The collaborative system with finite number of states is defined. A very large database is structured. Operations on large databases are identified. Repetitive procedures for collaborative systems operations are derived. The efficiency of such procedures is analyzed. (Contains 6 tables, 5 footnotes and 3 figures.)

Conceptual models are applied as the first step in software design methodologies for collecting the semantics involved in the universe of discourse. Nevertheless, the abstraction process creates some misunderstandings for novice designers, such as difficulties in modeling some constructs and in understanding the semantics that they represent. This…

The patients receiving treatment from a hospital need to interact with multiple entities when claiming reimbursements. The complexities of the medical service supply chain can be simplified with an electronic clearance management system that allows hospitals, medical insurance bureau, bank, and patients to interact in a seamless and cashless…

Purpose: Linking Open Data (LOD) provides a vast amount of well structured semantic information, but many inconsistencies may occur, especially if the data are generated with the help of automated methods. Data cleansing approaches enable detection of inconsistencies and overhauling of affected data sets, but they are difficult to apply…

In today's world, Web-Based Distance Education Systems have a great importance. Web-based Distance Education Systems are usually known as Learning Management Systems (LMS). In this article, a database design, which was developed to create an educational institution as a Learning Management System, is described. In this sense, developed Learning…

In BSc/MSc engineering programmes at Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), the need to provide students with teamwork experiences close to a real world environment was identified as an important issue. A new group-formation method that aims to provide an enriching teamwork experience is proposed. Students are asked to answer a…

Since the mid 1990s an increasing number of higher education institutions and organisations have been encouraging the production and submission of theses and dissertations in electronic format. Where access to electronic theses and dissertations is available via the Internet, usage figures indicate that this is a much consulted resource. However,…

Academics preparing students for experiential placements within professional programs require considerable curriculum planning and pedagogical expertise. Communities of practice involving workshops and online processes provide opportunities for collaborative work in developing quality curriculum materials and also in supporting widespread…

Discussion of bibliographic databases and the structure of records focuses on the structure of education information based on publications of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Faceted design is discussed, and mandatory and optional fields in education database design are considered. (Contains 16 references.) (LRW)

Discusses the development and implementation of the United Kingdom's National Internet Accessibility Database (NIAD), how the design of the database was based on ease of use by both its target audience in higher education and those working on the database, and the approaches taken to ensure the successful implementation of the NIAD. (Author/LRW)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the design and implementation of music courseware that features a music search system that uses impression keywords. The paper applies the courseware to "Kansei" (sensibility) development for elementary and junior high school students. The objectives of this courseware are to cultivate…

Eight articles describe the development, content, and structure of databases outside of the United States. Features discussed include library involvement, authority control, shared cataloging services, union catalogs, thesauri, abstracts, and distribution methods. Countries and areas represented are Latin America, Australia, the United Kingdom,…

Describes novel ways in which the Orlando Project, based at the Universities of Alberta and Guelph, is using Standardized General Markup Language (SGML) to create an integrated electronic history of British women's writing in English. Discusses the types of documents being created and the related SGML requirements. (DSK)

Describes a project at the British Architectural Library to automate all of its systems into one integrated database, maintaining the specific requirements of the architectural curator while introducing systems and standards accepted by the librarian. The discussion covers the methods used to achieve a link between objects and documentation. (CLB)

This paper describes the development by the Mexican Electric Power Research Institute (Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas or IIE) over a 10-year period of a publications and conferences database (PCDB) of research and development output of the institute. The paper begins by listing the objectives of the database and describing data coverage…