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Discusses the role of information visualization in modeling and representing intellectual structures associated with scientific disciplines and visualizes the domain of computer graphics based on bibliographic data from author cocitation patterns. Highlights include author cocitation maps, citation time lines, animation of a high-dimensional specialty space, and institutional profiles. (Author/LRW)

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2005.07.001 Byline: Hussein Al-Yaseen (a), Tillal Eldabi (b), David Y. Lees (b), Ray J. Paul (b)(c) Keywords: Prior Operational Use evaluation; Operational Use evaluation; IT investment appraisal Abstract: The process of evaluation of IT projects often seems to cease just as quantifiable results start to become available -- in Operational Use (OU). This paper investigates OU IT evaluation and contrasts it with the evaluation undertaken during the specification, construction, and testing of IT projects; which we choose to call Prior Operational Use (POU) to distinguish it from OU. Analysis of 123 usable responses from the FTSE 500 companies, show that many companies appear not to undertake OU evaluation. However, where OU evaluation was conducted, it appears to be of clear value to the organisations. Benefits claimed include the ability to assess deviations from their original plans, and to provide a basis for validating the original methods used (in their POU evaluations). Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Information Technology, Al-Ahliyya National University, 247, Amman 19328, Amman, Jordan (b) School of Information Systems, Computing, and Mathematics, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom (c) Department of Information Systems, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom

Discrete event simulation can be applied to quantitative and qualitative research.

Visual Interactive Modeling (VIM) can be used to support user-specialist interactions in a research system that uses pictorial graphics to specify a simulation model. VIM enables users to directly draw their ideas on a computer screen without translating the mental model through specialists' thoughts into a formal structured form. A built-in rule-based modeling mechanism updates model logic and ensures logic completeness while monitoring unstructured user activities during the construction process.