digital preservation and summarizes the findings from project PARSE.Insight. This project, co-funded by the EU, contains one of the first large worldwide surveys about digital preservation including most players of the STM information chain: researchers, libraries, data managers, publishers, and research funders. One of the conclusions is that in the present data deluge, it is extremely important that all players in the information chain work together on proper digital preservation of all research output, to ensure its future usability, understandability, and authenticity. This poses a new role for publishers who can ensure better discoverability and citability via good linking and integration of data and publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of information technology (IT) implementation research has focused on individuals' acceptance of IT by examining their behaviour when faced with new IT and the antecedents of these behaviours. As they are frequently undertaken within a project framework, IT implementations also entail the application of project management practices in order to be successful. Based on the premise that antecedents of lower level theories are frequently determined by the outcomes of a higher level theory, the present paper illustrates how organizational-level decisions, examined from the perspective of economics theories, can help explain the antecedents of project risk management at the project and individual levels. To do so, the paper describes an IT implementation effort which went through three phases; the first two of which were abandoned versions of the same project. An organizational-level analysis of the case from an economics perspective and its project-level analysis from a risk management perspective show how organizational-level decisions influenced the antecedents at the project and individual levels, providing a more complete understanding of the IT implementation in question, an understanding which neither a theory approach nor a level perspective could provide on its own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explanation of observed phenomena is a major objective of both those who conduct and those who apply research in information systems (IS). Whereas explanation based on the statistical relationship between independent and dependent variables is a common outcome of explanatory IS research, philosophers of science disagree about whether statistical relationships are the sole basis for the explanation of phenomena. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an expanded concept of explanation into the realm of IS research. We present a framework based on the four principle explanation types defined in modern philosophy: covering-law explanation, statistical-relevance explanation, contrast-class explanation and functional explanation. A well-established research stream, media richness, is used to illustrate how the different explanation types complement each other in increasing comprehension of the phenomenon. This framework underlies our argument that explanatory pluralism can be used to broaden research perspectives and increase scientific comprehension of IS phenomena above and beyond the methodological and ontological pluralism currently in use in IS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Card sorts are a knowledge elicitation technique in which participants are given a collection of items and are asked to partition them into groups based on their own criteria. Information about the participant's knowledge structure is inferred from the groups formed and the names used to describe the groups through various methods ranging from simple quantitative statistical measures (e.g. co-occurrence frequencies) to complex qualitative methods (e.g. content analysis on the group names). This paper introduces a new technique for analyzing card sort data that uses quantitative measures to discover rich qualitative results. This method is based upon a distance metric between sorts that allows one to measure the similarity of groupings and then look for clusters of closely related sorts across individuals. By using software for computing these clusters, it is possible to identify common concepts across individuals, despite the use of different terminology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that it is important to realize that the concept of a cycle has rarely been precisely articulated in empirical work and that often researchers are using very different definitions of it. We propose a two-fold classification based upon what series one is measuring a cycle in and how one would recognize a cycle in such a series. The paper illustrates how one can then categorize existing research based upon how it answers these questions. It also shows that the existence and properties of a cycle differ greatly depending upon which of the categories the researcher is using. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of the implementation of a large information system in a New Zealand hospital. The system was intended to monitor and scrutinize clinical activity, and management hoped to influence clinical behaviour through the increased visibility afforded by the system. However, doctors were not the passive subjects of a computerized control system, and some were able to resist the application of the information produced by challenging its validity or using it to argue for more resources. Nevertheless, the interrelatedness of the information system with the organizational forms and practices within which it was used and which it helped shape reinforced the concepts, norms and values associated with the new management and economic discourse prevalent in the hospital, and helped to produce more defined accountabilities for doctors. With time, the role of the information system was reinterpreted, and in the face of continued resistance by doctors, it was relegated to a less significant role. The potential for engendering self-disciplining behaviour in organizational participants through the pervasive, everyday use of the information the system produced likewise diminished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information system (IS) innovation can be defined as a novel organizational application of digital computer and information communication technologies (ICT). This paper discusses how modalities of applying ICT technologies in their form and scope exhibit radical breaks, which are introduced herein as ‘disruptive IS innovations’. This notion of disruptive IS innovation is developed by drawing upon and extending Swanson's (1994) theory of IS innovation as well as the concept of radical innovation. Disruptive innovations strongly influence the future trajectory of the adoption and use of ICT in organizational contexts and make the trajectory deviate from its expected course. In doing so, these disruptive innovations distinctly define what an IS is and how it is deployed in order to address current and future organizational and managerial prerogatives. Such changes are triggered breakthroughs in the capability of ICT that lead to the revision and expansion of associated cognitive models (frames) of computing. Disruptive IS innovations are those that lead to changes in the application of ICT that are both pervasive and radical. The pervasive nature implies that innovative activity spans all innovation subsets of the quad-core model of IS innovation introduced herein. Innovation types include: IS use and development processes; application architecture and capability; and base technologies. Radical in nature, disruptive is innovations depart in significant ways from existing alternatives and lead to deviation from expected use and diffusion trajectory. This paper demonstrates the importance of a concept of disruptive IS innovation by investigating how changes triggered by internet computing (Lyytinen et al., 1998) meet the conditions of a disruptive IS innovation defined herein. The analysis also affirms both the pervasive and radical nature of internet computing and explains how internet computing has fundamentally transformed the application portfolio, development practices and IS services over time. The analysis demonstrates that, with the concept of disruptive IS innovation, we can fruitfully analyse ‘long’ waves of ICT evolution – an issue that has largely been overlooked in the IS community. On a theoretical plane, the paper advocates the view that we need to look beyond linear, unidirectional, and atomistic concepts of the diffusion of IS innovations where innovative activity takes places in a linear fashion by oscillating between small technological innovations and small organizational innovations. In contrast, IS innovation can exhibit fundamental discontinuity; we need to theoretically grasp such disruptive moments. The recent influx of innovation, spurred by internet-based technology, offers one such moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Checkland and Holwell (1998) book Information, Systems and Information Systems an explanatory framework for soft systems methodology (SSM) is supported by the deployment of a case study of the Battle of Britain. In this paper the authors conduct an analysis of this historical account and identify the failure of SSM to provide an adequate explanation of these historical events. It is argued that through the use of materialist dialectics a more satisfactory understanding of the nature of the processes of abstraction and the bounding of problems and systems becomes available. Concepts from dialectics are applied to show how, and why, the differences between the two accounts reflect different methods of conceptualization of an information environment. In this light, we point to similarities and differences between the two meta-frameworks used: SSM and materialist dialectics. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the uses of geographic information science (GIS) in Canada. Challenges in creating a geospatial data infrastructure; Use of GIS as an integration medium to improve and integrate data; Role of GIS as a means to represent multiple epistemological perspectives; Dissemination of social and environmental information to a broad public; Support of GIS by a digital data infrastructure; Use of geospatial data for research, policy development and advocacy.

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the rapid development of information techniques, the dimensionality of data in many application domains, such as text categorization and bioinformatics, is getting higher and higher. The high-dimensionality data may bring many adverse situations, such as overfitting, poor performance, and low efficiency, to traditional learning algorithms in pattern classification. Feature selection aims at reducing the dimensionality of data and providing discriminative features for pattern learning algorithms. Due to its effectiveness, feature selection is now gaining increasing attentions from a variety of disciplines and currently many efforts have been attempted in this field. In this paper, we propose a new supervised feature selection method to pick important features by using information criteria. Unlike other selection methods, the main characteristic of our method is that it not only takes both maximal relevance to the class labels and minimal redundancy to the selected features into account, but also works like feature clustering in an agglomerative way. To measure the relevance and redundancy of feature exactly, two different information criteria, i.e., mutual information and coefficient of relevance, have been adopted in our method. The performance evaluations on 12 benchmark data sets show that the proposed method can achieve better performance than other popular feature selection methods in most cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collecting and managing data for clinical and translational research presents significant challenges for clinical and translational researchers, many of whom lack needed access to data management expertise, methods, and tools. At many institutions, funding constraints result in differential levels of research informatics support among investigators. In addition, the lack of widely shared models and ontologies for clinical research informatics and health information technology hampers the accurate assessment of investigators' needs and complicates the efficient allocation of crucial resources for research projects, ultimately affecting the quality and reliability of research. In this paper, we present a model for providing flexible, cost-efficient institutional support for clinical and translational research data management and informatics, the research management team, and describe our initial experiences with deploying this model at our institution. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 464-469 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of information is clearly foundational to the systems, behavioural and information sciences but lacking in a clear conceptual foundation. In this paper, we propose that the concept is clearly overloaded and suggest that a new vocabulary is needed to enhance our powers of understanding and explanation. We argue that information is better situated at the intersection of signs, patterns and systems, which involves the enactment of forma (the substance of a sign), informa (the content of a sign) and performa (the use of signs in coordinated action). To demonstrate the utility of this framework and to help us breakdown entrenched conceptions, we deliberately consider a 'strange' case from a different time and culture. We conclude with a discussion of the usefulness of this framework in helping us better understand the complex entanglement of signs, systems and patterns and how this helps unravel the multifaceted nature of information. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of ontologies of information sources and consumers is an important phase in achieving web-based interoperability. The present work describes an approach for identifying certain semantic conflicts while integrating ontologies of heterogeneous information sources. This paper is focused on the identification of homonymy and synonymy between elements in ontologies. In the present work the concepts of homonymy and synonymy are synonymous to naming conflicts and entity identifier conflicts, respectively, and partial synonymy is synonymous to schema isomorphism conflicts. The concept of the mask of interoperability is introduced for the identification of synonymy. The mask of interoperability is expressed in a declarative way as a set of rules, which can then be used for resolution of conflicts during integration of ontologies. As proof of concept, ontologies are implemented using the XML-based ontology language Ontology Web Language (OWL), and the rules are implemented using the emerging rule language Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL). This representation in OWL and SWRL allows the ontology to be executable, flexibly extendable and platform-independent. The OWL facts and SWRL rules are used by the Jess and Bossam reasoning engine to identify semantic homonymy and synonymy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing multiple ontologies is now a core question in most of the applications that require semantic interoperability. The semantic web is surely the most significant application of this report: the current challenge is not to design, develop and deploy domain ontologies but to define semantic correspondences among multiple ontologies covering overlapping domains. In this paper, we introduce a new approach of ontology matching named axiom-based ontology matching. As this approach is founded on the use of axioms, it is mainly dedicated to heavyweight ontologies, but it can also be applied to lightweight ontologies as a complementary approach to the current techniques based on the analysis of natural language expressions, instances and/or taxonomical structures of ontologies. This new matching paradigm is defined in the context of the conceptual graphs model, where the projection (i.e. the main operator for reasoning with conceptual graphs which corresponds to homomorphism of graphs) is used as a means to semantically match the concepts and the relations of two ontologies through the explicit representation of the axioms in terms of conceptual graphs. We also introduce an ontology of representation, called MetaOCGL, dedicated to the reasoning of heavyweight ontologies at the meta-level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on research organized as a number of workshops, case studies and interviews with experienced practitioners as well as academics, we present in this report the most important findings on how to create and sustain successful knowledge management in a community environment. The cases, workshops and interviews deal specifically with the Microsoft Solutions Sharing Network (SSN) program, but the findings, conclusions and preliminary recommendations can be applied more generally to the development of any knowledge management community. A key conclusion is that the bulk of efforts toward creating successful knowledge management communities focus on less technical, or softer aspects like leadership, culture, social settings and value of participation. However, these are essential, but not sufficient, ingredients for success. Technical issues, issues regarding development and customization of the tools used to facilitate knowledge management (for example, the SSN web portal), and emerging legal issues surrounding the sharing of intellectual property (IP) may be perceived as somewhat less important to the participants, but are nevertheless key factors in the long term success of these communities. It is also concluded that the foundation for successful collaboration is primarily laid in the initial phases of community development. A community must make a positive impression on its participants from the very beginning because most people will not give it a second chance. In this report we have highlighted three important areas to consider when establishing portals for knowledge management: Leadership, Purpose and Process/Infrastructure. A leadership with high credibility in the subject is needed to lead the participants in the right direction, manage the cultural processes and to make sure that relevant content can be found. Initially it is the content that brings people to a specific community. Thus, there has to be some common purpose that not only needs to be in congruence with the professional role of the participants but also be inspiring for them as well. Additionally, the community should have some sort of process that the participants can understand and suits the way they would like to interact. Face-to-face meetings and networking activities create trust which is important to get the process started. Language, IT platform, support and rules governing the contribution, creation and sharing of ‘knowledge’ for the community are other concerns that need to be considered within the process. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses a long-standing and well-recognized problem in Knowledge Management (KM) research, namely, that the KM research community is fragmented. Journeying across boundaries is hazardous because there is a lack of mutual understanding on conceptual, methodological and theoretical issues. The authors believe that researchers may make more robust claims to the validity of their work if they are aware of their own epistemic commitments and those of others. Consequently we address the problem of fragmentation by identifying heuristics for both individual choice (diversity) and collective coherence (integration) in KM research. We propose a framework for inquiry that supports diversity and integration through a synthesis of concepts from Churchman's inquiring systems and Habermas's critical social theory. The key architectural element in this framework is a three-level structure comprised of Habermas's three knowledge interests (technical, practical and emancipatory). Framework development consists of describing how four other design elements (Habermas's three rationalities, Churchman's roles, knowledge dynamics, and research paradigms) relate to these three levels. Some initial suggestions are made for the practical use of the framework for the purpose of ethical inquiry. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the application of the concept of economic efficiency to organizational issues of collective information processing in decision making. Information processing is modeled in the framework of the dynamic parallel processing model of associative computation with an endogenous setup cost of the processors. The model is extended to include the specific features of collective information processing in the team of decision makers which may lead to an error in data analysis. In such a model, the conditions for efficient organization of information processing are defined and the architecture of the efficient structures is considered. We show that specific features of collective decision making procedures require a broader framework for judging organizational efficiency than has traditionally been adopted. In particular, and contrary to the results available in economic literature, we show that there is no unique architecture for efficient information processing structures, but a number of various efficient forms. The results indicate that technological progress resulting in faster data processing (ceteris paribus) will lead to more regular information processing structures. However, if the relative cost of the delay in data analysis increases significantly, less regular structures could be efficient. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information system (IS) security continues to present a challenge for executives and professionals. A large part of IS security research is technical in nature with limited consideration of people and organizational issues. The study presented in this paper adopts a broader perspective and presents an understanding of IS security in terms of the values of people from an organizational perspective. It uses the value-focused thinking approach to identify ‘fundamental’ objectives for IS security and ‘means’ of achieving them in an organization. Data for the study were collected through in-depth interviews with 103 managers about their values in managing IS security. Interview results suggest 86 objectives that are essential in managing IS security. The 86 objectives are organized into 25 clusters of nine fundamental and 16 means categories. These results are validated by a panel of seven IS security experts. The findings suggest that for maintaining IS security in organizations, it is necessary to go beyond technical considerations and adopt organizationally grounded principles and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first half of 19th century Jan Fryderyk Wolfgang (1775–1859) was the outstanding expert on Potamogetonaceae. Twelve of the names he proposed in a manuscript of a monograph on Potamogeton were validly published by Schultes & Schultes (1827). Of these, four names are now the correct names for the respective taxa, one for a species (P. rutilus Wolfg.) and three for hybrids (P. ×nerviger Wolfg., P. ×salicifolius Wolfg. and P ×undulatus Wolfg.). Ten names of Potamogeton taxa described by Wolfgang are typified in this paper, together with two names proposed by his collaborators, Besser and Gorski. The identity of these names is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge is an inherently dynamic entity continuously changing and evolving. In many cases, the coexistence of different versions of the same core knowledge is a necessity. So is the availability of the proper environment and tools to deal with knowledge versioning. In this paper, a framework of knowledge versioning management is proposed and implemented dealing with hybrid knowledge representation models using frames and rules. This framework facilitates knowledge version handling and maintenance, improving, in parallel, knowledge sharing and reuse. Knowledge components are stored in a set of tables and handled as data under the auspices of a database management system. The proper structure of tables and their relationships allows the creation of independent knowledge modules. Several knowledge modules can be assembled to construct higher level modules, which finally form versions of knowledge. Corresponding knowledge base versions consist of several knowledge modules easy to handle and process in various application areas. The proposed framework has been implemented and thoroughly examined in an application area of great importance, such as pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication plays a crucial role in influencing our social life. However, communication has often been distorted by unequal opportunities to initiate and participate in it. Such conditions have been criticized by Habermas who argues for an ideal speech situation, i.e. a situation of democratic communication with equal opportunities for social actors to communicate in an undistorted manner. This ideal situation is partially being realized by the advent of the internet. The paper describes how an internet-based tool for collaborative authoring was conceptualized, developed and then deployed with Habermas's Critical Social Theory as a guiding principle. The internet-based electronic forum, known by its acronym GRASS (Group Report Authoring Support System), is a web tool supporting the production of concise group reports that give their readers an up-to-date and credible overview of the positions of various stakeholders on a particular issue. Together with people and procedures, it is a comprehensive socio-technical information system that can play a role in resolving societal conflicts. A prototype of GRASS has been used by an environmental group as a new way in which to create a more equal exchange and comparison of ideas among various stakeholders in the debate on genetically modified food. With the widespread use of the internet, such a forum has the potential to become an emergent form of communication for widely dispersed social actors to conduct constructive debate and discussion. The barriers to such a mode of communication still remain – in the form of entrenched power structures, and limitations to human rationality and responsibility. However, we believe that the support provided by the comprehensive system of technological functionality as well as procedural checks and balances provided by GRASS may considerably reduce the impact of these obstacles. In this way, the ideal speech situation may be approximated more closely in reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a number of approaches open to an information system (IS) development organization wishing to evaluate the potential relevance of an IT product for use in their own organization. This work considers method support for evaluation of CASE tools, as a complex example of an IT product. Our interest is in evaluation for selection, namely the evaluation of products prior to experience of their use in the defined context. Certain weaknesses are apparent in existing evaluation methods proposed in the literature for evaluation for selection. Our primary concern in this paper is to present a new method which, we claim, addresses these weaknesses. We provide a rationale and a detailed description of the new method, which is referred to as 2G. The method specifically addresses the important early phases of an evaluation, during which an evaluation framework is to be established. The method is to be used within the intended usage context for the IT product, so the resulting evaluation framework will be situated rather than general. We identify weaknesses in previously available methods, and discuss the advantages offered by the 2G method. The method has a solid basis in underlying theory, something which has influenced our presentation of it. Equally importantly, our presentation is strongly influenced by our experience with the method in actual usage situations, in small and medium IS development organizations. We claim that 2G is a practical candidate for any IS development organization wishing to undertake evaluations of CASE tools prior to adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]