Outlines information systems (IS) service quality improvement to cope with a customer-driven IS environment due to the growth of end-user computing, information technology decentralization, and alternative sources of supply. It adapts a conceptual "gap" model from the marketing field as a framework for IS service quality management. (67…

Describes standards for computer-based information systems, including Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) and open distributed processing. The standardization process is explained, and the Open Software Foundation's Distributed Computing Environment is described as a de facto standard for open distributed processing that has already gained…

Explains sublanguages in restricted domains in natural language processing and describes methods of comparing sublanguages through Case Hierarchy representation. Highlights include case grammar representations of natural language; case systems of sublanguages; sublanguage comparisons, including matching relationships and mapping relationships; and…

Provides a list of appropriate resources for an office information systems program of study. Includes professional and trade journals and resources such as videos, working papers, position papers, and information on certification options. (JOW)

Proposes a new approach to ensuring full and accurate disclosure of information about a website. The SiteLegend approach uses a hyperlink to fully inform consumers regarding 12 essential components of websites. This article describes each of the 12 components, then provides an example of an active online link that illustrates actual use of the…

Introduces a conceptual integration approach to heterogeneous databases or information systems that exploits the similarity in metalevel information and performs metadata mining on database objects to discover a set of concepts that serve as a domain abstraction and provide a conceptual layer above existing legacy systems. Presents results of…

Discusses the distinction between record-oriented and pattern-oriented questions and relates them to information seeking at museums. Describes the Core of Discovery, a prototype system for exploring collections of textual data at The Historic New Orleans Collection, which includes keyword retrieval, concept retrieval, and pattern-oriented…

A relational rather than a systems approach was used to examine the use of strategic exchange (by which organization members aim to satisfy their own and organizational goals) in human resource information systems (HRIS). A case study illustrates how the design of HRIS is shaped by people with particular strategic aims and a constant process of…

Discusses outsourcing as a university's solution to manage their information needs and other technology tasks. Selective outsourcing strategies versus complete package outsourcing are examined. (GR)

Examines whether the same good writing and speaking skills required in general management positions are also important in computer jobs. Discusses the marriage between "computing" and "communicating" and what roles good communication skills play in advancing IS (information systems) career paths. Concludes that communication…

Shows how counterfactuals and machine learning methods can be used to guide exploration of large databases that addresses some of the fundamental problems that organizations face in learning from data. Discusses data mining, particularly in the financial arena; generating useful knowledge from data; and the evaluation of counterfactuals. (LRW)

This paper considers situations for which detailed metadata descriptions of learning resources are necessary, and focuses on human generation of such metadata. It describes a model which facilitates human production of good quality metadata by the development and use of structured vocabularies. Using examples, this model is applied to single and…

Exploiting and contextualizing free information is a natural part of library culture. In this column, Gary Roberts, the information systems and reference librarian at Herrick Library, Alfred University in Alfred, NY, describes how to use XML content on a Web site to link to hundreds of free and useful resources. He gives a general overview of the…

The way in which computer algebra systems, such as Maple, have made the study of complex problems accessible to undergraduate mathematicians with modest computational skills is illustrated by some large matrix calculations, which arise from representing the Earth's surface by digital elevation models. Such problems are often considered to lie in…

Context: The recent explosive growth of information technology in hospitals promises to improve hospital and patient outcomes. Financial barriers may cause rural hospitals to lag in adoption of information technology, however, formal studies that examine rural hospital adoption of information technology are lacking. Purpose: To determine the…