Specific Information Technology Research Articles

Evolving information landscape: ICT's influence on societal digitalisation

The establishment of a human-centered, open, and development-oriented information society is a prevailing objective for a significant number of nations worldwide. A key priority among the majority of countries is the construction of an information society that facilitates the creation, collection, access, utilization, and exchange of information and knowledge. The process of society's digitalization plays a vital role in enabling individuals to realize their maximum capabilities, actively contribute to both social and personal development, and ultimately enhance their overall quality of life. The primary objective of this article is to characterize the current intricacies surrounding the development of the information sphere. Furthermore, it seeks to elucidate the theoretical and practical aspects regarding the influence of specific information and communication technologies on the pervasive trend of digitalization within social processes on a global scale. The study employed analytical and bibliographic methods to examine the scientific literature on the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Additionally, comparative, logical, and linguistic methods were utilized to facilitate analysis. Methodological approaches such as abstraction, idealization, deduction, induction, synthesis, information analysis, and systemic and structural methods were employed to study and process data. Furthermore, the authors conducted an online questionnaire survey as a practical means to address significant aspects concerning the development of the information sphere. The study successfully identified the primary theoretical aspects of the digitalization of social processes, focusing on the key issues at hand. Additionally, an examination was conducted to analyze the dynamics of scholars' perspectives concerning crucial aspects of this subject matter.

Understanding IT in Healthcare: Relevance and Training Needs of IT in Private Medical Practice.

The integration of Information Technology (IT) into private medical practice is crucial in modern healthcare. Physicians managing office-related IT without proper knowledge risk operational inefficiencies and security. This study determines the relevance of specific IT topics in medical practice and identifies the training needs of physicians for enhancing IT competencies in healthcare. In March 2023 a cross-sectional online survey was conducted with physicians comprising nine IT-related topics in Tyrol, Austria. The survey results highlighted a strong perceived relevance and high demand for IT education among physicians working in their medical practice, especially in areas of core medical IT and security. The majority of responses indicated high relevance (76.7%) and high demand (69.7%) for IT topics in medical practice. The findings underscore a significant need for targeted IT training and support in medical practices, particularly in areas related to the medical practice and security. Addressing these needs could lead to improved healthcare delivery and better management of technological resources in the healthcare sector.

ON THE RELIABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS OF GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM VALVES

At the current stage of the development of society, including in our country, there is an accelerating urbanisation process. The increasing role of cities in the country’s development, on the one hand, contributes to social, scientific, and technical development, and on the other hand, creates new economic, ecological, informational, social, and other challenges. One of the features of urbanisation is the increase in energy use. One of the primary sources of energy is natural gas. Transportation of natural gas from deposits and gas storages and its distribution to consumers occurs with the help of gas transportation systems. One of the components of gas transportation systems is gas distribution systems. They have a broad range of components and elements and a long list of requirements for the conditions of their manufacture, operation, and repair, and they are under the influence of numerous external factors. Such multivariability necessitates the development of specific models, methods, and information technologies for monitoring their state in conditions of uncertainty to solve the problems of forecasting and planning repair work on gas transportation systems. During the study, we determined the main factors affecting the reliability of gas pipelines overall. We also analysed the operational characteristics of the shut-off valves of elements of gas distribution systems, typical malfunctions, and the main features of its diagnosis and repair. During operation, gas distribution system elements are under the influence of many factors that affect their reliability. Considering all the factors arising at different stages of the life cycle of the gas distribution system elements will ensure their operational reliability, indestructibility, and durability. The results of the analysis of individual parameters of shut-off fittings of gas distribution systems are applicable for creating models and methods of monitoring, forecasting, and planning repair work on gas transportation systems under conditions of uncertainty. Keywords: shut-off valves, models and methods of monitoring, reliability, repair, defects.

Method for Calculating the Avoided Impact of Specific Information and Communication Technology Services

Particular Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services can help avoid environmental impact in larger contexts. However, there is no commonly agreed bottom-up methodology for calculation of the total net reduction effect of specific digital ICT services. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a common denominator for most methodologies. The most common method is the Attributional LCA (ALCA), and recently the emerging handprint ALCA estimating so-called positive environmental impacts. Moreover, Consequential LCA (CLCA) can be used to capture market effects. The third conceptual approach is Input-Output LCA. The purpose is to propose and test a new method based on some of the existing ones. The existing concepts are compared and a synthesis is made to create a practical but still useful method. The new method is applied to two illustrative cases in the ICT domain; the introduction of a 5G enabled drone for pipe inspection and the 5G enabled health consultation. Compared to simplified ALCA, the difference between the absolute scores for the baseline system and the target system changes around 10% when the proposed simplified CLCA (SCLCA) method is used. The results show that SCLCA, when combined with analytical methods for expressing digital ICT services’ own impact, is a fruitful approach which is both practical and feasible. The new method includes formulae for calculating the total lifetime environmental impact of a specific ICT Equipment when reused or replaced.

Malaysian Science Teachers’ Tech-infused Instruction and Assessment Strategies

Science education consistently displays unique traits shaped by evolving educational landscapes, as well as global trends and developments. Despite global enthusiasm for technology in education, there is a notable dearth of studies on Malaysian science teachers' skills in integrating instructional technology. Studies in this region seldom delve deeply into the use of specific Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and web platforms in teaching and assessment, indicating a significant gap in the literature on technology integration in Malaysian science classrooms. This paper presents a study carried out involving a survey of 36 science teachers across 16 secondary schools in a district in Kelantan, one of the eastern states in Malaysia. It aimed to achieve the following research objectives: 1) To examine science teachers’ use of digital tools and technology in lesson planning and the development of educational materials; 2) To investigate science teachers’ incorporation of technology into their science instruction; and 3) To determine how technology is integrated into the science assessment and reporting process. The findings reveal a high level of digital resourcefulness among teachers, contrasting with prior studies that indicated minimal technological integration in Malaysian classrooms. Teachers predominantly relied on web resources like YouTube and online textbooks for lesson planning, while Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides were frequently used in instruction. Google Classroom and Quizizz were identified as the most common platforms in science assessments. The findings highlight a significant shift in technology usage, advocating for continued professional development, collaborative networks, and policy reforms to further integrate technology into science education. It also suggests that future studies should focus on more specific aspects of technology use, aiming to enhance its impact on teaching methodologies and curriculum alignment, thus making a significant contribution to the discourse on instructional technology in Malaysian science education.

Determining factors of adoption, acceptance, and usage of public e-services by citizen-users: a case of developing countries - proposal of a conceptual model

This article examines the factors contributing to the acceptance, adoption, and use of information technologies related to e-government. The objective is to highlight explanatory and predictive factors for the acceptance of specific information technology. The main conclusions of this study validate the general hypothesis that taxpayers' intention to use information technologies influences their technology usage behavior. However, these results are reinforced by the significance of less-publicized determinants such as social influence, facilitation conditions, trust in the governance of digital platforms in e-public administration, expected performance, anticipated effort, while considering technological, individual, and socio-cultural factors. All these elements influence the intention of acceptance and the usage behavior of online public services for Moroccan citizens, and they can be considered as mobilizable levers.

A novel application of the CORAS framework for ensuring cyber hygiene on shipboard RADAR

Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) equipment is a significant information and navigational system onboard vessels and a critical part of a ship’s cyber space. It is an electronic system used not only for detecting surrounding objects, to indicate their positions, and tracking targets using radio waves, but also providing safe navigation by receiving and displaying data from other navigational devices. Therefore, it is concerning to see that marine RADAR systems have various cyber vulnerabilities, including data deletion and data relocation. These systems can be manipulated and penetrated via malicious software, unauthorised remote access, human error, or sabotage by internal and external attackers. This is critical to the cyber hygiene of the ship, which affects its reliability and safety. This study performs a cyber risk assessment using the CORAS framework for RADAR cyber security by developing case-based RADAR cyber scenarios in terms of both its specific information technology subsystems and the cyber security control measures. The output of this study includes a holistic and visual assessment of RADAR's cyber security for both its cyber vulnerabilities and cyber hygiene to better protect shipboard RADAR in the future.

Legal recognition of artificial intelligence technologies in the context of the constitutional values of the Russian state

The purpose of the article is to form approaches to the public legal regulation of artificial intelligence technologies. The subject of the work is the social relations that have developed in the field of legal registration of modern digital technologies of "weak" artificial intelligence - computer vision, natural language processing, speech recognition and synthesis, as well as intellectual decision support. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to bring the content of legal acts in line with the current level of information technology development. The work is based on a combination of general philosophical, general scientific and special methods of cognition – concrete historical analysis, formal legal (dogmatic) method, as well as the method of comparative jurisprudence. The author criticizes the anthropomorphic approach to understanding artificial intelligence, based on the analogy of technology with the human mind, implemented in the terminological apparatus of existing legal acts. It is proposed to limit the legal interpretation of artificial intelligence to a set of specific information technologies that can be used by a person in solving applied problems. The analysis of possible directions of constitutional and legal recognition of artificial intelligence technologies and the legal consequences of their influence on the implementation of the constitutional values of equality and privacy is carried out. The argumentation in favor of a combination of social and technical regulation of relations in the field of application of artificial intelligence technologies is proposed.

The use of automated information systems in the investigation of criminal offences

The aim of the study was to develop recommendations for the most effective and safe use of automated information systems in the investigation of criminal offences. The study involved the following methods: anamnestic method; descriptive analysis; forecasting method. The society uses an automated information system, which is defined as an ordered complex (system) of actions designed to implement a specific information technology for the performance of specified functions, which involves personnel and a complex of automation tools. They help to create databases, which are used in the investigation of criminal offences. The following measures are proposed for increasing the efficiency and expanding the scope of automated information systems in the investigation of crimes: ensure the protection of databases from external intrusions (cyber-attacks); ensure the internal security of the data contained in the respective databases in order to prevent privacy violations; ensure the organization of specialized training for law enforcement officers; automate a number of tactical operations using information systems; develop and adapt all possible information resources and technologies for the set procedural tasks; create unified databases of forensic data at the international and national levels. This study opens up prospects for further research for the most effective protection of databases from illegal use, which will contribute to the development of this direction in international and national criminal justice.

Assessing the Status of Information Technology Applications to Accounting Work by SMEs in Hanoi: Implications for E-accounting

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which make up over 90% of the total number of enterprises in Vietnam, play important roles in economic development not only in Hanoi but also in the whole country. As an effective tool in business management, accounting supplies important information for making decisions. Recently, information technology in business, especially in accounting work or e-accounting, has increased, and along with many advantages in terms of job productivity, has also been considered as the source of changing the roles of accountants in business. In order to show evidence of these changes as being the background for issuing solutions to improve information technology applications in accounting areas of enterprises, this study conducted a survey of 186 small and medium-sized enterprises in Hanoi. The research results showed that the lack of knowledge of current accounting staff is one of the two biggest obstacles to improving the application of information technology or developing e-accounting in accounting areas of small and medium-sized enterprises. Almost all the enterprises accepted the positive features of information technology for accounting work, however they still strongly considered the dynamics as well as the satisfaction of specific information technology products in their accounting work, especially in dealing with new business transactions.

Digital technologies and eudaimonic well-being in the emerging adults

Referring to the theoretical assumptions of Positive Technology, the study examined attitudes towards ICTs, the use of specific technologies and their relationship with eudaimonic psychological well-being (PWB) in emerging adults. 204 emerging adults (mean age 21.61, SD = 2.99; range 19-30; female 85 (49%), male 108; (56%) participated in the research. The use of specific information technologies is positively associated with the possession of attitudes favorable to them, and with different components of eudaimonic psychological well-being. The use of emails is positively linked to greater global eudaimonic well-being, a greater sense of personal growth, the presence of numerous life projects and satisfactory social relations. The use of predominantly iconic systems such as Instagram appears instead linked to a lower perceived autonomy.

SOLVING ESP PROBLEMS: STUDENTS AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF INTEGRATING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY INTO ESP INSTRUCTION

Background and Purpose: English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction in Iran is still mostly focused on traditional ways. This study aims to investigate ESP teachers’ and students’ perceptions of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in ESP instruction to solve traditional ESP instruction problems in Iran.
 
 Methodology: This concurrent parallel mixed method study investigated students’ and teachers’ perceptions of solving ESP instruction problems through ICT. The sample concluded 300 undergraduate engineering students and 24 experienced and novice ESP teachers. In the quantitative phase of the study, data were collected through two adapted questionnaires. In the qualitative phase, data were obtained from interviews with 12 undergraduate students, three experienced, and three novice ESP teachers.
 
 Findings: The findings revealed that the participants had positive perceptions of integrating different ICT tools for solving the problems with traditional ESP materials and methods, problems with low language skills, lack of autonomy, demotivation problem, inactivity problem, and problems with lack of exposure to real-life situations. The findings also showed that integrating different ICT tools and ICT-based interactive activities promote students’ communication skills subconsciously through experiencing direct participation in communications.
 
 Conclusion and Contributions:he findings might contribute significantly to change the ESP instruction status quo in Iran, which is not based on the ESP students’ communication needs, and replace it with innovative approaches to meet the needs of the modern ESP student. The results also provide a unique outlook of promoting ESP instruction in tertiary education by integrating ICTs through divergent stakeholder perceptions.
 
 Keywords: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Perception, Promoting English for Specific Purposes instruction
 
 Cite as: Keshtiarast, B., Salehi, H., Tabatabaei, O., & Baharlooie, R. (2022). Solving ESP problems: Students and teachers’ perceptions of integrating information and communication technology into ESP instruction. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 7(2), 444-472. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol7iss2pp444-472

Avoidable mortality: The mediating role of communication in health IT

The adoption of health IT transforms communication between care providers and patients. Unfortunately, research on the transformation of communication has produced conflicting results, creating tension regarding its efficacy among healthcare professionals. In this paper, we propose that nurse and physician communication performance mediate the relationship between health IT implementation and patient outcomes. We test the mediating role of communication with a hospital-level data set spanning 2011 through 2015. The specific health information technologies we investigate include EMR documentation, computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems, clinical decision support (CDS) systems, and health information exchanges (HIE). Our results provide that EMR documentation, CPOE, and HIE directly improve communication between care providers and patients as well as patient outcomes. Further, nurse-patient and physician-patient communication mediates the relationship between health IT implementation and patient outcomes. The mediating effect extends the positive benefits to patient outcomes following technology implementation. We also find that poor communication with patients directly increases mortality, decreases satisfaction, and decreases loyalty. Surprisingly, CDS has a negative relationship on communication and patient outcomes. Our findings contribute to the information systems and healthcare literatures by demonstrating the need to account for the multidimensional nature of healthcare and by providing context for the positive and negative effects previously discovered. Furthermore, the results offer practical and theoretical implications for leveraging specific health IT adoption and for realigning federal incentive structures for hospitals.

Algorithms as complementary abstractions

The text diagnoses two opposing tendencies in the research on algorithms: the first abstracts and unites heterogeneous developments under the term “algorithm”; the second emphasizes specifics such as data sets, material conditions, software libraries, interfaces, and so on, thus dissolving that which apparently algorithms do into more fine-grained analyses. The text proposes a research perspective that resolves this tension by conceiving of algorithms as a relation between the abstract and the concrete that allows to capture both in their interdependence. This approach is informed by two motives: first, the necessity to connect detailed analyses of specific information technologies with general political concerns; and second, the application of recent feminist critiques of epistemology to the analysis of algorithms. The ensuing relational perspective on algorithms is connected to the genealogy of algorithmic technology before being demonstrated regarding the mutually complementing relationships: algorithms-materiality, algorithms-data, algorithms-code, and algorithms-interfaces.

MODELING OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OF MATERIAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT OF A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

The article's research subject is the information technology of construction company's material resources management. The work's purpose is to construct and implement tools for modeling construction company's material resources management information technology. The article solves the following tasks: determining the place of information technology of construction company's material resources management in the modern construction company's information ecosystem, defining the main components, and building a functional model of construction company's material resources management information technology, taking into account the shortcomings of existing models, сreation of the multicriteria optimization model of the considered information technology. The following methods are used: system analysis, structural analysis, mathematical modeling of complex systems and processes, multicriteria optimization. The following results were obtained: a structural analysis of the existing information ecosystem at the regional level construction company, the composition of which is agreed on the organizational structure elements of the enterprise and the stages of the construction life cycle; considered the functions of construction company's material resources management which are realized at various stages of a construction project life cycle; constructed the set-theoretical model of material resources management information technology; determined the functional characteristics of the considered information technology, offered the criteria of information technology efficiency according to the ITIL strategy; constructed the conceptual model of information technology of material resources management. Conclusions: for the first time, developed tools for modeling construction company's material resources management information technology, including a theoretical-multiple model of material resources management information technology; Offered the information technology's conceptual scheme which realizes specific information technology's functional characteristics. The built modeling strategy will provide an opportunity for further development and software implementation of the information technology.

Bahasa Indonesia pre-trained word vector generation using word2vec for computer and information technology field

Words embedding or distributed representations is a popular method for representing words. In this method, the resulting vector value is a set of real values with specific dimensions that are more effective than the Bag of Word (BoW) method. Also, the advantages of distributed representations can produce word vectors that contain semantic and syntactic information, so that word vectors with close meanings will have close word vectors. However, distributed representation requires a huge corpus with a long training time. For this reason, many researchers have created trained word vectors that can be used repeatedly. The problem is that the available trained word vectors are usually general domain word vectors. This study aims to form pre-trained word vectors for specific domains, namely computers and information technology. Researchers used a dataset of student scientific papers from the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) repository. Researchers used the word2vec model, where the model has two architectures, namely the Continuous Bag-of-Words (CBOW) and Skip-gram. This research’s result is word2vec model with the CBOW method is more effective than the Skip-gram method.

Information technology governance practices and stakeholder management: A multinational organisational perspective

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship of information technology (IT) governance practices and stakeholder management within global IT projects. Having IT governance in place is one thing, but practicability in the project is another challenge for project managers. While the practice of governance is still a challenge to implement, stakeholder management within the context of IT governance adds complexity to managing local and foreign stakeholders that span country borders. This article provides an understanding of how IT governance and stakeholder management are inseparable when implementing global IT projects. Interviews were used to determine the industry best practices for multinational organisations and project practitioners’ experience in the implementation of global IT projects. The results highlight the link between stakeholder management and specific IT governance practices for proactively implementing global IT projects. A relationship management approach for project managers and other key project players to link both IT governance and stakeholder engagement is required. From a practical standpoint, the study explored the practitioners’ experience and practices of IT governance implementation in line with stakeholder management in various global IT projects.

Effect of data privacy and security investment on the value of big data firms

The use of big data analytics (BDA) and related technologies by firms can raise concerns regarding data privacy and security (DPS). In this study, with stock return and risk as indicators of firm performance, we investigate how DPS investment affects the financial performance of BDA firms (firms with BDA investment) and non-BDA firms (firms without BDA investment). We use a difference-in-differences approach and apply the propensity score matching to 1400 DPS announcements made by 228 US firms whose stocks are publicly traded on US stock markets from 2004 to 2018. The main findings are as follows: (1) On average, DPS investment significantly reduces firms' systematic risk. (2) The risk reduction effects are greater for non-BDA firms than for BDA firms. Our results indicate that DPS investment reduces firm risk and that the business value of specific information technology (IT) investment (e.g., DPS) is influenced by firms' other IT assets (e.g., BDA). The present findings advance the literature on the business value of IT and firms' IT portfolio management in digitized business environments.

Association between 30-day readmission rates and health information technology capabilities in US hospitals.

Health information technology (IT) is often proposed as a solution to fragmentation of care, and has been hypothesized to reduce readmission risk through better information flow. However, there are numerous distinct health IT capabilities, and it is unclear which, if any, are associated with lower readmission risk.To identify the specific health IT capabilities adopted by hospitals that are associated with hospital-level risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRRs) through path analyses using structural equation modeling.This STROBE-compliant retrospective cross-sectional study included non-federal U.S. acute care hospitals, based on their adoption of specific types of health IT capabilities self-reported in a 2013 American Hospital Association IT survey as independent variables. The outcome measure included the 2014 RSRRs reported on Hospital Compare website.A 54-indicator 7-factor structure of hospital health IT capabilities was identified by exploratory factor analysis, and corroborated by confirmatory factor analysis. Subsequent path analysis using Structural equation modeling revealed that a one-point increase in the hospital adoption of patient engagement capability latent scores (median path coefficient ß = -0.086; 95% Confidence Interval, -0.162 to -0.008), including functionalities like direct access to the electronic health records, would generally lead to a decrease in RSRRs by 0.086%. However, computerized hospital discharge and information exchange capabilities with other inpatient and outpatient providers were not associated with readmission rates.These findings suggest that improving patient access to and use of their electronic health records may be helpful in improving hospital performance on readmission; however, computerized hospital discharge and information exchange among clinicians did not seem as beneficial - perhaps because of the quality or timeliness of information transmitted. Future research should use more recent data to study, not just adoption of health IT capabilities, but also whether their usage is associated with lower readmission risk. Understanding which capabilities impact readmission risk can help policymakers and clinical stakeholders better focus their scarce resources as they invest in health IT to improve care delivery.

Which technology to which challenge in democratic governance? An approach using design science research

PurposeInformation systems (IS) play an important role in contemporary society, but critical questions remain on their potential use and impact on democracy. This study aims to contribute to the discussion on which technology can be adequate to which major challenge of democratic governance, through the identification and pairing of challenges of democratic governance with specific information technologies with the potential to be used in applications related to this challenge. This perspective can be considered positioned in the confluence between IS, political science and public administration.Design/methodology/approachDesign science research, a research approach in IS, was used. The suggestion of a conceptual framework with pairs of challenges in democratic governance and information technologies was initially developed. In a subsequent phase, this framework was discussed and assessed through interviews with a panel of selected experts in e-government and IS, reaching a revised conceptual framework.FindingsResults suggest that the conceptual pairing of challenges in democratic governance with IS’s solutions such as artificial intelligence, systems integration or blockchain technologies, for instance, if used in a critical, transparent and accountable way, can play a role in capacitating the delivery of better public services and contribute to encouraging citizen trust and political participation. These results may contribute to open a methodological agenda dedicated to the selection of adequate IS resources to address specific challenges of democratic governance, as well as to help in the development of public policies in the area.Originality/valuePrevious studies on digital government offer important insights on the impact of information and communication technologies-enabled public governance tools for government openness, public service efficiency and user-friendliness, and for citizen political participation and societal mobilization. But the literature still lacks a systematic conceptual framework mapping and assessing the role of distinctive IS instruments in democratic challenge-solving and specifying functional relationships between specific technology and democratic outcomes. This paper aims to contribute to filling this analytical gap.