And didn't realize that I still needed an 8th blog post.

So, quickly, a nuts-and-bolts update.

I'm about 15% of the way through devising the logical structure of an SQL database to store my papers, together with the meta information I want to track.  Here's the main areas of info I'm storing:

Source paper info: Authors (First, Last, Institution, Contact Address), Title, Abstract, Meta Classifications, References

Each Reference is going to contain the standard MLA type data.  This project is made more difficult by the fact that conference papers don't have ISBN numbers, so I can't use that as a unique identifier.  And since not all database back-ends support composite or compound keys, I'm going to have to generate a unique ID for each referece (and of course each original source).  The database build isn't terribly hard, it's the data entry that's going to be annoying.

Afterwards, though, I'll be able to generate a number of intersting queries and reports that can help analyze the field of crisis managment.

If anyone is interesting in glomming off of this and adding in other IS domains for their own edification, let me know. 

Several researchers have suggested that network externality is useful for understanding consumer behavior in a computer mediated environment. that is a very good idea to link economics and IS as we read the papers of economics IS through IS 362 class.

 

As the number of users gradually increases, firms’ efforts to provide better service and to gain market power ultimately leads to an increase of revenue and the value of firm.  Portal sites added users’ participation section and webpage which originally were formed for Users’ participation (myspace.com, youtube.com, etc.) and enhance their position based on users’ relationship in the online community.  Recently, the two-way merger between google.com and youtube.com best shows this relation. 

 

For this week, I focused on these websites, especially UCC to examine a network effect.  As the number of users for UCC is increasing, we see the value of web increasing and portals try to enhance that service.  Recently, as we observed the Google and Youtube merger, UCC has become one of the major resources of value increasing or profit and can be said to be the mainstream of trend.  Under today’s environment, websites’ higher effort to bring more visitors than more ads is the key to improve the value.

 

In fact, there are many research approaches and methodology for information systems. To be a IS researcher, I am not sure what approach is best related to my interests in Web 2.0, UCC, etc. In addition to traditional qualitative and quantitative research, I have learned many other approaches including economics IS, field study, etc from ICIS papers in IS 362 class. I think I need more work to match an approach with my interest topics. It will be interesting trail and journey for my research in summer.

I've gotten into ISCRAM 2007's conference papers, and am about 1/5 of the way through the list.  There's some interesting papers in here.

In this post I'm going to talk about this paper in particular: A Dynamic Delphi Process Utilizing a Modified Thurstone Scaling Method: Collaborative Judgement in Emergency Response.

The paper is interesting because it's covering a higher level of decision making than what I've been reading about in Klein's "Sources of Power: How people make decisions".  This is discussing collaborative strategic decision making process instead of "groundpounders at the scene" decision making processes.  From their conclusion:

Even when all experts in a group may not be able to participate at the moment, or some may be unqualified to vote in a particular matter, nonetheless, a decision must be made. This system is conducive for decision making given the worst of conditions, utilizing the information as well as the experts to their fullest capacity. In a disaster, it may appear that there are only poor selections after such a tragic event has occurred. However, a best decision must still be made, thus minimizing potential future damages and hence, maximizing the best obtainable outcome for the challenges that lay ahead.

While the method described in the paper seems workable, I don't know that it could be implemented in practice, due to the conflicts of agendas.  I could see this being used as a strategic planning method, however -> trying to establish cross-disciplinary response scenarios prior to an event taking place. 

As I was writing my new entry for this week’s research blog, I discovered conflict between research progress and my interests.  While reading the articles from IS 362, I found some interesting research methods. Specifically, we dealt with the economics IS paper.

Actually, I have never seen a paper combining Economics and Information Systems. Anyway, I was pretty interested in the Econ IS. I think I am apply economics theory to Web 2.0 as a research model in future studies. Applying the concept of Two-Side Network Externality to indicate the characteristics of Web 2.0 such as Wiki and UCC, my idea is intended to provide a broader understanding of web users' behavior. I will provide an analytical framework of the interaction between web users and UCC. Previous studies focus on the analysis of each variable individualy but I wil examine whether web users prefer UCC and how the web users affect the value of firm.   

In fact, there are a few studies which investigate UCC, but they are not based on an economic perspective.  While Web 2.0 is an opportunity for both consumer and firm with economic merit, there is no study using an economic viewpoint.  Additionally, my new interest will provide the reasons that people visit UCC site and the benefits of UCC to consumers.  I also will research why Internet sites try to attract web users to their pages and the additional revenue to firm with the increasing number of visitors.  Even though measuring web user behavior may be difficulty, this study will apply a theoretical base which widely accepted in the Internet community.  

PSPP - Open source SPSS (http://www.gnu.org/software/pspp/)

r-Project - (http://www.r-project.org/) 

More here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_statistical_packages

and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_statistical_packages 

Change Record Request system (CRRS)

This is the synopsis of Change Record Request System (CRRS) which is part of the Change Record Management System (CRMS) suite that I am working on. It provides a means for information systems analysts to seek approval from a supervisor or a manager before downing an ailing server or other critical network objects. This is different from when a server or network object goes down abruptly as a result of hardware or software problem and a trouble ticket is generated. Rather it is when an analyst observes an abnormality in the course of operation of a server and decides to perform a maintenance work on the server in order to avoid crash, loss of data and prolonged downtime.

CRRS provides the analyst the means and interface to do the following:

·         Report the problem to superiors with problem description

·         Give estimated hours / minutes of downtime

·         Establish a paper trail to show that the superiors were duly notified before downing a critical network object. In other words, CRRS serves as a security for the analyst. This is because with the approval of the supervisor or manager, the whole blame due to prolonged downtime as a result of unforeseen circumstances during maintenance will not be on the analyst alone.

 

CRRS affords the supervisor and the manager the opportunity to evaluate the problem in terms of impact on users and business processes and then make recommendation to the analyst on the best day and time to perform the maintenance work.

CRRS is comprised of three form interfaces which include: Change record request form, decision form and maintenance completion notification form.

Currently, I am intersted in web users of UCC and am interested in Csikszentimihalyi’s definition of flow in terms of web users for particular activities or enjoyment in virtual world.  I have developed some research question from last semester to present.

In the personal interest as indicated above, I would like to extend the current flow research in the following UCC services, and answer the following questions:

 

• Which personal factors lead to participation in UCC services?
• Why people participate in UCC service, especially the 3 major components of flow experience – concentration, self-esteem, and positive-thinking.
• What are the effective and efficient approaches to understanding participation in UCC services?

I think I need to apply regression analysis to each independent variable of UCC participation, to compare R-squared for each model, and to use R-squared as criteria (the highest value of R-squared is the most efficient model), I am thinking about the first, second, and third degree regression. Here, I would note that the first, second, and third degree regressions refer to the number of independent variables even though their statistical definitions do not necessarily imply that.  

For these research questions, the conceptual model of flow in terms of web users will be composed of:

• The core experience of flow;
• Close correlates of flow experience, such as concentration, self-esteem, and positive-feeling (or rewarding);
• Antecedents of flow, including skill, challenge, interactivity, attention, teleprespence, etc;
• Consequences of flow, including positive affect, exploratory behavior, etc.

 I think I’ll try to take the time to find out more research questions for this study and I don’t know exactly what survey instrument I will use. But I think I have to adopt and employ a descriptive methodology for describing web user’s flow experiences to cover their responses.

In my blog this week I would like to look at our Neuman reading with regard to Historical- Comparative Research. I thought this chapter was pretty good and went relatively fast. However, I have to admit it is not my most favorite aspect of research. (Then again I don’t have enough under my belt to make that claim I guess…J) Rather I would like to bring up a portion of the book’s chapter ( and our learning object) which raises an enormous strength of H-C Research regardless of your opinion on it.

By this, I mean patterns. Everything about life has some sort of micro/ macro scale pattern to it. That is its DNA, sequence, or defining structure. As a matter of fact, patterns are the only thing we as humans may deduce the term reality to be. The real power in H-C research may be the actual output of the research. I mean, one very well may be able to discover theory, knowledge, or some other attribute of social context in H-C Research. However, it is what may not be said explicitly in H-C that could yield a much more powerful result. Patterns of life. The way we go about everything in our daily life is predicated upon by some pattern or another. Most likely this type of pattern is common. That is, we do it because we are used to it. However, what if one observed a completely different pattern in a different context and applied it as a substitution to a commonly used pattern in our daily life or solving a problem?

I know (like usual) this blog may sound ridiculous, off- the- wall, blah, blah… However, my point of all this is to say if we observe patterns of output from H-C Research (or any other observable pattern output) we may be able view everything though a different guise. That is, if one actually disciplines themselves to sit and physically feel this output pattern (think it through and how it may be implied), it could prove very powerful for the human intellect.  And I’m out.

-Rick Awesome

Hi all,

Here is the paper entitled "Being Proactive: Where Action Research meets Design Research" from ICIS 2005.

http://conversation.cgu.edu/is362r/files/-1/1319/ICIS-Cole-Purao-Rossi-Sein-2005_by_Matti.pdf 

I hope this paper help your better understanding between Action Research and Design Research.

Dr. Olfman mentioned that I have to develop an artifact or possible questionnaire to enhance flow experiences. Also, he commented that he didn’t find an evaluation connection in my research idea. I think that’s a great point to construct structural model as a artifact in the research.

 

Therefore, I think I need an advanced conceptual model of Flow. I found the some of conceptual model of flow from previous studies. Hoffman and Novak’s (1996) conceptual model of flow describes high skills, and challenged and focused attention influence flow, and interactive and telepresense enhance flow. 

 

As Dr.Olman mentioned via comments and feedback, my study has to develop a comprehensive instrument for measuring the constructs discussed in the conceptual model from previous studies. My objective is to develop a comprehensive list that has been previously used to measure by Hoffman and Novak (1996): flow, skill, challenge, control, attention focus, concentration, telepresence, curiosity, intrinsic interest, self esteem, outer structure of task, and performance.

 

Given the above measures, I’ll develop an extended and revised conceptual model and measurements. The Hoffman and Novak’s conceptual model is very good, and the revised model will be quite consistent with the original model.

 

Finally, while I hypothesize that function is identical to flow, the improved model with my revised measurements will be help to anlayze why certain UCC users and creators emerge in UCC.  I will attempt to identify a reasonable, good-fitting model to solve the research questions. With my model. I think I have to add or delete some paths of my own revised models.