Developing a web-based information resource for palliative care : an action-research inspired approach

Background : General Practitioners and community nurses rely on easily accessible, evidence-based online information to guide practice. To date, the methods that underpin the scoping of user-identified online information needs in palliative care have remained under-explored. This paper describes the benefits and challenges of a collaborative approach involving users and experts that informed the first stage of the development of a palliative care website.

Method : The action research-inspired methodology included a panel assessment of an existing palliative care website based in Victoria, Australia; a pre-development survey (n = 197) scoping potential audiences and palliative care information needs; working parties conducting a needs analysis about necessary information content for a redeveloped website targeting health professionals and caregivers/patients; an iterative evaluation process involving users and experts; as well as a final evaluation survey (n = 166).

Results : Involving users in the identification of content and links for a palliative care website is time-consuming and requires initial resources, strong networking skills and commitment. However, user participation provided crucial information that led to the widened the scope of the website audience and guided the development and testing of the website. The needs analysis underpinning the project suggests that palliative care peak bodies need to address three distinct audiences (clinicians, allied health professionals as well as patients and their caregivers).

Conclusion : Web developers should pay close attention to the content, language, and accessibility needs of these groups. Given the substantial cost associated with the maintenance of authoritative health information sites, the paper proposes a more collaborative development in which users can be engaged in the definition of content to ensure relevance and responsiveness, and to eliminate unnecessary detail. Access to volunteer networks forms an integral part of such an approach.

A hitchhiker's guide to assessing young people's physical activity : deciding what method to use

Researchers and practitioners interested in assessing physical activity in  children are often faced with the dilemma of what instrument to use. While there is a plethora of physical activity instruments to choose from, there is currently no guide regarding the suitability of common assessment instruments. The purpose of this paper is to provide a user’s guide for selecting physical activity assessment instruments appropriate for use with children and adolescents. While recommendations regarding specific instruments are not provided, the guide offers information about key attributes and considerations for the use of eight physical activity assessment approaches: heart rate monitoring; accelerometry; pedometry; direct observation; self-report; parent report; teacher report; and diaries/logs. Attributes of instruments and other factors to be considered in the selection of assessment instruments include: population (age); sample size; respondent burden; method/delivery mode; assessment time frame; physical activity information required (data output); data management; measurement error; cost (instrument and administration) and other limitations. A decision flow chart has been developed to assist researchers and practitioners to select an appropriate method of assessing physical activity. Five real-life scenarios are presented to illustrate this process in light of key instrument attributes. It is important that researchers, practitioners and policy makers understand the strengths and limitations of different methods of assessing physical activity, and are guided on selection of the most appropriate instrument/s to suit their needs.

Advances in self-engagement research method : the case of disadvantaged female migrant entrepreneurs in Auckland, New Zealand

The “self-engagement research method” is a set of research procedures, which aims to search latent (hidden) attitudes within a given group of individuals, such as disadvantaged women. This method also examines the research participants practises through an intensive involvement in the process of research. Research on self-regulation has also tended to emphasize having personal control over an event as the primary determinant of whether individuals can effectively monitor and alter their behaviour to attain a desired end state (W. Britt, 1999, 699).

The “self-engagement procedure” originated from fieldwork of social research, especially from the present author’s experiences as a researcher and practitioner on women’s empowerment under the micro-finance programme in Women’s Empowerment Foundation, Auckland and in Grameen Bank Micro-finance programme (Nobel prize winner Professor Mohammed Yunus on poverty reduction through micro-finance).

This technique is based on the oft-cited phenomenon of discrepancies between what research Participants say what they often believe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participant_observation). This follows on Gabriel (1991:123-126) namely that participant observation is a useful technique for gaining insight into facts and is also useful for the rural poor or marginal groups, who are unable to communicate their problems. The problem is that since the 1980s, some anthropologists and the social scientists have questioned the degree to which participant observation can give truthful insight into the minds of other people (Geertz, Clifford,1984 & Rosaldo, Renato, 1986).

This paper discusses the difficulties found in using participant observation to discover discrepancies between what participants say and what they really believe. It also discusses self-engagement research procedures which the author has developed through the long-term research experiences with disadvantaged groups of women in Auckland. These procedures discover the discrepancies between what participants say and what is in their mind.

These self-engagement procedures were used from the beginning of the fieldwork to locate research areas and get access to the study settings. It was found there are gaps in this method. For example, there are no systematic processes in which researchers can gain access into the community or be welcomed by research participants. It was also difficult to discover the insight into the facts that cause disempowerment and how micro-finance impacts everyday life on research participants. McCracken (1988 cited in Mertens, 1998:321) argued that researchers collect data directly through observation, but it is not possible to imitate, repeat involvement in the experiences of research participants.

This research draws on and extends the long traditional of participant observation in social research. In field research practises, participant observation was used in different ways for gaining insight into different aspects. A good example is the use and mis-use of the “field journal” in this type of research. The journal typically explained and analysed experiences and understanding of participant observation, in-depth interviews and group discussions on the impact of micro-finance on women’s lives. However, researchers later realised that there were gaps in collected knowledge that needed to be filled. This led to “self-engagement procedures” which developed greater confidence that collected data could truly give insight into patterns of behaviour.

This paper addresses sensitive issues of women’s empowerment under the micro finance programmes and makes a contribution to the literature. The “self-engagement method” detects the “silent facts” of women’s lives. In research conducted amongst disadvantaged women in Auckland, New Zealand and Grameen Bank micro-finance programme in Bangladesh. The method of self-engagement led to better data when participants (both research and subjects) clearly perceived the purpose of the research, when participants have control over providing personal information, and when subjects can build trust with researchers. One overall lesson of this research is that research data and findings are more generalisaable and valid when the participants in the research process understand the relevancy to his/her disadvantaged position and the causes of this, and when participants perceive that it is an opportunity to voice his/her disadvantages and causes.

The “self-engagement research method” involves a variety of behavioural activities. This paper also attempts to discuss in detail, these activities. This paper attempts to discuss the process of the “self-engagement method” in a systematic way. This has been addressed in the research process, in which research participants and researchers become self-engaged to detect the reality of the impact of micro finance to empower the disadvantaged. The stages of self-engagement procedures were developed and followed throughout field research into entrepreneurial behaviour of disadvantaged women in Auckland.

Research on self-regulation has also tended to emphasize having personal control over an event as the primary determinant of whether individuals can effectively monitor and alter their behaviour to attain a desired end state (W. Britt, 1999, 699).

A suitable research method could identify the empowerment/disempowerment of a disadvantaged group of individuals. The self-engagement procedures create a process, in which research participants and researchers become ‘self-engaged’ and gain insight into facts.

Effectiveness of recording in primary science : a study of the ability of junior primary school pupils to use drawing as an effective method of communication in science lessons

Drawing as a means of recording is a very common practice in junior primary science lessons. This is largely due to the availability of necessary materials. Also, most youg children have some degree of drawing skill and enjoy drawing activities. Since 1956 the science curriculum to be implemented in primary classrooms in Victoria has changed from one that was based largely on nature study (biological) to one that includes physical and technological aspects. Further, there have been changes in the teaching methodologies advocated for use in science lessons. A modified Interactive Teaching Approach was used for the studies. Drawing was the main means by which the children recorded information. The topic of 'shells' was used to enable collection of data about the children's enjoyment of the activity and satisfaction with their achievement. This study was replicated using the topic 'rocks'; again data were collected concerning satisfaction and enjoyment. During a series of lessons on 'snails' data were collected concerning the achievement of 'process' and 'objective' purposes that teachers might have in mind when setting a drawing activity. In addition to providing data about purposes the study stimulated some questions regarding the techniques the children had used in their drawings. Accordingly, data concerning the use of graphic techniques by the children were collected during a series of lessons on 'oils'. The data collected and analysed in the various studies highlighted the value of drawing in junior primary school science lessons. It also validated strategies developed by the author and designed to help teachers and children use drawing effectively in science activities.

Incorporating design explanation within formal object-oriented method (FOOM)

Requirements engineering is a commencing phase in the development of either software applications or information systems. It is concerned with understanding and specifying the customer's requirements of the system to be delivered. Throughout the literature, this is agreed to be one of the most crucial and, unfortunately, problematic phases in development. Despite the diversity of research directions, approaches and methods, the question of process understanding and management is still limited. Among contemporary approaches to the improvement of the current practice of Requirements Engineering, Formal Object-Oriented Method (FOOM) has been introduced as a new promising solution. The FOOM approach to requirements engineering is based on a synthesis of socio-organisational theory, the object-oriented approach, and mathematical formal specification. The entire FOOM specification process is evolutionary and involves a large volume of changes in requirements. During this process, requirements evolve through various forms of informal, semi-formal, and formal while maintaining a semantic link between these forms and, most importantly, conforming to the customer's requirements. A deep understanding of the complexity of the requirements model and its dynamics is critical in improving requirements engineering process management. This thesis investigates the benefits of documenting both the evolution of the requirements model and the rationale for that evolution. Design explanation explains and justifies the deliberations of, and decisions made during, the design activity. In this thesis, design explanation is used to describe the requirements engineering process in order to improve understandability of, and traceability within, the evolving requirements specification. The design explanation recorded during this research project is also useful in assisting the researcher in gaining insights into the creativity and opportunistic characteristics of the requirements engineering process. This thesis offers an interpretive investigation into incorporating design explanation within FOOM in order to extend and advantage the method. The researcher's interpretation and analysis of collected data highlight an insight-driven and opportunistic process rather than a strictly and systematically predefined one. In fact, the process was not smoothly evolutionary, but involved occasional 'crisis' points at which the model was reconceptualised, simplified and restructured. Therefore, contributions of the thesis lie not only in an effective incorporation of design explanation within FOOM, but also a deep understanding of the dynamic process of requirements engineering. The new understanding of the complexity of the requirements model and its dynamics suggests new directions for future research and forms a basis for a new approach to process management.

Patient assessment of medication information leaflets and validation of the Evaluative Linguistic Framework (ELF)

Objective : To obtain patient feedback about the structure and quality of medication information leaflets and validate the usefulness of the Evaluative Linguistic Framework (ELF) for improving written communication with patients.
Methods : Triangulated feedback about a set of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) medication leaflets, some developed with knowledge of the ELF, was obtained from 27 people with RA from interviews, focus group discussion and self-administered questionnaires. The principal elements of the framework were investigated: overall generic structure and functions of each stage, interpersonal relationship between writer and reader, technicality of language and density of information.
Results : Participant assessments of the leaflets aligned with the framework in terms of what constituted a good leaflet. While the main purpose of the leaflets was identified as being information provision, participants also wanted clear instructions, benefits to be highlighted and side effects to be comprehensively listed. For comprehensiveness and user-friendliness, leaflets developed with guidance of the ELF were consistently preferred.
Conclusion : According to people with RA, leaflets generated from a linguistic framework are clearer and more effective in communicating information about medications.
Practice Implications : The ELF is a user-friendly, structured analytic system that can assist with the development of effective high quality patient information materials.

Managing realtime information flow between distributed discrete event simulation models

Investigates the creation of a method for the connection and communication of commercial off the shelf discrete-event simulation packages for simulation models of manufacturing systems. Through this research a method to connect different commercial off the shelf discrete-event simulation packages was successfully developed facilitating parallel development of models and the creation of extremely large models.

A systems analysis method for online teaching and learning systems

A Method for Educational Analysis and Design (MEAD) was developed to analyse and design online teaching and learning systems. The method is based upon a participational design approach focused on the requirements of the users (students)

Formalising a method for modelling critical infrastructure systems

This research delivers a multifaceted methodology that underpins a practical security analysis and system modelling framework applicable to critiquing modern critical infrastructure systems. The intent, to identify potential system security issues and gain operational insights that will contribute to improving system resilience, availability and ameliorate incident management responses for Australian critical infrastructure systems.

Improving prediction interval quality : a genetic algorithm-based method applied to neural networks

The delta technique has been proposed in literature for constructing
prediction intervals for targets estimated by neural networks. Quality of constructed prediction intervals using this technique highly depends on neural network characteristics. Unfortunately, literature is void of information about how these dependences can be managed in order to optimize prediction intervals. This study attempts to optimize length and coverage probability of prediction intervals through modifying structure and parameters of the underlying neural networks. In an evolutionary optimization, genetic algorithm is applied for finding the optimal values of network size and training hyper-parameters. The applicability and efficiency of the proposed optimization technique is examined and demonstrated using a real case study. It is shown that application of the proposed optimization technique significantly improves quality of constructed prediction intervals in term of length and coverage probability.

Action learning through the use of enterprise resource planning system in construction management

Although information communication technology (ICT) tool is long regard as very useful in today’s engineering, architectural and construction management, organizations cannot just only simply operate based upon its origin, but also requires the on-going observation, controlling measures, monitoring aids, adding features and fine-tuning actions to such tool before the desirable outcome can be achieved. However, it is a very common phenomenon that organizations purchase the licensed “off-the-shelf-software” ICT package and customize it to suit their own requirements. Due to the incapability and inefficiency of such software and customization, the possible result is making such tool becomes not user-friendly and obsolete.

The purpose of this paper therefore, as part of the doctoral research, is to review and report those actions taken by a construction organization to enhance the performance of its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system upon launching it since December 2002. Such actions include: improving data inputting method; removing the transition bottleneck; introducing crystallization function; revising the organization’s “Delegation and Limits of Authority”; publishing the “League Table” amongst users; integrating the 3D Modeling into the system and adopting the “Resources Requirement Planning”.

Whilst the ultimate goals of this system are well beyond the time limit of the research project, an obvious interim result, achieved by this case studied organization, was winning a landmark project worth HK$5 billion after the ERP system was functioned effectively. The experience and success of this organization can be borrowed by those companies which are planning to adopt information technology (IT) strategy and use ICT tool in the architectural management system.

Development of a supply chain management security risk management method : a conceptual model

This paper continues the prior research undertaken by Warren and Leitch (2009), in which a series of initial research findings were presented. These findings identified that in Australia, Supply Chain Management (SCM) systems were the weak link of Australian critical infrastructure. This paper focuses upon the security and risk issues associated with SCM systems and puts forward a new SCM Security Risk Management method, continuing the research presented at the European Conference of Information Warfare in 2009.This paper proposes a new Security Risk Analysis model that deals with the complexity of protecting SCM critical infrastructure systems and also introduces a new approach that organisations can apply to protect their SCM systems. The paper describes the importance of SCM systems from a critical infrastructure protection perspective. The paper then discusses the importance of SCM systems in relation to supporting centres of populations and gives examples of the impact of failure. The paper proposes a new SCM security risk analysis method that deals with the security issues related to SCM security and the security issues associated with Information Security. The paper will also discuss a risk framework that can be used to protect against high and low level associated security risks using a new SCM security risk analysis method.

Clustering with instance and attribute level side information

Selecting a suitable proximity measure is one of the fundamental tasks in clustering. How to effectively utilize all available side information, including the instance level information in the form of pair-wise constraints, and the attribute level information in the form of attribute order preferences, is an essential problem in metric learning. In this paper, we propose a learning framework in which both the pair-wise constraints and the attribute order preferences can be incorporated simultaneously. The theory behind it and the related parameter adjusting technique have been described in details. Experimental results on benchmark data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed method.

Knowledge on road information in sub-urban lane detection via multiple cue integration

Detection of lane boundaries of a road based on the images or video taken by a video capturing device in a suburban environment is a challenging task. In this paper, a novel lane detection algorithm is proposed without considering camera parameters; which robustly detects lane boundaries in real-time especially for sub-urban roads. Initially, the proposed method fits the CIE L*a*b* transformed road chromaticity values (that is a* and b* values) to a bi-variate Gaussian model followed by the classification of road area based on Mahalanobis distance. Secondly, the classified road area acts as an arbitrary shaped region of interest (AROI) in order to extract blobs resulting from the filtered image by a two dimensional Gabor filter. This is considered as the first cue of images. Thirdly, another cue of images was employed in order to obtain an entropy image. Moreover, results from the color based image cue and entropy image cue were integrated following an outlier removing process. Finally, the correct road lane points are fitted with Bezier splines which act as control points that can form arbitrary shapes. The algorithm was implemented and experiments were carried out on sub-urban roads. The results show the effectiveness of the algorithm in producing more accurate lane boundaries on curvatures and other objects on the road.

Email classification using data reduction method

Classifying user emails correctly from penetration of spam is an important research issue for anti-spam researchers. This paper has presented an effective and efficient email classification technique based on data filtering method. In our testing we have introduced an innovative filtering technique using instance selection method (ISM) to reduce the pointless data instances from training model and then classify the test data. The objective of ISM is to identify which instances (examples, patterns) in email corpora should be selected as representatives of the entire dataset, without significant loss of information. We have used WEKA interface in our integrated classification model and tested diverse classification algorithms. Our empirical studies show significant performance in terms of classification accuracy with reduction of false positive instances.