[AISWorld] Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 23, 4, 2011 Abstracts

[Mahmood, M. Adam]

The contents of the latest issue of:
Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC)
Volume 23, Issue 4, October-December 2011
Published: Quarterly in Print and Electronically  
ISSN: 1546-2234 EISSN: 1546-5012
Published by IGI Publishing, Hershey-New York, USA
www.igi-global.com/joeuc

Editor-in-Chief: M. Adam Mahmood, University of Texas at El Paso, USA

EDITORIAL NOTE

I am pleased to inform you that JOEUC is an ISI-indexed journal. The impact factor will be available in 2012 journal ratings. 

An extended version of the abstracts for the following JOEUC issue is provided below for your information and perusal.  If you would like to submit a manuscript to the journal for publication consideration, please consult the manuscript submission guidelines provided at http://www.igi-pub.com/. After reviewing the guidelines, please send an electronic version of your manuscript to us.

Editor-in-Chief: M. Adam Mahmood, University of Texas at El Paso, USA
  
PAPER ONE 

Development of a Mesh Generation Code with a Graphical Front-End
Jeffrey Carver, University of Alabama, USA

Abstract

Scientists and engineers are increasingly developing software to enable them to do their work. A number of characteristics differentiate the software development environment in which a scientist or engineer works from the development environment in which a more traditional business/IT software developer works. This paper describes a case study, specifically about the development of a mesh-generation code. The goal of this case study was to understand the process for developing the code and identify some lessons learned that can be of use to other similar teams. Specifically, the paper reports on lessons learned concerning: requirements evolution, programming language choice, methods of communication among teammates, and code structure.

PAPER TWO

Characterizing Data Discovery and End-User Computing Needs in Clinical Translational Science

Parmit Chilana, University of Washington, USA; Elishema Fishman, University of Washington, USA; Estella Geraghty, University of California, Davis, USA; Peter Tarczy-Hornoch, University of Washington, USA; Fredric Wolf, University of Washington, USA; Nick Anderson, University of Washington, USA

Abstract

In this paper, the authors present the results of a qualitative case-study seeking to characterize data discovery needs and barriers of principal investigators and research support staff in clinical translational science. Several implications for designing and implementing translational research systems have emerged through the authors' analysis. The results also illustrate the benefits of forming early partnerships with scientists to better understand their workflow processes and end-user computing practices in accessing data for research. The authors use this user-centered, iterative development approach to guide the implementation and extension of i2b2, a system they have adapted to support cross-institutional aggregate anonymized clinical data querying. With ongoing evaluation, the goal is to maximize the utility and extension of this system and develop an interface that appropriately fits the swiftly evolving needs of clinical translational scientists.

PAPER THREE

Computational Engineering in the Cloud

Lorin Hochstein, USC Information Sciences Institute, USA; Brian Schott, Nimbis Services, USA; Robert Graybill, USC Information Sciences Institute, USA

Abstract

Cloud computing services, which allow users to lease time on remote computer systems, must be particularly attractive to smaller engineering organizations that use engineering simulation software. Such organizations have occasional need for substantial computing power but may lack the budget and in-house expertise to purchase and maintain such resources locally. The case study presented in this paper examines the potential benefits and practical challenges that a medium-sized manufacturing firm faced when attempting to leverage computing resources in a cloud computing environment to do model-based simulation. Results show substantial reductions in execution time for the problem of interest, but several socio-technical barriers exist that may hinder more widespread adoption of cloud computing within engineering.

PAPER FOUR

Scientific End-User Developers and Barriers to User/Customer Engagement

Judith Segal, The Open University, UK; Chris Morris, STFC Daresbury Laboratory, UK

Abstract

When software supports the complex and poorly understood application domain of cutting-edge science, effective engagement between its users/customers and developers is crucial. Drawing on recent literature, the authors examine barriers to such engagement. Significant among these barriers is the effects of the experience that many research scientists have of local scientific end-user development. Through a case study, the authors demonstrate that involving such scientists in a team developing software for a widely distributed group of scientists can have a positive impact on establishing requirements and promoting adoption of the software. However, barriers to effective engagement exist, which scientific end-user developers can do little to address. Such barriers stem from the essential nature of scientific practice.

PAPER FIVE

An Analysis of Process Characteristics for Developing Scientific Software

Diane Kelly, Royal Military College of Canada, Canada

Abstract

The development of scientific software is usually carried out by a scientist who has little professional training as a software developer. Concerns exist that such development produces low-quality products, leading to low-quality science. These concerns have led to recommendations and the imposition of software engineering development processes and standards on the scientists. This paper utilizes different frameworks to investigate and map characteristics of the scientific software development environment to the assumptions made in plan-driven software development methods and agile software development methods. This mapping exposes a mismatch between the needs and goals of scientific software development and the assumptions and goals of well-known software engineering development processes.

Copies of the aforementined papers are available at http://www.igi-global.com/EResources/InfoSciJournals.aspx. 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

M. Adam Mahmood