Formulation Of Research Questions Research Articles

Reviewing the Challenge and Practices of Human Factor Involvement in Requirement Specification Validation

Software requirement specification or documentation is the expected main output from requirement engineering process that specifies the agreed requirements at appropriate level of detail; this document is expected to be understandable by both the development team and system stakeholders. The purpose of this study is to review existing human involvement in requirement specification validation studies using the formulated research question. Relevant keywords were used for the search term in various type of journal articles, conference papers, workshop, book chapters and IEEE bulletins; to identify main study on the related human factor and requirement specification validation. 39 primary studies were selected from the systematic literature review. The review identified current trend of human factor involvement in specification validation and the most widely used techniques for validation purpose. The finding suggest human factor involvement in this area are still relevant, and more focus is needed on informal specification presentation (natural language). It is also found that visual form is the most popular kind of presentation in assisting human factor in this issue.

On performance evaluation and machine learning approaches in non-intrusive load monitoring

Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) is a set of techniques to gain deep insights into workflows inside buildings based on data provided by smart meters. In this way, the combined consumption needs only to be monitored at a single, central point in the household, providing advantages such as reduced costs for metering equipment. Over the years, a plethora of load monitoring algorithms has been proposed comprising approaches based on Hidden Markov Models (HMM), algorithms based on combinatorial optimisation, and more recently, approaches based on machine learning. However, reproducibility, comparability, and performance evaluation remain open research issues since there is no standardised way researchers evaluate their approaches and report performance. In this paper, the author points out open research issues of performance evaluation in NILM, presents a short survey of deep learning approaches for NILM, and formulates research questions related to open issues in NILM. An outline of future work is given including applied methodology and expected findings.

The curse of the perinatal epidemiologist: inferring causation amidst selection.

Human reproduction is a common process and one that unfolds over a relatively short time, but pregnancy and birth processes are challenging to study. Selection occurs at every step of this process (e.g., infertility, early pregnancy loss, and stillbirth), adding substantial bias to estimated exposure-outcome associations. Here we focus on selection in perinatal epidemiology, specifically, how it affects research question formulation, feasible study designs, and interpretation of results. Approaches have recently been proposed to address selection issues in perinatal epidemiology. One such approach is the ongoing pregnancies denominator for gestation-stratified analyses of infant outcomes. Similarly, bias resulting from left truncation has recently been termed "live birth bias," and a proposed solution is to control for common causes of selection variables (e.g., fecundity, fetal loss) and birth outcomes. However, these approaches have theoretical shortcomings, conflicting with the foundational epidemiologic concept of populations at risk for a given outcome. We engage with epidemiologic theory and employ thought experiments to demonstrate the problems of using denominators that include units not "at risk" of the outcome. Fundamental (and commonsense) concerns of outcome definition and analysis (e.g., ensuring that all study participants are at risk for the outcome) should take precedence in formulating questions and analysis approach, as should choosing questions that stakeholders care about. Selection and resulting biases in human reproductive processes complicate estimation of unbiased exposure- outcome associations, but we should not focus solely (or even mostly) on minimizing such biases.

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Found in Students’ Written Reflection in Play Performance Course

As other courses, motivation plays important role in Play Performance course. That motivation can be from the students themselves or other factors outside themselves. This study aimed to examine intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of students’ learning in Play Performance course in English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University by analyzing their written reflection. There was one formulated research question: “To what extent is intrinsic and extrinsic motivation found in students’ written reflection in Play Performance course?” In this study, document or content analysis was employed. The researcher analyzed 41 students’ written reflection in Play Performance course to find the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The findings showed some types of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For intrinsic motivation, there were 15 statements which expressed motivation of knowledge; 19 statements expressing motivation of accomplishment; and 38 statements expressed motivation of stimulation. Meanwhile, for extrinsic motivation, it was found 9 statements expressed motivation of external regulation; 1 statement expressed motivation of introjected regulation; and 2 statements of identified regulation.

Evaluation of Automated Applications and Their Effects on Cataloguing and Classification Practices in Selected Academic Libraries in Southwest, Nigeria

Academic library automation is germane to achieving the main objectives of setting it. Development of Information Communications and Technology is playing a crucial role in the restructuring of libraries. Shift from human dependent operations to machine dependency, mechanization (data processing) to knowledge processing, and astand-alone system to network computing. This study is majorly designed to evaluate the automated applications deployed and used in the selected academic library and to determine the influence of them on the cataloguing and classification in the academic library. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of 75 respondents, out of which only 67 copies were retrieved and used for data analysis. The descriptive frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse and answer the three (2) formulated research questions. The following are some of the applications in cataloguing section: computer, local area network, internet connectivity, servers, printers, and bar code readers. The influence of automation in the selected academic libraries cannot be overemphasized. The extent of the influence includes positive and negative; however, the positive influence overruled the negative ones. The positive ones include the facts that: it has helped improve interpersonal relationship; cataloguers are more satisfied with their jobs; there is improved cooperation in the library; cataloguers feel like professionals even when they are yet to be one; their self-esteem is being boosted, thereby making them feel important; library para-professional routines become more routine and less flexible; and that it makes a whole lot of difference with respect to cataloguing. The negative influence includes the fact that automation results in some health hazard like technostress as a result of sitting for long. Recommendations were made, based on the findings that; automation grants should be made available to academic libraries so as to make them fully automated in all their activities; libraries that are yet to imbibe automation should do so as digitisation has become the growing trend in the world today, more importantly, because of its numerous benefits.

Research steps in qualitative study implementation

<p>Public health represents a field full of unresolved issues which are often raised by highly complex and mutually related events. Due to this, the more frequent use of qualitative scientific research is required. Qualitative research is primarily focused on the world view of an individual or a group, enabling them to form attitudes and practise related to certain research questions. As its final goal is to comprehend some aspects of social life, qualitative study analyzes words instead of numbers, which makes the interpretation of results complicated. In several simple steps, this paper will allow us to understand qualitative research methodology by providing basic insight into research question formulation, sample selection and methods of data collection and analysis.</p>

The research question in clinical practice: A guideline for its formulation

The systematic formulation of the research question allows the researcher to focus the study, guide the method decisions, and to put forward possible solutions. In practice, there are difficulties in the formulation of research problems. Diversity of clinical scenarios can lead to a mismatch between the structure of the research question and the classical PICO (population, intervention, control, and outcomes) format. The aim of this article is to provide guidelines that help in the proper formulation of clinical practice research questions for general practitioners, specialists, and healthcare personnel in training.

Evolving paradigms in biological carbon cycling in the ocean

ABSTRACT Carbon is a keystone element in global biogeochemical cycles. It plays a fundamental role in biotic and abiotic processes in the ocean, which intertwine to mediate the chemistry and redox status of carbon in the ocean and the atmosphere. The interactions between abiotic and biogenic carbon (e.g. CO2, CaCO3, organic matter) in the ocean are complex, and there is a half-century-old enigma about the existence of a huge reservoir of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon (RDOC) that equates to the magnitude of the pool of atmospheric CO2. The concepts of the biological carbon pump (BCP) and the microbial loop (ML) shaped our understanding of the marine carbon cycle. The more recent concept of the microbial carbon pump (MCP), which is closely connected to those of the BCP and the ML, explicitly considers the significance of the ocean's RDOC reservoir and provides a mechanistic framework for the exploration of its formation and persistence. Understanding of the MCP has benefited from advanced ‘omics’ and novel research in biological oceanography and microbial biogeochemistry. The need to predict the ocean's response to climate change makes an integrative understanding of the BCP, ML and MCP a high priority. In this review, we summarize and discuss progress since the proposal of the MCP in 2010 and formulate research questions for the future.

A Research Roadmap to Advance Data Collaboratives Practice as a Novel Research Direction

An increasing number of initiatives have emerged around the world to help facilitate data sharing and collaborations to leverage different sources of data to address societal problems. They are called “data collaboratives”. Data collaboratives are seen as a novel way to match real life problems with relevant expertise and data from across the sectors. Despite its significance and growing experimentation by practitioners, there has been limited research in this field. In this article, the authors report on the outcomes of a panel discussing critical issues facing data collaboratives and develop a research and development agenda. The panel included participants from the government, academics, and practitioners and was held in June 2017 during the 18th International Conference on Digital Government Research at City University of New York (Staten Island, New York, USA). The article begins by discussing the concept of data collaboratives. Then the authors formulate research questions and topics for the research roadmap based on the panel discussions. The research roadmap poses questions across nine different topics: conceptualizing data collaboratives, value of data, matching data to problems, impact analysis, incentives, capabilities, governance, data management, and interoperability. Finally, the authors discuss how digital government research can contribute to answering some of the identified research questions.

Adoption and implementation potential of the lean concept in the petroleum industry: state-of-the-art

PurposeA systematic literature review is performed to reveal the state-of-the-art in the implementation of lean principles in the petroleum industry. This paper aims to generate a conceptual framework and reveal research gaps with respect to lean concept application in the petroleum industry.Design/methodology/approachAfter formulating research questions, the search strategy is generated, followed by data extraction, literature review and synthesis of the results. The search covers any studies in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings in the period 1990-2017 that discuss the implementation of the lean concept in the petroleum industry.FindingsThe lean concept has been used to improve operational and technical aspects, contractor/supplier relationships, team organization and project management practice in the petroleum industry. Based on the literature review, a conceptual framework is generated comprising four main elements: leadership and commitment from management, employee involvement, cooperation and trust with contractors/suppliers and lean project management. These elements are the pillars that are founded on lean philosophy and principles to support technical/operational improvement in the organization. The types of literature identified indicate that the subject of the study is still immature.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses only on the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, which restricts the generalizability of the results to midstream and downstream businesses.Practical implicationsThis paper provides knowledge and information regarding the current state of lean implementation in the petroleum industry. The developed conceptual framework provides general guidance for practitioners regarding lean implementation in the petroleum industry, and is also expected to support research on theory building.Originality/valueFew studies have discussed the application of the lean concept in the petroleum industry. This paper contributes a platform for researchers and practitioners to comprehend how the lean concept has been applied in the petroleum industry, and provides a foundation for further studies on lean implementation in the petroleum industry.

Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Develop a Series of Core Competency Trainings Within a Developmental Disability Program

ABSTRACTThe New York State Talent Development Consortium at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) mandated developmental disability programs to train and evaluate direct service providers (DSPs) on seven core competencies. Utilizing community-based participatory research (CPBR) – an approach where clients, providers, and researchers share their knowledge and experience to identify study areas, formulate research questions, and use results to improve practice – a needs assessment was conducted by a New York-based developmental disability program to inform a training curriculum. Six focus groups were conducted from a purposive sample of 14 DSPs, and 19 managers/supervisors. Staff identified skills that corresponded with six out of seven competencies. Staff recommended hands-on training on: appropriate communication to deal with individuals with severe disabilities; professionalism; person-centered care; and education on terminology in behavioral health plans, medication, and mental health illnesses. Empowering DSPs through CBPR allows for a training curriculum catered toward staff needs, which may be well-received and utilized. The CBPR process employed may be beneficial to other agencies within the intellectual and developmental disabilities field, particularly at a time when the demand for nonlicensure providers such as DSPs is increasing, and there is a need to train them to render quality and effective services.

An Exploratory Study of the Learning of Transferable Skills in a Research-Oriented Intensive Course in Atmospheric Sciences

Transferable skills, such as learning skills as well as oral and written communication skills, are needed by today’s experts. The learning of transferable skills was studied during a multidisciplinary two-week, research-oriented intensive course in atmospheric sciences. Students were assessed on their experience of learning data analysis, writing reports and articles, oral presentation, learning and teaching, as well as project and time management skills and the importance of learning these transferable skills in the beginning and at the end of the course. The learning outcomes were constructively aligned with the course and it supported the learning of transferable skills needed by researchers working with multidisciplinary research questions. The methods of teaching were group work, data analysis of real scientific questions and real scientific data, a few expert lectures, discussions with experts and peer-support, and the course evaluation that was based on the groups’ oral presentations and a written report. The groups consisted of seven to eight students and four to six assistants who were working side-by-side for the period of the course. Students considered data analysis, including the formulation of research questions, as the most important transferable skill of the course and stated that it was also what they learned the most. We conclude that the students felt that working with real scientific questions and data in multidisciplinary groups supports the learning of transferable skills. The findings suggest that the students may have learned transferable skills from peers, assistants, and teachers while working in small groups of students in different stages of their studies. The study was conducted from student feedback from one course only, but we have observed while organizing over 50 similar courses that working on real scientific questions and data in a multidisciplinary and multicultural course has been motivating for both the teachers and the students. We recommend this method to be used by research groups who are training the future generation of researchers and experts in atmospheric sciences and other fields.

SPEECH DISFLUENCY IN GROUPS� PRESENTATIONS OF ENGLISH EDUCATION MASTER�S PROGRAM STUDENTS

AbstractEnglish Education Master Program (EEMP) students are required to master listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Regarding the speaking skill, they must have fluency and clarity in speaking English since they should be good models for their students. However, the minimal use of English in their oral communication during the courses leads to the speech disfluency. They are aware of their disfluency but they do not understand the specific aspects of it. Thus, this study aimed to discuss the speech disfluency produced by the master students in oral communication. There was one formulated research question: What are the speech disfluencies which commonly occur in groups presentations among EEMP students? To examine the speech disfluencies, the researchers employed document analysis as the method of the study. The transcription of their groups presentations were analyzed based on the types of disfluency (Shriberg, 1994; Bailoor, John, Laxman, 2015). The findings showed that there were five disfluency types found in this study namely unfilled pause, filled pause, repetition, substitution, and deletion.DOI:doi.org/10.24071/llt.2018.210102

Conventional radiography in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Joint recommendations from the French societies for rheumatology, radiology and paediatric rheumatology

BackgroundJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) can cause structural damage. However, data on conventional radiography (CR) in JIA are scant.ObjectiveTo provide pragmatic guidelines on CR in each non-systemic JIA subtype.MethodsA multidisciplinary task force of 16 French experts (rheumatologists, paediatricians, radiologists and one patient representative) formulated research questions on CR assessments in each non-systemic JIA subtype. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies providing detailed information on structural joint damage. Recommendations, based on the evidence found, were evaluated using two Delphi rounds and a review by an independent committee.Results74 original articles were included. The task force developed four principles and 31 recommendations with grades ranging from B to D. The experts felt strongly that patients should be selected for CR based on the risk of structural damage, with routine CR of the hands and feet in rheumatoid factor-positive polyarticular JIA but not in oligoarticular non-extensive JIA.ConclusionThese first pragmatic recommendations on CR in JIA rely chiefly on expert opinion, given the dearth of scientific evidence. CR deserves to be viewed as a valuable tool in many situations in patients with JIA.Key Points• CR is a valuable imaging technique in selected indications.• CR is routinely recommended for peripheral joints, when damage risk is high.• CR is recommended according to the damage risk, depending on JIA subtype.• CR is not the first-line technique for imaging of the axial skeleton.

Volume of Anesthetic Agents and IANB Success: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this study was to provide an evidence-based answer to the question: "Is 3.6-mL volume of an anesthetic agent more effective than 1.8-mL volume in providing anesthesia for mandibular molars?" Following formulation of research question and keyword selection, a comprehensive search of the following databases was conducted: Cochrane library, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Clinicaltrials.gov. Three-phase eligibility appraisal and quality assessment of the studies were carried out by 2 independent reviewers. To reduce clinical heterogeneity, the included studies were divided into 2 groups: studies on healthy teeth and studies on teeth with pulpitis. The data of included studies were statistically combined through meta-analysis using a fixed-effects model. A total of 20,778 records were initially retrieved from the search. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 8 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included for qualitative synthesis. Of those, 5 studies were qualified for meta-analysis. In the irreversible pulpitis group, increasing the volume of anesthetic agent from 1.8 to 3.6 mL significantly increased the success rate of inferior alveolar nerve block (risk ratio = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.67-3.59, p < .001). However, there was insufficient evidence to draw a conclusion regarding healthy teeth.

The Determination of Production and Distribution Policy in Push-Pull Production Chain with Supply Hub as the Junction Point

The development of technology causes the needs of products and services become increasingly complex, diverse, and fluctuating. This causes the level of inter-company dependencies within a production chains increased. To be able to compete, efficiency improvements need to be done collaboratively in the production chain network. One of the efforts to increase efficiency is to harmonize production and distribution activities in the production chain network. This paper describes the harmonization of production and distribution activities by applying the use of push-pull system and supply hub in the production chain between two companies. The research methodology begins with conducting empirical and literature studies, formulating research questions, developing mathematical models, conducting trials and analyses, and taking conclusions. The relationship between the two companies is described in the MINLP mathematical model with the total cost of production chain as the objective function. Decisions generated by the mathematical models are the size of production lot, size of delivery lot, number of kanban, frequency of delivery, and the number of understock and overstock lot.

EFSA Scientific Colloquium 23 – Joint European Food Safety Authority and Evidence‐Based Toxicology Collaboration Colloquium Evidence integration in risk assessment: the science of combining apples and oranges 25–26 October 2017 Lisbon, Portugal

In evidence-based scientific assessments, evidence synthesis is the step that occurs after collecting the data relevant to a clearly formulated research question and appraising the validity of the studies selected for the assessment, according to structured and pre-defined approaches. When studies are readily comparable, evidence synthesis is usually carried out through meta-analysis. In hazard assessment in chemical risk assessment (CRA), the process for combining evidence, ‘evidence integration’, is a recognised challenge as the underlying evidence bases are very diverse and not readily comparable (owing e.g. to varying degrees of validity and precision, diverse data types, different populations and species, models, end-points, routes of exposure, and evidence streams - human observational studies, experimental animal studies, in vitro and computational models data). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Evidence-Based Toxicology Collaboration (EBTC) organised a Colloquium to develop a multistakeholder understanding of the best practices, challenges and research needs for evidence integration in CRA, with a focus on hazard identification and on combining multiple studies and end-points for dose–response modelling. The methods discussed included: qualitative methods for integrating evidence within- and across evidence streams; bias-adjusted meta-analysis; quantitative approaches to combine evidence across evidence streams; and quantitative approaches for combining multiple end-points and multiple studies for dose–response modelling. All these methods showed advantages and needs for further development, testing, validation and effective implementation. Support to this could be provided by: more published primary toxicological and epidemiological data; optimisation of study design; a shared primary data repository; the establishment of a community of knowledge of toxicologists, epidemiologists and statisticians. Equally, to be conducted soundly, evidence integration in CRA should be undertaken by multidisciplinary groups (toxicologists and methodologists knowledgeable of the various integration techniques). EFSA and EBTC will continue the collaboration towards the development, testing and validation of best practices for evidence-based CRA

Building cross-sector collaboration using participatory action research to improve community health in an urban slum in Accra, Ghana

Abstract Background Every urban slum creates challenges too complex for governments to resolve when working alone. Old Fadama, the largest slum in in Accra, Ghana, is home to over 100 000 people. Old Fadama has virtually no water or sanitation infrastructure, contributing to diminished quality of health and frequent cholera outbreaks when the nearby river floods. Our research introduces a model for cross-sector collaboration, supporting stakeholders who wanted to improve community health by installing latrines. Methods The focus of the research project is the process of cross-sector strategy development and the resulting theoretical model. Participatory action research (PAR) involves researchers and participants working together to define the problem and to formulate research questions and solutions. The project took place from Jan 1, 2015, to Nov 1, 2017. The participants were entirely local organisations, including stakeholders from city government, local non-governmental organisations, and the slum community. They resourced their own participation, made the strategy decisions, and selected the challenge to install latrines. The PAR process introduced the concept of cross-sector collaboration, educated the stakeholders about the existing evidence, and supported the stakeholders in forming a cross-sector collaboration. PAR was carried out in three phases. First, 12 key informant interviews were used to identify a location, barriers, and organisational strengths. Second, four focus groups developed a project strategy. Third, a community survey of 59 community members expanded the stakeholders and engaged the community in site selection and latrine management. 300 stakeholders participated over the course of the study as we continually updated and cross-checked our data through interviews and mini-focus groups to respond to the rapidly changing slum environment. Findings The stakeholders' first strategy, improving community health by installing latrines, resulted in city sanitation policy change. The strategy was adopted by local businesses, creating local sustainability and freeing the stakeholders to identify a new problem and develop a strategy to address it. Interpretation Diverse entities must collaborate effectively to impact and ultimately resolve complex health challenges. Our model utilizes Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 (partnerships) in order to achieve SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing) and SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). The research model is an innovative approach to cross-sector collaboration based on a theory-of-change design that is being pilot tested to develop new strategies in other slums in Accra. Funding Conrad N Hilton Foundation.

Are we done with business process compliance: state of the art and challenges ahead

Literature on business process compliance (BPC) has predominantly focused on the alignment of the regulatory rules with the design, verification and validation of business processes. Previously surveys on BPC have been conducted with specific context in mind; however, the literature on BPC management research is largely sparse and does not accumulate a detailed understanding on existing literature and related issues faced by the domain. This survey provides a holistic view of the literature on existing BPC management approaches, and categories them based on different compliance management strategies in the context of formulated research questions. A systematic literature approach is used where search terms pertaining keywords were used to identify literature related to the research questions from scholarly databases. From initially 183 papers, we selected 79 papers related to the themes of this survey published between 2000{2015. The survey results reveal that mostly compliance management approaches center around three distinct categories namely: design-time (28%), run-time (32%) and auditing (10%). Also, organisational and internal control based compliance management frameworks (21%) and hybrid approaches make (9%) of the surveyed approaches. Furthermore, open research challenges and gaps are identified and discussed with respect to the compliance problem.

Postgraduate Agriculture Students’ Awareness of E-Resources: A Study

Tracing modern users’ awareness of various disciplines’ electronic resources (E-resources) is a must for the Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers so that the modern librarians can fulfil the expectations of the users. To meet their requirements, conducting a study such as this is an essential thing in the LIS field. The present study focuses on the Annamalai University Postgraduate Agriculture discipline users’ E-resources awareness across their branches namely Entomology, Agronomy, Agri-Extension, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Agri-Business and Bio-Technology. The data were collected during the year 2016. The targeted agricultural E-resources are CABI's (Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International) database, AGROVOC (Controlled vocabulary), AGRIS (International System for Agricultural Science and Technology), AgDB (Agriculture related Databases Directory) and AGRICOLA (Agricultural Online Access). This study also encompasses the said users’ library visit behaviours too. Of course, to analyse the library visit attitudes is one of the major objectives in LIS research. So, an attempt has been made to slice the data in order to trace the respondents’ library visit behaviours along with the users’ awareness of E-resources. Inferences have been drawn with the support of enough statistical evidences with more caution. Results would help the librarians/decision makers to get a narrowed down vision while designing their acquisition policies concerning to the Eresources that fall in Agriculture discipline. The formulated research questions are: (1) Do agriculture users significantly differ in their E-resources awareness? (2) Do agriculture users significantly differ in their awareness level group comparisons?