Related Information Technology Research Articles

Evolution of scientific and technical information distribution

World Wide Web (WWW) and related information technologies are transforming the distribution of scientific and technical information (STI). We examine 11 recent, functioning digital libraries focusing on the distribution of STI publications, including journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports. We introduce 4 main categories of digital library projects: based on the architecture (distributed vs. centralized) and the contributor (traditional publisher vs. authoring individual/organization. Many digital library prototypes merely automate existing publishing practices or focus solely on the digitization of the publishing cycle output, not sampling and capturing elements of the input. Still others do not consider for distribution the large body of gray literature. We address these deficiencies in the current model of STI exchange by suggesting methods for expanding the scope and target of digital libraries by focusing on a greater source of technical publications and using buckets, an object-oriented construct for grouping logically related information objects, to include holdings other than technical publications.

Acquiring skills for tomorrow today: “Cyberspace learning for kids”

Considers the development of an on‐line electronic learning network , “Cyberspace learning for kids” (CL4K), for children aged 5‐16 across Europe. Examines the impact of information technology (IT) in relation to various learning environments. Focuses particular attention on schools, the incorporation of IT into the National Curriculum and the impact this has on teaching. Presents findings from an analysis of the project’s user needs, that is, those of teachers, children and parents. The main issue expressed by teachers was the lack of training received in IT skills and lack of funds available to purchase equipment necessary to be able to use IT in the classroom. A decline in general levels of communication in the classroom, at home and between pupils was another issue of concern among teachers and parents. Overall, all users perceived “Cyberspace learning for kids” to be exciting and saw the development of IT skills as an essential asset when seeking employment. The children found the use of the Internet to be a fun way of finding out information and would enjoy using it if such a resource was available in the classroom, etc. With commitment to funding for resources and training CL4K has the potential to offer a fun and stimulating means of gaining information and educating children for the future.

Electronic commerce and user-based design of a web site: Targeting the technology transfer audience

Web sites have the potential of playing a major role in the exchange of technology related information between federal laboratories and commercializers in the private sector. Most, if not all, Web site designs are developed based on the organization's perception of what the target audience wants from a Web site. This contribution addresses the issue of successful Web site design from the user's perspective in the context of technology transfer. The orientation takes into account important concepts and principles such as cost, marketing, diffusion, information retrieval, and strategic networking. The results of a survey of private sector technology transfer professionals offer insights to meet the target audience's needs, thus making a Web site a timely and cost-effective electronic linkage for interaction, information-seeking, and networking functions that enable technology transfer.

Relating information technology investment to organizational performance: a causal model analysis

Corporations have invested billions of dollars in information technology (IT) over the last 20 years. There is much debate regarding the benefits accruing from these expenditures. Direct linkage between technology investment and increases in organizational performance and productivity has been extremely elusive. This research investigates the relationship between IT investment and organizational performance so that managers may better evaluate IT expenditures. With data on IT investment and organizational performance from 350 public companies over 4 years, this study uses structural equation analysis to empirically test a theoretical model composed of five IT investment variables and five organizational performance variables. The study found that the variable used to measure the extent to which users have access to IT was significantly and positively related to sales by employee, an organizational measure of labor productivity. Two other IT investment variables, the value of supercomputers, mainframes, and minicomputers and the percentage of IT budget spent on IT staff, were significantly and negatively associated with the sales by employee measure. Another IT variable, the IT budget as a percentage of revenue, was significantly and negatively associated with sales by total assets, a traditional measure of capital productivity. The last IT variable, the percentage of IT budget spent on IT staff training, was not related to any performance variable. Implications of these findings are discussed and, from a management perspective, postulations relating IT investment to organizational performance are stated. Researchers are provided with suggestions and encouraged to use these results to probe deeper into the relationship between IT investment and organizational performance.

The Use of Geographic Information Systems for Resource Evaluation: A New Zealand Example

Over the last decade, New Zealand has implemented innovative reforms in respect of natural resource and environmental management. These include the Resource ManagementAct 1991 (RMA), a notable feature of which is the adoption of 'sustainable management' as the key principle guiding resource allocation and use. This and other features of the new administrative context for resource management strongly suggest a prominent role for geographicinformation systems (GIS) and related spatial information technology. In this paper we present an outline of the Regional Resource Evaluation Project (RREP), a project that has been established to explore and demonstrate the capabilities of GIS and related spatial information technology in the context of resource analysis and decision making. To date, the RREP has achieved important outcomes in terms of database design and development. An extensive information base which incorporates data on the physical and natural environment, patterns of human activity, and on social and demographic characteristics has been assembled. We describe the information systems, as well as some of the technical issues that attend to database design and development.We also provide brief reviews of two applications of the GIS to resource evaluation. One relates to the evaluation of changes in regional land use, with a focus on natural habitats. The other is concerned with land suitability assessment for plantation forestry.

Competitive Intelligence and the corporate jewels

The end of the Cold War shifted strategic and tactical foreign policy priorities from traditional superpower and client concerns to those reflecting national economic competitiveness, especially commercial and technology-related information. But while the threat of illegal industrial espionage has increased, so too has the new threat of legal—and systematic—competitive intelligence (CI) efforts by foreign and domestic competitors. Corporate efforts to protect proprietary information, the author argues, have tended to follow the classified-protection model developed to thwart clandestine or illegal intelligence operations, leaving firms unprepared to defend against an organized CI collection effort that analyzes information routinely gathered in the course of the target company's daily business activities. Companies must continue to use physical security against illegal threats while redirecting their thinking to CI protection strategies. It is important to realize that your company will and should lose information if it is effectively carrying out its business operations, and to shift from risk avoidance to risk management. The defensive key is to identify what is absolutely critical for the firm's survival or competitiveness—the “corporate jewels”—and then take action to limit their vulnerability to competitor CI collection. The military's five-step Operations Security (OPSEC) approach for assessing risk and establishing countermeasures can be adapted for competitive intelligence. Also, thinking about counterintelligence should move away from the government-clandestine model to an approach based on Counter-Competitor Intelligence (CCI)—seeking to learn during routine CI activities what intelligence activities competitors are directing at your company, and to analyze any damage. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

An in service model for enhancing faculty computer self‐efficacy

AbstractComputer self‐efficacy is a significant factor that differentiates adopters and non‐adopters of computer technology among university faculty. Faculty who judge themselves unable to use computers effectively and confidently will not adopt them in the classroom even when the hardware and software are available to them. In this case study, a program was designed and implemented to enhance faculty computer self‐efficacy. Using Bandura's four sources of efficacy information as a guide, the program consisted of showcases, seminars, workshops and funding. The in service program had a positive impact on both faculty and administration. The in service program was a cost‐effective way for administrators to support faculty in the use of computer technology in instruction. The faculty gained confidence and enhanced their computer self‐ efficacy resulting in a community of faculty with shared interests in using computers in the classroom. Components of the program, its evaluation and recommendations for implementation are discussed.Higher education cannot realize the potential impact of computer technology until faculty are comfortable using technology for instructional activities. Current computer hardware and related information technologies are now faster, possess greater memory, and are available at lower costs than their predecessors. Faculty in higher education can and should make imaginative use of these technologies to enrich the learning environment and support student learning. Many faculty are sufficiently comfortable with the technology to use it in the classroom; however, many others are not. Indeed, the pace of the information revolution has left many faculty members bewildered and unsure of how or when they can utilize this ever‐changing phenomenon. Academic administrators must, therefore, develop mechanisms to help faculty become comfortable with the use of computers in their instructional activities (Olivier and Shapiro, 1993).The purpose of this article is to describe an in service program designed to improve instructional computer use by faculty at a university campus. The authors found that computer self‐efficacy is related to adoption among the faculty on this campus as it is at others (Faseyitan and Hirschbuhl, 1992). Therefore, the program objective was to enhance the computer self‐efficacy of the faculty and their desire to integrate computers into instruction.First, we establish how improved self‐efficacy is linked to computer usage in instruction, establishing the framework for the in service program. Next, a detailed description of the program is presented. Finally, we present an evaluation and an assessment of the impact of the in service program on the self‐efficacy of faculty at our campus.

The Internet and the future of psychiatry

The Internet is a rapidly growing communications resource that is beginning to have an impact on medicine, and it is anticipated that the Internet will soon have a major effect on psychiatry. It is essential for psychiatrists to have a conceptual framework for understanding the many aspects of the Internet. Using a four-layer model, the authors describe the components of the Internet and how these work together to establish communication. They discuss some of the practical implications of the model, potential future applications of the Internet, and some of the challenges its use will create. In the Internet model described, the bottom three layers involve hardware and modes of information transmission; the fourth layer is human interaction. The Internet has great potential in psychiatric education, clinical care, research, and administration, but major adjustments in individual and organizational expectations and responses will be needed. These changes relate to the speed, dispersion, volume, privacy, and permanence of communication. The growth of the Internet and related information technologies is inevitable and has diverse technical and social implications. As psychiatrists, we must remain effective communicators of information and adjust to a changing world with new roles and skills that will permit us to best serve our professional mission.

Ethical Dilemmas in the Use of Information Technology: An Aristotelian Perspective

As computer-based information systems start to have a great impact on people, organizations, and society as a whole, there is much debate about information technology in relation to social control and privacy, security and reliability, and ethics and professional responsibilities. However, more often than not, these debates reveal some fundamental disagreements, sometimes about first principles. In this article the authors suggest that a fruitful and interesting way to conceptualize some of these moral and ethical issues associated with the use of information technology is to apply the principles of Aristotle's ethics to this topic. They argue that framing the moral and ethical choices associated with information technology in Aristotelian terms draws attention to the fact that there are fundamental dilemmas to be addressed. These dilemmas are discussed in relation to the four areas suggested by Dejoie, Fowler, and Paradice (1991): (a) privacy, (b) information accuracy, (c) access to information, and (d) ...

Chools, Technology, and ducational Leadership: Framework for Change

Computers and related information technologies are forging funda mental changes in the way we communicate on personal, national, and globat levels, yet the U.S. education system seems to be making little progress toward incorporating technology into school classrooms.

Strategy and implementation of an information infrastructure to support contemporary management practices

Total Quality implies an enterprise-wide continuous improvement strategy. Most Batch Process manufacturing companies today, however, lack the information infrastructure that would enable total quality. This paper addresses the technology related issues of implementing a sustainable total quality strategy. We will show through examples how technology can be strategically aligned to the business plan through the logical stages of Vision, Strategy, Planning and Execution. We will also present Models that related information technology to the strategic and tactical aspects of Activity Based Management (ABM) and ISO 9000. These models will show how SP88 is applied to flexible batch and simple batch manufacturing, highlighting architectural and operational differences. We will show that, while SP88 does not dictate implementation, there are definite tradeoffs related to where the functional boundaries are placed between computers and PLCs. A look at current information technologies and trends will offer companies insight toward making future decisions regarding plant floor system components.

Dingo-XT: A technology description language for analog and digital IC layout

The design of complex digital ICs for high frequency applications and arbitrary analog ICs is strongly dependent on technology related information like geometric and electric design rules, device topologies and layout structuring restrictions. Modern sophisticated layout CAD tools use an explicit technology data representation that requires an appropriate specification formalism for all technology related data. Dingo-XT is a language that has especially been designed for this purpose. It is object-oriented and uses keywords and a phrase structure that are taken from the layout and technology designers' terminology. Dingo-XT is currently used as a technology description format in various CAD tool projects that are concerned with bipolar analog layout design automation. This article gives a thorough description of modern technology description methods and presents Dingo-XT based on an example of a complex bipolar analog IC technology.

Current assessment and proposed improvement to emergency medical information systems in Japan.

Most prefectural governments in Japan have been implementing, or planning to implement, emergency medical information systems that take advantage of advanced information-related technologies such as computers and communication systems, in order to improve their emergency medical care systems. We studied the emergency medical information systems to analyse their present status, clarify their purpose, and present the ideal system, in view of community health care requirements. Here the results of the research are examined, and there is a discussion of what is needed to improve the system in the future. The emergency medical information system in Aichi prefecture is taken as an example, to closely survey its present situation and analyse the evaluation of the system by the residents who are the major beneficiaries of the system.

The progress of automation at the U.S. patent and trademark office

This article forms part of the debate on how the provision and use of patent information is, and will continue to be, influenced by the rapidly increasing capabilities of the Internet and related information technology, together with a number of major changes in patent law around the world. Topics explored include the relationship between the low cost, limited value-added Internet services and the traditional higher cost, significantly value-added commercial database providers, the effects of the impending publication of many US applications, and the opportunities opening up as good-quality machine-generated translations are becoming more easily available. Other topics discussed include the implications of the anticipated implementation of the Community Patent Convention, the community utility model, WIPO's activities, the potential dangers of official patent office data being provided only on the Internet, and the problems of the multiple formats for data on the Internet and on CD-ROMs. The author emphasises these are personal views from his extensive experience in a major patent library.

Does the Chinese patent system provide proper protection against infringement?

This article forms part of the debate on how the provision and use of patent information is, and will continue to be, influenced by the rapidly increasing capabilities of the Internet and related information technology, together with a number of major changes in patent law around the world. Topics explored include the relationship between the low cost, limited value-added Internet services and the traditional higher cost, significantly value-added commercial database providers, the effects of the impending publication of many US applications, and the opportunities opening up as good-quality machine-generated translations are becoming more easily available. Other topics discussed include the implications of the anticipated implementation of the Community Patent Convention, the community utility model, WIPO's activities, the potential dangers of official patent office data being provided only on the Internet, and the problems of the multiple formats for data on the Internet and on CD-ROMs. The author emphasises these are personal views from his extensive experience in a major patent library.

The conversion of microfilm images to optical disk

This article forms part of the debate on how the provision and use of patent information is, and will continue to be, influenced by the rapidly increasing capabilities of the Internet and related information technology, together with a number of major changes in patent law around the world. Topics explored include the relationship between the low cost, limited value-added Internet services and the traditional higher cost, significantly value-added commercial database providers, the effects of the impending publication of many US applications, and the opportunities opening up as good-quality machine-generated translations are becoming more easily available. Other topics discussed include the implications of the anticipated implementation of the Community Patent Convention, the community utility model, WIPO's activities, the potential dangers of official patent office data being provided only on the Internet, and the problems of the multiple formats for data on the Internet and on CD-ROMs. The author emphasises these are personal views from his extensive experience in a major patent library.

The Role of Information Systems in the UK National Health Service: Action at a Distance and the Fetish of Calculation

This paper examines some fundamental issues pertaining to the use of, as well as to the distinctive characteristics of, information technology in relation to the development of information systems within the UK National Health Service (NHS). The paper refers to the current Resource Management Initiative in the NHS, which involves the fabrication of information systems to connect medical activity to resource usage, and thus to costs. Examining the features of some of the rival inscriptions undergoing development to make this connection visible, the paper highlights the properties of information technology in enhancing their mobilization. It also addresses the immutability and combinability of these inscriptions, and discusses some of the implications, in terms of medical practice and knowledge, which may follow from their use.

Biotechnology in Japan — towards the year 2000 … and beyond

In the forthcoming period of paradigmatic change in technology, the ongoing development in information-related technologies will continue, while later, we will witness a full flowering of biotechnology, marking the beginning of serious approaches to the hitherto unexplored microcosm of life, an area in which a tremendous change affecting the future of Homo sapiens may well occur in the twenty-first century. If that happens, Japan will surely be one of the most powerful leaders of that change, and accordingly required to play a role worthy of its leadership. This role will be to aggressively tackle new challenges.

‘Brave New World’ or ‘Paradise Lost’? The current and future place of the librarian in post-industrial society

Reviews the notion of ‘the information society’ and discusses the place of librarians in it; examines the nature of information technology in relation to the profession of librarianship. Is cautious about the tendency of librarians to adopt innovations such as OPACS without properly considering their impact on the lay user. Calls for a cross-disciplinary approach to information provision, and suggests closer relationships between librarians and other information—focussed groups, such as record managers and archivisits. Asserts that librarians are not skilled at mobilising the support of their users. Proposes a new entity which will take the cross-disciplinary approach to the information arena.This paper, the ALIA Presidential Address for 1990, was given at the First National Conference of ALIA in Perth WA during October 1990; it is reproduced here with the kind permission of the author, and of the Conference Organisers.

Online Databases and Developing Countries

This paper looks at the problems faced by developing countries with regard to the access to information, particularly through online databases. Questions such as the relevance of the databases, and the transfer of information technology in relation to local resources are examined. The idea of developing databases suitable for local needs is discussed, using the AGRIS database as a case study for analysis