187 results
Search Results
2. SFPE classic paper review: fire behavior and sprinklers by Norman J. Thompson
- Author
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Fitzgerald, Paul M.
- Subjects
Reference books -- Evaluation ,Fire prevention -- Research ,Engineering and manufacturing industries ,Evaluation ,Works ,Research - Abstract
IN 1964, THE National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) published a comparatively short volume (only 157 pages, cover-to-cover) written by Norman Thompson. Thompson had been the first President of the Factory [...]
- Published
- 2005
3. Rethinking the test collection methodology for personal self-tracking data
- Author
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Hideo Joho, Cathal Gurrin, and Frank Hopfgartner
- Subjects
Computer science ,Order (business) ,Scale (social sciences) ,Self tracking ,Position paper ,Information retrieval ,evaluation ,self-tracking ,Lifelog ,Data science ,lifelogging ,Retrieval algorithm ,Test (assessment) - Abstract
While vast volumes of personal data are being gathered daily by individuals, the MMM community has not really been tackling the challenge of developing novel retrieval algorithms for this data, due to the challenges of getting access to the data in the first place. While initial efforts have taken place on a small scale, it is our conjecture that a new evaluation paradigm is required in order to make progress in analysing, modeling and retrieving from personal data archives. In this position paper, we propose a new model of Evaluation-as-a-Service that re-imagines the test collection methodology for personal multimedia data in order to address the many challenges of releasing test collections of personal multimedia data.
- Published
- 2019
4. Suitability evaluation of land reclamation as arable land in coal mining area based on catastrophe theory
- Author
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Yinghui Li
- Subjects
Land reclamation ,Suitability ,Evaluation ,Catastrophe theory ,Catastrophe progression method (CPM) ,Science ,Technology - Abstract
Abstract Niumasi Coal Mine (located in Shaodong City, Hunan Province, China) was an important producing area of high-quality coking coal in Hunan Province. After large-scale mining of underground coal seams in the area, there has been a large area of surface subsidence and serious land damage. The damaged land urgently needs to be reclaimed. In this paper, the suitability of land reclamation as arable land in Niumasi coal mining area was comprehensively evaluated, and a catastrophe progression model (CPM) for the suitability evaluation of land reclamation as arable land in coal mining area was put forward with the help of the catastrophe theory. The suitability classification was divided into four grades: suitable, moderately suitable, less suitable, and unsuitable. Eleven parameters including terrain slope grade, effective thickness of soil layer, soil parent materials, soil contamination, organic content, alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), available potassium (K), ground collapse, land destruction extent, and conditions of irrigation and drainage were selected as evaluation indicators, and the classification standards of each evaluation indicator was determined. Using MATLAB software to generate a total of 1200 samples (300 samples per level) between the arrays corresponding to each level of standards according to the normal distribution principle, of which 800 samples were used as training samples to establish the catastrophe progression criteria, and 400 samples as test samples to verify the reliability of the proposed criteria. According to CPM, the suitability status of the four land samples in Shuijingtou working area of Niumasi Coal Mine were identified. The evaluation results show that the suitability level of three lands are all ‘Moderately suitable’, and one sample is ‘Unsuitable’. Mining coal has the greatest damage to paddy fields, followed by the dry farming lands and vegetable lands, and the least impact to the forest lands. CPM can not only evaluate the suitability of land reclamation, and comprehensively compare the suitability degrees, but also can assess the damage degree of coal mining to different types of lands. This paper aims to provide a new idea for the study of quantitative evaluation methods of land reclamation suitability. The results have reference and guiding significance for the comprehensive evaluation of the suitability of land reclamation as arable land in coal mining areas. Article highlights The catastrophe theory can be used to evaluate the suitability of land reclamation as arable land in coal mining area. A catastrophe progression model for the suitability evaluation of land reclamation as arable land in coal mining area was put forward. Using MATLAB software to establish the catastrophe progression criteria according to the normal distribution principle. The results have reference and guiding significance for the comprehensive evaluation of the suitability of land reclamation as arable land in coal mining areas.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. The construction of the inheritance performance evaluation system for inheritors of intangible cultural heritage of traditional sports
- Author
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Rui Liu
- Subjects
Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) ,Traditional sports ,Indicators ,Evaluation ,Performance ,Science ,Technology - Abstract
Abstract This paper shows the construction of a performance evaluation system for the inheritance of traditional sports intangible cultural inheritors. In order to ensure the scientific nature and rationality of the indicators, a theoretical model of performance evaluation content is first established. Then, based on the theoretical model, the preliminary selection of indicators is completed, and then the expert screening of indicators is further completed by Delphi method, and the weights of each indicator are established through analytic hierarchy. Finally, in order to verify the application effect of the indicator system in practice, this study conducts an empirical study on the system from the perspective of regional performance evaluation. The results show that the discriminating power and applicability of the evaluation indicator are effective, and the evaluation system has a very distinct epochal and people-centered character. In conclusion, the construction of this evaluation system is of great significance to improve the scientific and standardized level of evaluation of Intangible cultural heritage inheritors.
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Auctioning Bulk Mobile Messages
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Meij, S. and Pau, L.-F.
- Subjects
Electronic commerce -- Methods -- Evaluation -- Marketing ,Auctions -- Evaluation ,Computers and office automation industries ,Electronic commerce ,Company marketing practices ,Evaluation ,Analysis ,Methods ,Marketing - Abstract
The search for enablers of continued growth of SMS traffic, as well as the take-off of the more diversified MMS message contents, open up for enterprises the potential of bulk use of mobile messaging, instead of essentially one-by-one use. In parallel, such enterprises or value added services needing mobile messaging in bulk--for spot use or for use over a prescribed period of time--want to minimize total acquisition costs, from a set of technically approved providers of messaging capacity. This leads naturally to the evaluation of auctioning for bulk SMS or MMS messaging capacity, with the intrinsic advantages therein such as reduction in acquisition costs, allocation efficiency, and optimality. The paper shows, with extensive results as evidence from simulations carried out in the Rotterdam School of Management e-Auction room, how multi-attribute reverse auctions perform for the enterprise-buyer, as well as for the messaging capacity-sellers. We compare 1- and 5-round auctions, to show the learning effect and the benefits thereof to the various parties. The sensitivity will be reported to changes in the enterprise's and the capacity providers utilities and priorities between message attributes (such as price, size, security, and delivery delay). At the organizational level, the paper also considers alternate organizational deployment schemes and properties for an off-line or spot bulk messaging capacity market, subject to technical and regulatory constraints. Keywords: mobile commerce, auctions, multi-attribute auctions, SMS, EMS, MMS, mobile operators, 1. Introduction and Context 1.1. INTRODUCTION When we think about auctions, fashionable e-commerce websites auctions spring to mind. The popularity of auctions has encouraged the growth of auction support software [...]
- Published
- 2006
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7. Universities Under Pressure: the Impact of International University Rankings
- Author
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Javier Vidal and Camino Ferreira
- Subjects
Evaluation ,Higher Education ,Rankings ,University Mission ,World-Class Universities ,Education ,Theory and practice of education ,LB5-3640 - Abstract
Abstract This paper synthesizes the characteristics of university rankings that cause pressure or ‘harassment’ on universities and analyses possible strategies for action that can be carried out in the real context of the three main university rankings (QS, THE, ARWU), suggesting the consequences for the so-called world-class universities and others (which represent 95% of the total). Although there is controversy over the criteria of the university ranking systems, many universities are establishing strategies aimed at adapting to these criteria and indicators and improving their positions. This study concludes that international university rankings should not be a relevant source of information to consider the quality of universities because this can have a negative impact on the development of medium- and long-term policies in higher education and the universities themselves. Universities should concentrate on their mission and must provide valid and reliable information to all stakeholders about the level of achievement of their goals.
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- 2020
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8. Democracy and durability: empirical analysis and a causality test
- Author
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Ali, Abdiweli M.
- Subjects
Political indicators -- Research -- Statistics -- Forecasts and trends ,Gross domestic product -- Forecasts and trends -- Statistics -- Research ,Democracy -- Evaluation -- United States ,Business, general ,Business ,Market trend/market analysis ,Statistics ,Evaluation ,Research ,Forecasts and trends - Abstract
The current literature has failed to differentiate between the collapse of democratic and authoritarian rules or whether democratic regimes collapse for the same reasons as do authoritarian regimes. Therefore, the current literature is silent on whether democracies are more fragile or less susceptible to economic and political breakdowns. Using a multitude of political instability variables, this paper explores empirically, whether political freedom and civil liberty (a proxy for democracy) has any effect on the stability of the political order. The empirical results of the paper confirm the hypothesis that democracy is conducive to political stability; the higher the level of political freedom and civil liberty, the more stable countries are. The paper also presented a Granger-causality test of political instability and the level of political freedom and civil liberty. The test results indicate that the level of political freedom and civil liberty Granger-cause the level of political instability, while the level of political instability does not Granger-cause the level of political freedom and civil liberty. The test results indicate that Granger-causality runs one-way from political freedom and civil liberty to political instability and not the other way. A further comprehensive research is needed on the multi-layered and the complex relationship among democracy and the resilience of the political order. (JEL H11, 017, 040, P51), Introduction Most of the regime shifts in democracies occur through the electoral defeat of the incumbents, while dictatorships relinquish power only through violence. Democracy requires consent of the citizenry and [...]
- Published
- 2005
9. Clintonomics: the first year
- Author
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Auerbach, Alan J.
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Economic policy -- Evaluation ,Business, general ,Business ,Evaluation ,Economic policy - Abstract
This paper reviews the Clinton economic program's first year. It begins by identifying three distinguishing features of the Clinton approach: 1) The belief that government should be more involved in the economy; 2) A concern about the distribution of resources in society; and, 3) A belief that the recent large budget deficits do represent an important economic problem. It then considers the three main economic issues of the Clinton administration's first year--the 1993 budget package, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and health care reform--in terms of these three features. The paper's overall conclusion is that the Clinton administration has made a considerable effort at achieving economic progress during its initial year, but that, particularly as health care reform progresses, more attention needs to be paid to economic principles. (JEL E62, H51), I. Introduction In assessing Clinton economics after almost a year, the most important thing to do first is to define the term. On the basis both of the Putting People [...]
- Published
- 1994
10. Outlining an ‘Evaluation continuum’: Structuring evaluation methodologies for infrastructure-related decision making tools
- Author
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Vasenev, Alexandr, Montoya, L., Ionita, Dan, Lau, Eng Tseng, chai, Michael K.K., Chen, Yue, Jung, Oliver, Leung, Victor C.M., Yang, Kun, Bessler, Sandford, Loo, Jonathan, and Nakayama, Tomonori
- Subjects
Structure (mathematical logic) ,Engineering ,Infrastructure ,Continuum (measurement) ,Resilience ,Management science ,business.industry ,SCS-Cybersecurity ,EWI-27797 ,Decision Making ,Stakeholder ,Context (language use) ,continuum ,Structuring ,Collaboration ,Management ,Smart grid ,General partnership ,Validation ,Methods ,Smart Grid ,Resilience (network) ,business ,IR-104044 ,Evaluation - Abstract
Validation of tools to support decisions on infrastructures evolutions should account for the context of their future use. Thus, the role of evaluation constructs is very important, because it identifies the operational context of a power grid. This paper reviews relevant evaluation methods that focus on partnership, collaborative planning, tool-supported collaborative planning, and individual decisions. We propose a structure called ‘Evaluation Continuum’ that embraces the methods. This paper aims to provide readers with a way to account for constructs relevant for validating tools. The outlined ‘Evaluation continuum’ can be used for planning gaming simulations and stakeholder workshops. It can be also useful for devising questionnaires for such sessions.
- Published
- 2017
11. Siamese neural networks in recommendation
- Author
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Nicolás Serrano, Alejandro Bellogín, and UAM. Departamento de Ingeniería Informática
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Informática ,Artificial Intelligence ,Architecture ,Recommender systems ,Review ,Evaluation ,Software ,Siamese networks - Abstract
Recommender systems are widely adopted as an increasing research and development area, since they provide users with diverse and useful information tailored to their needs. Several strategies have been proposed, and in most of them some concept of similarity is used as a core part of the approach, either between items or between users. At the same time, Siamese Neural Networks are being used to capture the similarity of items in the image domain, as they are defined as a subtype of Artificial Neural Networks built with (at least two) identical networks that share their weights. In this review, we study the proposals done in the intersection of these two fields, that is, how Siamese Networks are being used for recommendation. We propose a classification that considers different recommendation problems and algorithmic approaches. Some research directions are pointed out to encourage future research. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first comprehensive survey that focuses on the usage of Siamese Neural Networks for Recommender Systems, This work has been funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (reference PID2019-108965GB-I00). The authors thank the reviewers for their thoughtful comments and suggestions
- Published
- 2023
12. Research impact assessment
- Author
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Kostoff, Ronald N.
- Subjects
Federal aid to research -- Evaluation ,Peer review of research grant proposals -- Evaluation ,Business ,Economics ,Evaluation - Abstract
RESEARCH IMPACT ASSESSMENT is a recent 196-page paper that describes the practice of federal research impact evaluation. The following sections summarize the paper's contents, with references omitted.(1) QUALITATIVE METHODS Peer [...]
- Published
- 1993
13. How to test for the best : implementing positive psychology in foreign language testing
- Author
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Monika Kusiak-Pisowacka
- Subjects
evaluation ,think aloud ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Foreign language ,positiveness in testing ,reading comprehension ,Test (assessment) ,Presentation ,Reading comprehension ,Language assessment ,Pedagogy ,Mathematics education ,tests ,Positive psychology ,Psychology ,Think aloud protocol ,media_common ,Multiple choice - Abstract
The paper aims to develop the concept of “positiveness” in relation to evaluating reading comprehension in a foreign language (FL) classroom. It explores the question how to make this kind of evaluation a positive experience for both learners and teachers. First, the most common testing techniques, such as multiple choice questions and open-ended questions are discussed, which is followed by a presentation of less traditional techniques, i.e., think-aloud protocols, interviews and conferencing with students. The validity, reliability, practicality and authenticity of the techniques are examined. In the paper the author puts forward a crucial question in what way the aforementioned techniques can “bring out the best” in both those who are evaluated and those who evaluate, thereby making evaluation a fruitful constructive learning/teaching situation. The discussion is illustrated with the examples taken from the author’s own teaching practice as well as her research.
- Published
- 2016
14. Diminished Masterpieces
- Author
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Rothstein, Edward
- Subjects
Literature -- Analysis -- Social aspects ,Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.) -- Evaluation -- Analysis -- Social aspects ,Music -- Analysis -- Social aspects ,Musicology -- Social aspects -- Analysis ,Education ,Evaluation ,Social aspects ,Analysis - Abstract
When the American Musicological Society held its annual meeting in Boston in 1998, most of the papers reflected business as usual. There were papers on historical styles ('Verse Meter, Word [...]
- Published
- 2000
15. A general procedure to identify indicators for evaluation and monitoring of nature-based solution projects
- Author
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Anne Rödl and Alessandro Arlati
- Subjects
Ecology ,Monitoring ,Climate Change ,Co-creation ,Geography, Planning and Development ,Biowissenschaften, Biologie [570] ,Nature-based solutions ,Indicator selection ,Ingenieurwissenschaften [620] ,General Medicine ,Biodiversity ,ddc:570 ,Environmental Chemistry ,Landschaftsgestaltung, Raumplanung [710] ,Cities ,ddc:620 ,Evaluation ,ddc:600 ,ddc:710 ,Technik [600] ,Environmental Monitoring ,Decision-making - Abstract
In the last years, the idea of using natural elements or nature-based solutions (NbS) to mitigate the impacts of cities on climate, biodiversity and citizens' health became more popular in research and practice. Nevertheless, there are currently uncertainties in finding and selecting appropriate criteria and indicators for monitoring and evaluating the impact and performance of NbS and its co-creation processes. This paper proposes an easy-to-use and structured procedure for selecting appropriate criteria and indicators for monitoring and evaluating any kind of NbS project. The user is guided step by step in selecting meaningful metrics. The procedure is tested using a real case study from the Horizon 2020 research project CLEVER Cities as an example. The test shows that by following the indicated procedure, the criteria and indicator selection process is speeded up and reproducible.
- Published
- 2022
16. A proposal for generic competence assessment in a serious game
- Author
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María José Bezanilla, Sonia Arranz, Alex Rayón, Isabel Rubio, Iratxe Menchaca, Mariluz Guenaga, and Eduardo Aguilar
- Subjects
EVALUATION ,ASSESSMENT ,SKILLS ,COMPETENCES ,VIDEO GAMES ,Education ,Theory and practice of education ,LB5-3640 - Abstract
This paper focuses on the design of a serious game for the teaching and assessment of generic competences, placing particular emphasis on the competences assessment aspect. Taking into account important aspects of competence assessment such as context, feedback and transparency, among other aspects, and using the University of Deusto's Generic Competences Assessment Model based on the defining of levels, indicators and descriptors as a reference point, a serious game has been designed for the development and evaluation of two Generic Competences: Problem Solving and Entrepreneurship, aimed at final-year undergraduate and first-year postgraduate students. The design process shows that having a Competence Assessment Model based on levels, indicators and descriptors is of great help in defining the game's scenarios and learning and assessment activities. Serious games can also be excellent resources to help in the development and assessment of generic competences, but not as a unique tool, since the concept of competence in itself is highly complex (integrating knowledge, skills, attitudes and values) and some elements might require other methods and techniques for its development. It also reveals the difficulties of evaluating competences in general and through serious games in particular.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
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17. Philosophers’ appraisals of bibliometric indicators and their use in evaluation: from recognition to knee‑jerk rejection
- Author
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Ramón A. Feenstra and Emilio Delgado López-Cózar
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Philosophy ,GeneralLiterature_INTRODUCTORYANDSURVEY ,Spain ,Research quality ,General Social Sciences ,Bibliometric indicators ,Library and Information Sciences ,Evaluation ,Computer Science Applications - Abstract
Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. No funding was received for conducting this study., The authors would like to thank Daniel Pallarés-Domínguez for his help in the data collection process and Mark Andrews for the English translation. We would also like to thank the three main Spanish philosophy and ethics associations, Asociación Española de Ética y Filosofía Política (AEEFP), Sociedad Académica de Filosofía (SAF) and Red Española de Filosofía (REF), for their collaboration during the research process and their endorsement of the data collection report., The knowledge and stance of researchers regarding bibliometric indicators is a feld of study that has gained weight in recent decades. In this paper we address this issue for the little explored areas of philosophy and ethics, and applied to a context, in this case Spain, where bibliometric indicators are widely used in evaluation processes. The study combines data from a self-administered questionnaire completed by 201 researchers and from 14 in-depth interviews with researchers selected according to their afliation, professional category, gender and area of knowledge. The survey data suggest that researchers do not consider bibliometric indicators a preferred criterion of quality, while there is a fairly high self-perception of awareness of a number of indicators. The qualitative data points to a generalised perception of a certain rejection of the specifc use of indicators, with four main positions being observed: (1) disqualifcation of the logic of metrics, (2) scepticism about the possibility of assessing quality with quantitative methods, (3) complaints about the incorporation of methods that are considered to belong to other disciplines, and (4) criticism of the consequences that this generates in the discipline of philosophy., CRUE-CSIC
- Published
- 2022
18. Problems and challenges for the Politics of Education before the change of prominence experienced by educational actors
- Author
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Juan Manuel Fernández-Soria
- Subjects
POLITICS OF EDUCATION ,ACCOUNTABILITY ,GOVERNANCE ,EVALUATION ,EDUCATIONAL CHOICE ,Education ,Theory and practice of education ,LB5-3640 - Abstract
This paper deals with some of the problems that the Politics of Education has to face both as a subject and as a government action. Based above all on the literature appeared in specialized journals during the last five years, our attention is firstly focused on the concern for using an active methodology in the teaching of this subject which places students at the center of the teaching-learning process with the aim of encouraging their interest in its contents and inducing them to acquire civic competences. Secondly, the new but already deeply-rooted neoliberal conception of education is used to describe some of its policies, such as accountability, assessment and free choice of school. Our study finally stresses the change of prominence experienced by educational actors and calls researchers and teaching staff to face such challenges from an understanding of politics as a transforming action that seeks equality and social cohesion.
- Published
- 2013
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19. The use of HazOp and Fault Tree techniques for the assessment of non-accident induced release frequencies in the transport of hazardous substances
- Author
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Cozzani, V., Spadoni, G., Zanelli, Severino, SPITZER C., SCHMOCKER U., DANG VINH N., V. Cozzani, G. Spadoni, and S. Zanelli
- Subjects
SYSTEM PERFORMANCE ,EVALUATION ,RELIABILITY - Abstract
Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management is a collection of papers presented at the PSAM 7 - ESREL `04 Conference in June 2004. The joint Conference provided a forum for the presentation of the latest developments in methodology and application of probabilistic and reliability methods in various industries. Innovations in methodology as well as practical applications in the areas of probabilistic safety assessment and of reliability analysis are presented in this six volume set. The aim of these applications is the optimisation of technological systems and processes from the perspective of a risk-informed safety management while also taking economic and environmental aspects into account. The joint Conference in particular achieved an enhanced communication, the sharing of experience and integration of approaches not only among the various industries but also on a truly global basis by bringing together leading experts from all over the world. Over the last four decades, contemporary researchers have continuously been working to provide modern societies with a systematic, self-consistent and coherent framework for making decisions on at least one class of risks, those stemming from modern technological applications. Most of the effort has been spent in developing methods and techniques for assessing the dependability of technological systems, and assessing or estimating the levels of safety and associated risks. A wide spectrum of engineering, natural and economic sciences has been involved in this assessment effort. The developments have moved beyond research endeavours, they have been applied and utilised in real socio-technical environments and have become established – while modern technology continues to present new challenges and to raise new questions. Consequently, Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management covers both well-established practices and open issues in the fields addressed by the Conference, identifying areas where maturity has been reached and those where more development is needed. The papers reflect a wide variety of disciplines, such as principles and theory of reliability and risk analysis, systems modelling and simulation, consequence assessment, human and organisational factors, structural reliability methods, software reliability and safety, insights and lessons from risk studies and management/decision making. A diverse range of application areas are represented including aviation and space, chemical processing, civil engineering, energy, environment, information technology, legal, manufacturing, health care, defence, transportation and waste management.
- Published
- 2004
20. Machine translation systems and quality assessment: a systematic review
- Author
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Irene Rivera-Trigueros
- Subjects
050101 languages & linguistics ,Linguistics and Language ,Machine translation ,Computer science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,02 engineering and technology ,Library and Information Sciences ,computer.software_genre ,Language and Linguistics ,Field (computer science) ,Education ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Quality (business) ,Evaluation ,media_common ,05 social sciences ,Data science ,Popularity ,Quality ,Systematic review ,Obstacle ,020201 artificial intelligence & image processing ,Computational linguistics ,computer - Abstract
This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU) (RTI2018-093348-B-I00, FPU17/00667); the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) (RTI2018- 093348-B-I00); and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (RTI2018-093348-B-I00)., Nowadays, in the globalised context in which we find ourselves, language barriers can still be an obstacle to accessing information. On occasions, it is impossible to satisfy the demand for translation by relying only in human translators, therefore, tools such as Machine Translation (MT) are gaining popularity due to their potential to overcome this problem. Consequently, research in this field is constantly growing and new MT paradigms are emerging. In this paper, a systematic literature review has been carried out in order to identify what MT systems are currently most employed, their architecture, the quality assessment procedures applied to determine how they work, and which of these systems offer the best results. The study is focused on the specialised literature produced by translation experts, linguists, and specialists in related fields that include the English-Spanish language combination. Research findings show that neural MT is the predominant paradigm in the current MT scenario, being Google Translator the most used system. Moreover, most of the analysed works used one type of evaluation-either automatic or human-to assess machine translation and only 22% of the works combined these two types of evaluation. However, more than a half of the works included error classification and analysis, an essential aspect for identifying flaws and improving the performance of MT systems., Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU) RTI2018-093348-B-I00 FPU17/00667, Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) RTI2018-093348-B-I00, European Commission RTI2018-093348-B-I00
- Published
- 2021
21. Unlocking the social impact of built heritage projects: Evaluation as Catalyst of Value?
- Author
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Irene Rubino and Cristina Coscia
- Subjects
Value (ethics) ,Process management ,well-being of citizens ,evaluation ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Logic model ,built heritage ,Redevelopment ,Multiple time dimensions ,social impact ,Corporate social responsibility ,Relevance (information retrieval) ,Sociology ,logic model ,Function (engineering) ,media_common ,Adaptive reuse - Abstract
To be sustainable, projects concerning built heritage resources need to take into account multiple dimensions, including the social one. More particularly, the implementation of initiatives combining either restoration or adaptive reuse with the achievement of social goals may be in some cases greatly recommendable: In fact, these types of interventions could be able not only to preserve and transmit the intrinsic and cultural components of built heritage but also to extend the relevance of the resources to larger segments of society and generate a multifaceted social impact overall. However, to effectively achieve social objectives, the adoption of evaluative thinking seems recommendable. Given this framework, this chapter strives to integrate the regeneration project of a system of historical farmhouses located in Volpiano, Italy, with actions aiming to favor the social inclusion of NEETS (i.e., youths not in education, employment, or training). Considering that the redevelopment of the system of the historical farmhouses was previously studied under the lens of corporate social responsibility, the integration of the social impact perspective represents an evolution in the discourse. By a methodological and processual perspective, the paper then proposes to follow the steps of logic models, while combining qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches able to firstly describe and then quantify the multiple values engendered through the interventions. Finally, the contribution highlights that the application of evaluative thinking and evaluation procedures to built heritage projects with social objectives may facilitate both the definition and achievement of shared goals and thus function as a real catalyst of value.
- Published
- 2021
22. 'Putting Meat on the Bones': Understanding the Implementation of a Community-Based Early Intervention and Prevention Programme—Contextual, Person, and Programme Influences
- Author
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Sinead McGilloway, Michael Donnelly, Grainne Hickey, Tracey Bywater, Yvonne Leckey, and Ann Stokes
- Subjects
Parents ,Service (systems architecture) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Psychological intervention ,03 medical and health sciences ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Intervention (counseling) ,medicine ,Early Intervention, Educational ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Mechanisms of impact ,Evaluation ,Medical education ,030505 public health ,Parenting ,Primary Health Care ,Early parenting intervention ,Public health ,05 social sciences ,Implementation outcomes ,Stakeholder ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Focus Groups ,Focus group ,Primary Prevention ,Health psychology ,Early intervention and prevention ,Implementation science ,Implementation research ,0305 other medical science ,Psychology ,050104 developmental & child psychology - Abstract
The adoption and effective delivery of evidence-based interventions within “real-world” community-based, primary health care service settings are of crucial importance. In this paper, we explore the successes and challenges of implementing a new complex, group-based, early parenting intervention called the Parent and Infant (PIN) programme. This study involved a systematic analysis of the processes and factors that influence the implementation of the PIN programme; the analysis was guided and informed by the Implementation Outcome Framework and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. A documentary review, alongside a series of one-to-one interviews and small group discussions with a range of stakeholders (n = 44), and 7 focus groups (n = 24) were used as data sources. Factors that promoted programme adoption, acceptability, and implementation feasibility included programme characteristics and stakeholder attitudes, as well as organisational and systems factors (e.g. leadership and collaboration). Key challenges to implementation success included engagement and adoption barriers. This research provides a useful and important example of real-world, theory-driven implementation research which helped to identify interrelated processes, factors, and contexts which shape and influence the implementation of early intervention and prevention programmes, removed for blind review.
- Published
- 2021
23. Towards an evaluation framework for expressive stream reasoning
- Author
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Pieter Bonte, Femke Ongenae, Filip De Turck, Verborgh, R., Hose, K., Paulheim, H., Champin, P.-A., Maleshkova, M., Corcho, O., Ristoski, P., and Alam, M.
- Subjects
Technology and Engineering ,Data stream mining ,Computer science ,Programming language ,Web Ontology Language ,computer.software_genre ,Benchmark ,Rdf stream processing ,Benchmark (computing) ,Domain knowledge ,Stream reasoning ,Static data ,Evaluation ,computer ,computer.programming_language - Abstract
Stream Reasoning, and more particularly RDF Stream Processing (RSP), has focused on processing data streams in a timely manner, while expressive reasoning techniques, such as OWL2 DL, allow to fully model and interpret their domain knowledge. However, expressive reasoning techniques have thus far mostly focused on static data, as it tends to become slow with growing datasets. Expressive Stream Reasoning aims to combine these fields and evaluate expressive reasoning techniques in a timely manner over volatile data streams through various reasoning optimizations. Both expressive reasoning and RSP have benchmarks and frameworks for evaluating and comparing proposed solutions. However, no benchmarks or evaluation frameworks for Expressive Stream Reasoning are currently available. In this paper, we propose OWL2Streams, a resource framework for the evaluation of Expressive Stream Reasoning solutions. We identified challenges and opportunities for optimizations when dealing with expressive reasoning over the combination of streams and static data. OWL2Streams proposes three streaming scenarios, each tackling different challenges.
- Published
- 2021
24. Benchmarking corporate social responsibility within Spanish companies
- Author
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de-los-Angeles Gil-Estallo, Maria, Giner-de-la-Fuente, Fernando, and Griful-Miquela, Carles
- Subjects
Corporate social responsibility -- Social aspects -- Evaluation ,Benchmarks -- Social aspects -- Methods ,Business enterprises -- Management ,Return on assets -- Valuation ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Benchmark ,Company business management ,Management ,Valuation ,Social aspects ,Evaluation ,Methods - Abstract
Abstract In this paper, the authors focus on the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) upon business profitability. In order to be capable of working with homogeneous data, the authors' [...]
- Published
- 2009
25. The Eisner puzzle, the unemployment threshold and the range of equilibria
- Author
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Lye, Jenny N. and McDonald, Ian M.
- Subjects
Unemployment -- Australia -- Evaluation -- Models ,Inflation (Finance) -- Australia -- Evaluation -- Models ,Macroeconomics -- Research -- Models ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Evaluation ,Models ,Research - Abstract
Abstract Using a two-regime model of the inflation-unemployment process for US data 1960:2 to 2000:2, this paper finds strong evidence to support the Eisner puzzle, which occurs when the short-run [...]
- Published
- 2008
26. Nigeria in the global economy: Nigeria's integration into the global economy is below its potential
- Author
-
Oshikoya, Temitope W.
- Subjects
Nigeria -- Economic aspects ,Emerging markets -- Economic aspects ,Economic reform -- Evaluation -- Economic aspects ,Gross domestic product -- Growth -- Economic aspects ,Marketing research -- Economic aspects ,Business ,Economics ,Company growth ,Evaluation ,Economic aspects ,Growth - Abstract
This paper provides a perspective on Nigeria's global economic position and integration into the world economy. While other emerging market economies have benefited from globalization, there is concern that African countries continue to be marginalized. Among African countries, Nigeria is one of two major countries with strong potential to harness the opportunities and meet the challenges that the global economy could provide. Nigeria has the largest population in the continent and has been growing rapidly, due in part to gains from economic reforms and rising prices of oil. However, Nigeria's integration into the global economy has been below potential. While it has improved its global rankings on indicators of competitiveness, business climate, and productivity in the past five years, it still ranks below most of its peer group on these indicators. It is among the poorest countries in the world in terms of social indicators despite oil wealth. Further integration into the global economy would require sustained policy reforms, improved governance, and public-private investments in social, human, and physical infrastructure., International media attention has focused in recent years on the globalization of the world economy with the integration of national economies through product, capital, and labor markets as well as [...]
- Published
- 2008
27. Understanding the Difference Between Robust Control and Optimal Control in a Linear Discrete-Time System with Time-Varying Parameters
- Author
-
TUCCI, MARCO P.
- Subjects
Discrete-time systems -- Analysis -- Models -- Evaluation ,Economic research -- Evaluation ,Robust statistics -- Evaluation -- Models -- Analysis ,Computers and office automation industries ,Evaluation ,Analysis ,Models - Abstract
Robust control has been a very popular area of research in the last two decades. The goal of this paper is to investigate the assumptions implicit in the 'nonprobabilistic nature' of the a priori information used to derive the linear-quadratic robust control in discrete-time. This is done by comparing robust control with the optimal control for a linear system with time-varying parameters. First the theoretical differences between the two approaches are discussed. Then they are used in two numerical examples: a simple model with one control, one state and a time horizon of two periods, which is suitable for hand calculations, and the permanent income model. The main conclusion is that the decision maker applying robust control is indeed assuming a very restricted class of true, unknown models. Key words: Robust control, optimal control, time-varying parameters JEL classification: C61, 1. Introduction Robust control has been a very popular area of research in the last two decades. (1) By robust control 'one means those control mechanisms that explicitly take into [...]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Approximate Policy Optimization and Adaptive Control in Regression Models
- Author
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Han, Jiarui, Lai, Tze Leung, and Spivakovsky, Viktor
- Subjects
Dynamic programming -- Usage -- Models -- Analysis ,Regression analysis -- Models -- Usage -- Analysis ,Adaptive control -- Analysis -- Usage -- Models ,Monte Carlo method -- Evaluation -- Analysis -- Models -- Usage ,Computers and office automation industries ,Evaluation ,Analysis ,Usage ,Models - Abstract
In this paper we use recent advances in approximate dynamic programming to develop an approximate policy optimization procedure that uses Monte Carlo simulations for numerical solution of dynamic optimization problems in economics. The procedure is applied to the classical problem of 'learning by doing' in regression models, for which the value and extent of active experimentation are demonstrated in a variety of numerical studies. Key words: dynamic programming, policy iteration, rollout, Monte Carlo, learning by doing, 1. Introduction Stochastic optimization problems arise naturally in many fields, including economics and engineering. These problems have stochastic components and optimization is in the sense of maximizing the expectation of [...]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. The Multifactor Nature of the Volatility of Futures Markets
- Author
-
Chiarella, Carl and To, Thuy-Duong
- Subjects
Genetic algorithms -- Usage -- Models -- Analysis ,Interest rates -- Models -- Usage -- Analysis ,Volatility (Finance) -- Evaluation -- Analysis -- Usage -- Models ,Futures market -- Analysis -- Models -- Usage ,Computers and office automation industries ,Evaluation ,Analysis ,Usage ,Models - Abstract
This paper estimates a model of interest rate dynamics containing multi-factor Wiener and single-factor Poisson jump volatility components. Data from the highly liquid but short term futures markets are used. The difficult numerical problem of estimating such multi-factor models is resolved by using a genetic algorithm to carry out the optimization procedure. It is established that the multi-factor Wiener volatility components are adequate to model the interest rate dynamics without the need to incorporate Poisson jump components, the existence of which would create difficulties in the practical use of interest rate models. Key words: term structure, volatility, mutlifactor, jump, Eurodollar futures, futures markets, genetic algorithm Jel Classification No: C51, C61, E43, 1. Introduction The volatility of interest rate markets has long been of interest to financial market researchers. The market volatility can be thought of as the result of the incessant [...]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Experience, learning, and the process of expert development
- Author
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Russo, Jr., Joseph A.
- Subjects
Auditors -- Education -- Services -- Evaluation -- Analysis ,Work experience -- Analysis ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Education ,Evaluation ,Analysis ,Services - Abstract
Abstract This paper examines the relationship between experience and its differential effects on the types of knowledge that drive an auditor's expert-like behaviors during performance of field tasks. A descriptive [...]
- Published
- 2006
31. Regional development partnerships in Sweden: a way for higher education institutions to develop their role in the processes of regional governance?
- Author
-
Hudson, Christine
- Subjects
Regional development -- Analysis -- Economic aspects ,Universities and colleges -- Sweden -- Alliances and partnerships -- Economic aspects -- Evaluation ,Education ,Alliances and partnerships ,Economic aspects ,Evaluation ,Analysis - Abstract
Keywords: higher education institution, new Swedish regional development policy, regional governance, regional growth agreements, regional growth partnerships, University of Umea. Introduction This paper looks at the role Swedish higher education [...]
- Published
- 2006
32. Toward a Non-Equilibrium Unemployment Theory
- Author
-
Richiardi, Matteo
- Subjects
Equilibrium (Economics) -- Analysis -- Models -- Usage -- Laws, regulations and rules -- Economic aspects ,Labor market -- Economic aspects -- Analysis -- Models -- Laws, regulations and rules -- Usage ,Unemployment -- Italy -- Economic aspects -- Evaluation ,Labor economics -- Laws, regulations and rules -- Analysis -- Usage -- Models -- Economic aspects ,Computer simulation -- Usage -- Models -- Analysis -- Laws, regulations and rules -- Economic aspects ,Computer-generated environments -- Usage -- Models -- Analysis -- Laws, regulations and rules -- Economic aspects ,Computers and office automation industries ,Government regulation ,Evaluation ,Economic aspects ,Usage ,Analysis ,Models ,Laws, regulations and rules - Abstract
This paper presents a non-equilibrium, agent-based model of workers and firms, with on-the-job searching, endogenous entrepreneurial decisions and endogenous wage and income determination. Workers and firms are heterogeneous, and learn their strategy in the labor market. The model is able to reproduce a number of stylized facts generally accepted in labor economics and industrial organization, such as the Wage, Beveridge and Okun curve, and the skewness of wage, income and firm size distribution. Most interestingly, important stylized facts such as a negatively sloped Wage Curve and a constant returns to scale matching function emerge only out-of-equilibrium, during the adjustment processes toward the stationary state. Thus, from a theoretical point of view the model suggests that taking these stylized facts as 'building blocks' of equilibrium models might be misleading. The results stress two additional points. From a methodological point of view, the use of non-equilibrium computational models allows for a more comprehensive investigation of the labor market, by considering the endogenous character of many relevant variables. From an empirical point of view, the joint determination of all aggregate relationships and their dependence on the equilibrium or non-equilibrium state of the system suggest to move from the investigation of empirical regularities in isolation one from the other to a joint analysis. Key words: Unemployment, Entrepreneurship, Firm demography, Simulation, Beveridge, Okun, Wage Curve JEL Classifications: J60, L11, C15., 1. Introduction [I]f a model of unemployment conforms to the long-run equilibrium requirements of balanced growth, it is the most suitable starting point for the extensions that will eventually explain [...]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Job Search Mechanism and Individual Behaviour
- Author
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Giannini, Massimo
- Subjects
Job hunting -- Methods -- Economic aspects ,Job vacancies -- Evaluation -- Economic aspects -- Methods ,Unemployment -- Italy -- Evaluation ,Labor economics -- Evaluation -- Methods -- Economic aspects ,Social networks -- Influence -- Economic aspects -- Methods ,Computers and office automation industries ,Influence ,Evaluation ,Economic aspects ,Methods - Abstract
This paper investigates upon job search mechanism at individual level by a deterministic-tochastic approach in an economy with perfect competion and rational agents. Each single unit, firm or worker, is analyzed over time; aggregate dynamics comes directly from the micro-structure of the economy. We show that the unemployment as well as the vacancy rate converge in the long run to an ergodic distribution whose average value lies on the Beveridge curve. Transitional paths are not-monotone and depending on initial conditions. The micro-model is exploited to assess the relationship between job search and social networks (neighborhood effects); results show that, when the network is endogenous, such spillovers affect both transitional paths and steady state in several way, not last in a negative way. Key words: job-search, human capital, social network, epidemic processes JEL Classifications: J20, J23, J24, 1. Introduction Like most other aggregate functions in the macroeconomist's tool kit, the matching function is a black box; we have good intuition about its existence and properties but only [...]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Changing spatial and synchronous structures in the history and culture of learning: a Heideggerian analysis of the history of the English university
- Author
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Marks, Andrew
- Subjects
Universities and colleges -- United Kingdom -- Location -- Services -- Evaluation ,Education ,Evaluation ,Location ,Services - Abstract
Abstract. This paper argues that the conceptions of 'space' (and increasingly 'time') in the discussion of 'the university' (in its most transcendent sense) have gone through four distinct phases in [...]
- Published
- 2005
35. Latin American universities: from an original revolution to an uncertain transition
- Author
-
Arocena, Rodrigo and Sutz, Judith
- Subjects
Public universities and colleges -- Political aspects -- Social aspects -- Services -- Evaluation ,Education ,Evaluation ,Social aspects ,Political aspects ,Services - Abstract
Abstract. The aim of this paper is to discuss the prospects of Latin American public universities. Its main assertion is that universities could become important actors of development in Latin [...]
- Published
- 2005
36. Variation in students' experiences of the 'Oxford Tutorial'
- Author
-
Ashwin, Paul
- Subjects
University of Oxford -- Curricula -- Evaluation ,Tutors and tutoring -- Evaluation ,Education ,Curricula ,Evaluation - Abstract
Abstract. This paper examines Oxford University students' conceptions of the role of the tutorial in their learning. An analysis of interviews with 28 students constituted four qualitatively different conceptions of [...]
- Published
- 2005
37. China's demographic destiny and its economic implications: population changes will impact China's long-term economic growth and global competitiveness
- Author
-
Waldman, Cliff
- Subjects
China -- Economic aspects -- Demographic aspects ,Economic development -- Evaluation -- China -- Economic aspects ,Business ,Economics ,Economic aspects ,Evaluation ,Demographic aspects - Abstract
China appears to be at the edge of an historic demographic transition, setting the country on a path to grow old before it becomes prosperous. This paper presents a detailed [...]
- Published
- 2005
38. Academic growth and development--how do university academics experience it?
- Author
-
Akerlind, Gerlese S.
- Subjects
College teachers -- Evaluation -- Analysis ,School environment -- Analysis ,Education ,Evaluation ,Analysis - Abstract
Abstract. This paper reports the outcomes of a study, undertaken from a phenomenographic perspective, of university academics' experiences of their own growth and development, i.e., what it means to them, [...]
- Published
- 2005
39. Prices and interest rate behavior in the European Monetary Union: the first 18 months
- Author
-
Alonso-Rodriguez, Agustin
- Subjects
European Union. European Central Bank -- Management -- Evaluation ,Euro (Currency) -- Analysis ,Interest rates -- International aspects -- Analysis ,Central banks -- Evaluation ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Company business management ,Euro currency transition ,Management ,Evaluation ,Analysis ,International aspects - Abstract
Abstract New ideas on the role of central banks have been exposed in recent years. This paper studies the evolution of the consumer price index and the treasury bill rate [...]
- Published
- 2002
40. The effect of task experience on assessments of auditor expert potential
- Author
-
Russo, Jr., Joseph A.
- Subjects
Mathematical models -- Usage -- Reports -- Research ,Economic research -- Reports -- Usage -- Evaluation ,Economics -- Usage -- Reports -- Research ,Experience -- Evaluation -- Reports -- Usage -- Research ,Expertise -- Research -- Reports -- Usage ,Auditors -- Evaluation -- Research -- Reports -- Usage ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Evaluation ,Usage ,Research ,Reports - Abstract
Abstract This paper proposes a model and methodology for studying the effect of experience on an auditor's expert potential. Expert potential is defined as an increase in the expected level [...]
- Published
- 2002
41. It's a long way to Monte Carlo: simulated solutions of commonly used financial models do not converge very quickly
- Author
-
Gambera, Michele
- Subjects
Computer software industry -- Evaluation ,Banking industry -- Management ,Integrated software -- Evaluation ,Commercial banks -- Evaluation ,Business management software -- Evaluation ,Business ,Economics ,Company business management ,Business application suite ,Banking industry ,Business management software ,Management ,Evaluation - Abstract
This paper presents practical examples on how Monte Carlo simulation software must be evaluated for precision. The examples are from financial planning cases, but the relevance of the methodologies displayed [...]
- Published
- 2002
42. The unimportance of the choice--value thesis in economics
- Author
-
Frank, Bjorn
- Subjects
Economic research -- Reports -- Evaluation ,Liberty -- Evaluation -- Economic aspects -- Reports ,Decision-making -- Economic aspects -- Reports ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Economic aspects ,Evaluation ,Reports - Abstract
The choice-value thesis claims that people always choose what is best for them, given their information on the set of alternatives. This paper attempts to show that this assumption is [...]
- Published
- 2002
43. An inflation-hedging portfolio selection model
- Author
-
Hsieh, Chang-Tesh, Hamwi, Iskandar S., and Hudson, Tim
- Subjects
Mathematical models -- Usage -- Reports -- Research ,Hedging (Finance) -- Research -- Reports -- Usage ,Personal finance -- Evaluation -- Usage ,Economic research -- Reports -- Usage -- Evaluation ,Economics -- Usage -- Reports -- Research ,Inflation (Finance) -- Research -- United States ,Investments -- Evaluation -- Usage ,Business ,Economics ,Business, international ,Evaluation ,Usage ,Research ,Reports - Abstract
Tim Hudson (*) Abstract This paper suggests an investment strategy which allows an investor to specify the desired return on investment to be equal to the expected rate of inflation [...]
- Published
- 2002
44. Sonny, Cerca! Evaluating the Impact of Using a Vocal Assistant to Search at School
- Author
-
Landoni, Monica, Matteri, Davide, Murgia, Emiliana, Huibers, Theo, Pera, Maria Soledad, Crestani, Fabio, Braschler, Martin, Savoy, Jacques, Rauber, Andreas, Müller, Henning, Losada, David E., Heinatz Bürki, Gundula, Cappellato, Linda, and Ferro, Nicola
- Subjects
Information retrieval ,Schools ,Computer science ,Process (engineering) ,Vocal assistant ,05 social sciences ,Query formulation ,Search ,050301 education ,Information needs ,Task (project management) ,Search engine ,Research community ,User group ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Evaluation ,0503 education ,050107 human factors - Abstract
Children struggle with translating their information needs into effective queries to initiate the search process. In this paper, we explore the degree to which the use of a Vocal Assistant (VA) as an intermediary between a child and a search engine can ease query formulation and foster completion of successful searches. We also examine the potential influence VA can have on the search process when compared to a traditional keyboard-driven approach. This comparison motivates the second contribution of our work, an evaluation framework that covers 4 dimensions: (1) a new search strategy (VA) for (2) a specific user group (children) given (3) a particular task (answering questions) in (4) a defined environment (school). The proposed framework can be adopted by the research community to conduct comprehensive assessments of search systems given new interaction methods, user groups, contexts, and tasks.
- Published
- 2019
45. Usability Evaluation of a Co-created Big Data Analytics Platform for Health Policy-Making
- Author
-
Gorka Epelde, Michaela Black, Salla Muuraiskangas, Maurice Mulvenna, Brian Cleland, Paul Carlin, Debbie Rankin, Raymond Bond, Juha Pajula, Jonathan Wallace, Monica Arrue, and Roberto Álvarez
- Subjects
Computer science ,business.industry ,Policy-making ,Big data ,Usability ,User-centred ,02 engineering and technology ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Data science ,Formative assessment ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Software ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Health ,0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering ,Key (cryptography) ,020201 artificial intelligence & image processing ,business ,Evaluation - Abstract
The increasingly important role of big data in organisational decision-making brings with it significant challenges in terms of designing usable software interfaces. Specifically, such interfaces must allow users to explore, analyse, and visualise complex data from heterogeneous sources and derive insights to support management decisions. This paper describes a usability evaluation of the MIDAS Project, a big data platform for health policy-making, developed by an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project involving a number of international partners and pilot sites. We describe how a combination of heuristic and formative user-centred evaluation methods were employed, and give a summary of the key findings. We discuss key insights from the evaluation, including the importance of having diverse users, the role played by users’ prior expectations, and the logistical challenge of coordinating user testing across multiple sites. Finally, we explore the relative value of each of the evaluation methods, and outline how our approach to usability testing will evolve for future iterations of the MIDAS platform.
- Published
- 2019
46. Usability Evaluation of a Co-created Big Data Analytics Platform for Health Policy-Making
- Author
-
Cleland, Brian, Wallace, Jonathan, Bond, Raymond, Muuraiskangas, Salla, Pajula, Juha, Epelde, Gorka, Arrúe, Mónica, Álvarez, Roberto, Black, Michaela, Mulvenna, Maurice D., Rankin, Deborah, Carlin, Paul, Yamamoto, Sakae, and Mori, Hirohiko
- Subjects
Big data ,SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,Health ,Policy-making ,Usability ,User-centred ,Evaluation - Abstract
The increasingly important role of big data in organisational decision-making brings with it significant challenges in terms of designing usable software interfaces. Specifically, such interfaces must allow users to explore, analyse, and visualise complex data from heterogeneous sources and derive insights to support management decisions. This paper describes a usability evaluation of the MIDAS Project, a big data platform for health policy-making, developed by an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project involving a number of international partners and pilot sites. We describe how a combination of heuristic and formative user-centred evaluation methods were employed, and give a summary of the key findings. We discuss key insights from the evaluation, including the importance of having diverse users, the role played by users’ prior expectations, and the logistical challenge of coordinating user testing across multiple sites. Finally, we explore the relative value of each of the evaluation methods, and outline how our approach to usability testing will evolve for future iterations of the MIDAS platform.
- Published
- 2019
47. The U.S. Treasury's Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS): market reactions and policy effects
- Author
-
DePrince, Jr., Albert E. and Ford, William F.
- Subjects
United States. Department of the Treasury -- Securities -- Evaluation ,Inflation-indexed bonds -- Evaluation ,Government securities -- United States -- Evaluation ,Treasury securities -- Evaluation ,Business ,Economics ,Company securities ,Securities ,Evaluation - Abstract
This paper reviews the U.S. Treasury's new series of TIPS and their role in financing federal deficits and the national debt. After describing TIPS and reviewing the early evidence of [...]
- Published
- 1998
48. Realism versus statistical efficiency: a note on contingent valuation with follow-up queries
- Author
-
de Faria, Ricardo Coelho, Matsuhita, Raul Yukiro, Nogueira, Jorge Madeira, and Tabak, Benjamin Miranda
- Subjects
Economic surveys -- Models -- Evaluation ,Business, general ,Business ,Evaluation ,Models - Abstract
This paper shows that we can improve the statistical efficiency of dichotomous choice contingent valuation surveys by asking a second open question (anchored open-ended approach) instead of the traditional double-bounded approach. The former approach is shown to be more efficient than conventional single and double-bounded approaches using a Monte Carlo experiment, even when we allow for strategic behavior from respondents such as protest votes and yea-saying behavior. Keywords Contingent valuation * Statistical efficiency * Single-bounded * Double-bounded JEL Classification Q26, Introduction The contingent valuation method is nowadays a common practice in many fields. In the absence of market prices contingent valuation methods propose to ask individuals to express their preferences [...]
- Published
- 2007
49. Consistency or heroics: skewness, performance, and earnings on the PGA TOUR
- Author
-
Shmanske, Stephen
- Subjects
Professional Golfers' Association -- Economic aspects -- Evaluation ,Golfers -- Practice -- Economic aspects ,Awards (Prizes) -- Evaluation -- Economic aspects ,Business, general ,Business ,Practice ,Economic aspects ,Evaluation - Abstract
The structure of the payments in professional golf tournaments is heavily weighted to reward the top performers more handily. On the PGA TOUR, for example, the winner typically receives 18% of the purse, second place receives 10.8%, and so on down to 0.2% for 70th place. This payment structure brings up the possibility that the PGA TOUR is disproportionately rewarding one-time, exceptional performances rather than consistent steady play. To examine the extent of this effect, this paper correlates the 2002 earnings of the top 100 PGA TOUR professional golfers with their average performances, the variance around the averages, and the skewness of the individual distributions of their scores. Mean performance, variance, and skewness are all significantly related to earnings per tournament in the theoretically predicted directions. The research makes connections to and has implications for several topics in the sports economics literature including competitive balance and the hot-hand phenomenon. Additionally, it uncovers a heretofore unappreciated consequence concerning the relationships among the distributions of effort, performance, and remuneration in the tournaments compensation model. Keywords Tournaments compensation model * Effort and performance * Economics of golf * Hot-hand phenomenon * Competitive balance * Skewness of performance distribution JEL codes J31 * L83 * C81, Introduction PGA TOUR professional golfers play in tournaments where the payment structure to the winners is decidedly nonlinear. This payment structure disproportionately rewards superlative performance and brings forth more effort [...]
- Published
- 2007
50. A new EU member country on the road to the Euro area: monetary and fiscal policies for Slovenia
- Author
-
Weyerstrass, Klaus and Neck, Reinhard
- Subjects
European Union -- Membership -- Evaluation ,Monetary policy -- Interpretation and construction ,Fiscal policy -- Interpretation and construction ,Econometric models -- Evaluation ,Economic conditions -- Evaluation ,Business, general ,Business ,Evaluation ,Membership ,Interpretation and construction - Abstract
Slovenia was the first of the ten new EU member states to enter the Euro Area on January 1, 2007. It was an explicit objective of Slovenian policy-makers to introduce the euro as early as possible. Slovenia was participating in the exchange rate mechanism ERM-II since June 2004. This paper analyses whether the choice of participating in the ERM-II soon after EU accession was the best strategy in terms of the macroeconomic performance. It is shown that a better overall economic performance could have been achieved under a crawling peg regime allowing a depreciation of the Slovenian tolar (SIT) before introducing the euro in 2007. The worst policy results are obtained when the exchange rate is totally fixed at an early stage of EMU integration. The labor market performance can be significantly improved by cutting income taxes and social security contribution rates. Keywords Fiscal policy * Monetary policy * Macroeconometric model * Slovenia JEL E40 * E62, Introduction May 1, 2004, Slovenia joined the European Union together with nine other countries, seven of which are Central and Eastern European. Although trade barriers were removed to a large [...]
- Published
- 2007
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