Empirical Evaluation Research Research Articles

Information Security Risk Assessment (ISRA): A Systematic Literature Review

Background: Information security is essential for organisations, hence the risk assessment. Information security risk assessment (ISRA) identifies, assesses, and prioritizes risks according to organisational goals. Previous studies have analysed and discussed information security risk assessment. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the models more systematically. Objective: This study aims to determine types of ISRA and fill a gap in literature review research by categorizing existing frameworks, models, and methods. Methods: The systematic literature review (SLR) approach developed by Kitchenham is applied in this research. A total of 25 studies were selected, classified, and analysed according to defined criteria. Results: Most selected studies focus on implementing and developing new models for risk assessment. In addition, most are related to information systems in general. Conclusion: The findings show that there is no single best framework or model because the best framework needs to be tailored according to organisational goals. Previous researchers have developed several new ISRA models, but empirical evaluation research is needed. Future research needs to develop more robust models for risk assessments for cloud computing systems. Keywords: Information Security Risk Assessment, ISRA, Security Risk

Evaluation of intergroup dialogue: A review of the empirical literature

AbstractPractitioners in the developing field of intergroup dialogue seek to address critical social issues of prejudice and intergroup conflict. Goals of dialogue work include relationship building, civic participation, and social change. Outcome evaluation of this work is necessary to further understand the processes and effectiveness of dialogue practices, improve on the work being done, and obtain funding. This literature review summarizes empirical evaluation research in the field of intergroup dialogue and presents a compendium table. Strengths and limitations of current research are discussed, with emphasis on the importance of expanding evaluation work in this field.

Evaluating in political turmoil: nursing challenges in prevention programs

The concrete insertion of nurses into the context of an inquiry contributes to empirical evaluation research of health promotion programs. As interveners and concrete actors in social movements, nurses are in a privileged position to give realism to a local understanding of the political and cultural context of evaluative research. Drawing on the practice of empirical evaluation research, this paper seeks to generate new methodological approaches in a way that broadens nursing inquiries in community health nursing. It explores new ways of thinking about epistemology and knowledge production in nursing practice. For 5 months an evaluative research project adopting a participatory-action research approach was conducted with local community actors in an AIDS prevention project in Amazonas (Brazil) in a prostitution setting. An auto-ethnographic journal was used as a reflective approach for the critical analysis of nursing research activities. This paper calls for a closer relationship between scientific research settings and the sociopolitical and the sociocultural aspects of nursing practice. It increases an incorporation of popular, social and professional experiential learning and skill acquisition in embedded knowledge production.

The meaning of fatigue for women with multiple sclerosis

This paper reports the findings of a study that aimed to elucidate the meaning of fatigue for women with multiple sclerosis (MS). Living with chronic illness can involve giving up usual activities. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Fatigue is a common experience among people with MS; however, little is known about the meaning of fatigue experienced by women with this condition. Ten women with MS were interviewed about their experience of fatigue. A phenomenological hermeneutic method influenced by Ricoeur was used to interpret the transcribed interviews. The findings were presented in two major themes with five subthemes; experiencing the body as a barrier and experiencing a different absence. Fatigue seemed to give rise to an experience of being absent and divided into two parts. This also led to a feeling of not being able to participate in the surrounding world. The feeling of being an outsider and lacking the ability as a healthy person is interpreted as a form of suffering. Although the fatigue had a great impact on the women's daily life, the women still hoped for some relief. Fatigue seemed to imply that instead of working as an implement to manage in the world the body has become an enemy of survival. This study highlights the importance for nurses of understanding how women with MS experience fatigue, which is a prerequisite for communication based on a shared understanding. This awareness would enhance nurses' opportunities to alleviate suffering. More research is needed to investigate what kinds of interventions can help these women to manage their everyday lives and to maintain a sense of normality despite their fatigue and illness. Such interventions should be subject to empirical evaluation research.

Students' Evaluation of Teachers and Instructional Quality--Analysis of Relevant Factors Based on Empirical Evaluation Research

This paper explores the factors that determine the student evaluation of teachers. Unlike many previous studies, the effect of potential biases on global ratings is examined in the context of teaching behaviour (that should in fact--in contrast to the potential biases--have an influence on global ratings). Our research takes into account that biases like the students' interest in the subject or their liking for the teacher may be a result of good teaching behaviour and may not be considered a mere bias of student ratings. Furthermore, it also concentrates on the students' attitudes towards evaluating their teachers. The empirical results are based on qualitative interviews with 40 students at Austrian commercial colleges and on a quantitative survey of 2,121 students who were asked to evaluate their Accounting teachers. Structural equation models show that the students' global ratings of teachers mainly depend on their teaching behaviour. However, global ratings are also affected by the students' attitudes towards evaluating their teachers, as well as by the students' liking for their teacher and their interest in the subject of Accounting.