Information Systems and Data Management HAMZA - Literature review Example

1) Informatics Projects of the World Project 01 Retro Guide Project in the USA A research project in the field of medical informatics called Retro Guide is currently being under taken by USA using workflow technology. This is an ongoing project from 2009. Even though initial phase was at Intermountain Health Care in Utah, USA and happened during 2004-2007, the development continues at Marshfield Clinic (Marshfield Clinic Biomedical Informatics Research Center) during 2008-2010. The prospective version of the Retro Guide system has been developed and the overall system which is using a workflow engine within an EHR (Electronic health record) system is called Health Flow (Miller & Salkind 2002). Project 02 Australian Nursing Informatics Competency Project This project is about how Information Technology (IT) helps nurses in their work place. The Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) undertook this project in 2007 and is still continuing. The project is basically about how IT and IT infrastructure and systems management could be carried out effectively to enhance nurses’ efficiency (Silverstein, 2001). Project 3 Web alliance for Re-greening in Africa (W4RA) This project focuses on how the internet could better the circumstances of African communities especially the farmers. Re-greening has become a very important government concern throughout the world. IT systems can be used in re-greening projects in any part of the world. With the help of VU network this project has been going on since January 2010 and will continue till December 2012 (Wilhelm, 2004). Project 04 Wired Village Project, National Informatics Centre, Pune, Maharashtra, India This project was initiated by the National Informatics Center in India. It has setup a countrywide satellite based network of communication. The entire project has 1400 nodes that connect the capital city of New Delhi with state capitals. The project is intended to identify an address various needs of those government and private institution that are involved in IT projects. 2) Evaluating an Information Product: the Murdoch Teaching Timetable a) Murdoch Teaching Timetable quality evaluation 1. New or Surprising Murdoch Teaching Timetable is synthesis of different time based variables such as students’ assignment submission schedules and integrated cross functional data. However it has a modern integral function that touches on the degree of probability involving clashes that keep on rising. 2. Reliable The product is reliable only to a certain extend because when cross functional data inputs produce a clash the degree of reliability diminishes accordingly. For instance the MTT has some glaring short comings such as non-user friendly cross functions. 3. Accurate The degree of accuracy is one of the most questionable features of the MTT. For instance when each time the student enters a unit code he can read only the relevant data for that particular segment and therefore any other segment would reduce the degree of accuracy if it is simultaneously read with the first (Higgins , 2002). 4. Relevant The MTT is relevant for students who wish to have a timetable for reading unit based content. Therefore MTT helps students to identify course unit data for the purpose of understanding the time started and the time finished. 5. Timely The timeliness of MTT depends on the pressure that each student is subject to. For instance in the past such timetables did not exist and students were compelled to plan for the entire semester without thinking of intervening holidays. 6. Usable The usability of the MTT is determined by the students’ desire to avoid clashes between some units. However it has very limited usability when it comes to time management. 7. Complete Actually the MTT is not a complete unit because it has failed to integrate some of the most important variables such as individual students’ preferences to mark their likes and dislikes for certain units (Lin & Atkin 2006). 8. Simple Indeed the MTT is simple. However it has been made simple by sacrificing a lot of versatile features. It is simple because the student can manage some of the basic functions without much trouble. 9. Economical The MTT is economical only when the student is empowered to use any platform or operating system to run the software without additional expenses. 10. Flexible The university administration cannot rely too much on its flexibility though some of the extra functions can be integrated in to the MTT with little or more change to the system. 11. Verifiable The university administration is able to verify the source code though some system related functions are not going to help the administration because they are based on non verifiable individual items. 12. Accessible Access to MTT is limited only to those institutions and individuals who have purchased the product from licensed vendors and the murder company itself. Therefore the company can restrict accessibility. 13. Secure In fact MTT is not a 100% secure product because it can be tampered with by any individual with a little knowledge of computer math including algorithm. b) The following are the most important three design principles. I. Simple II. Flexible III. Secure Simple Simplicity is one of the most important features of MTT or any informatics product because simplicity enables the user to use the product with a degree of ease. If it is not so, the user will have to be a geek or a technocrat (Browning, 2008). Flexible Flexibility is another very important feature of informatics products because any user-friendly product must have some applications related versatility. MTT has some such versatility but it is not complete. Secure Security of the product empowers the user and therefore any informatics product must have security. If not a hacker might be easily able to hack in to the users’ privacy. Privacy is protected by security. The following are the three not so important features I. New or surprising II. Accurate III. Complete New or Surprising In the world of informatics gadgets what is new today becomes obsolete tomorrow because such gadgets are turned out at such a fast pace on a daily basis. Therefore MTT will not be a new or a surprising product in time to come. Accurate Though technical accuracy is needed for user friendly operability, no technical gadget will ensure 100% accuracy successfully. Therefore it is not a very important feature of modern informatics gadget. Complete Though informatics products claim to incorporate so many additional features, it is almost impossible to find such products in the market today. The completeness of any informatics product is determined by its price. The higher the competence, the higher the price will be. c) Being a non-native speaker of the English language I have found out that as a student, especially a fresher the timetable empowers the student community to plan their studies with speed, accuracy, reliability, functional flexibility and above all some valuable anticipation. However the timetable doesn’t enable the average student to increase the degree of efficiency at no cost. In fact there is a considerable cost factor for the student by way of buying a computer and all necessary stuff to run the system. My attitude towards the timetable has been influenced by the ability to integrate with the university system as a holistic community. Probably I am also influenced by the functional flexibility and integration process that the timetable possesses (Cranor & Greenstein 2002). 3) Language and Culture in Informatics: Wikipedia a) The article in Wikipedia on musical instruments is a clear illustration of what a free content poly lingual website can do in informing web surfers about different instruments and their origins. Above all the kind of language used to describe these instruments shows how the writer has thought of giving the word origin as well. b) Actually Wikipedia is a truly universal encyclopedia that reaches out to millions of users throughout the world. However it also successfully incorporates some specific autochthonous elements of the local culture of the benefits of a particular community. Its universal reach is unquestionably the greatest because it appeals to diverse ethnic, cultural, social and religious groups. Its political neutrality endears it to many throughout the world. However individual writers might display some biases and prejudices. c) There are numerous articles in Wikipedia that generate consensus among the people of the world. In fact some good articles on the historical evolution of current geographical entities such as Alaska, Indo-China and Eastern Europe have never been disputed by even those historians belonging to different local interest groups. Despite conflicting opinions held by local communities the universal appeal and accuracy of such articles cannot be denied. Above all some critical articles on political leaders have shed light on what the average reader would not have read about in other mass mediums. d) In the construction of knowledge these articles have helped but they have only helped speakers of English language and not those who speak regional dialects. For example there are many regional tribes such as aboriginals in Australia, Indians in America and Gypsies in Europe. These marginalized people have not been empowered by Wikipedia (Jensen, 2002). REFERENCES 1. Browning, L . (2008) . .Information and Communication Technologies in Action (LEAs Communication Series) , New York : Routledge 2. Cranor, L. F., & , Greenstein S. (Edi) . (2002) . Communications Policy and Information Technology: Promises, Problems, Prospects, (Telecommunications Policy Research Conference) illustrated edition , Massachusetts: The MIT Press. 3. Higgins , R. B. (2002), The Search for Corporate Strategic Credibility:Concepts and Cases in Global Strategy Communications, Connecticut: Quorum Paperback . 4. Jensen , K., (2002) . A Handbook of Media and Communication Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies, London : Routledge. 5. Lin . C , A , & Atkin . D , J , (2006) ,Communication Technology and Social Change: Theory and Implications (Leas Communication Series), New Jersey : Lawrence Erlbaum. 6. Miller, D.C. and Salkind, N.J. (2002), Handbook of Research Design & Social Measurement, California: Sage Publications, Inc 7. Silverstein, B. (2001), Internet Marketing for Information Technology Companies: Proven Online Techniques That Increase Sales and Profits for Hardware, Software, and Networking Companies , (2nd edition), Barry Silverstein (Author) › Visit Amazons Barry Silverstein Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central 8. Wilhelm, A. G . (2004) . Digital Nation: Toward an Inclusive Information Society, illustrated edition , Massachusetts: The MIT Press Read More