The success of large software engineering projects depends critically on the specification, which must represent the requirements of a large number of people with widely differing perspectives. Conventional approaches to software engineering do not address the process of identifying and integrating these perspectives, but instead concentrate on the maintenance of a single consistent description. This results in a specification which represents only one point of view, often the analyst's, excluding suggestions which do not fit with this view. The processes which led to the adoption of this point of view will go unrecorded, making any rationale attached to such a specification incomplete. Other participants will not be able to validate it properly, as it does not relate to their requirements. This thesis integrates ideas drawn from the study of knowledge acquisition, computer-supported co-operative work and negotiation into a model of the specification activity which allows the capture ...

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This paper describes a user-interface system developed to support group interactions for same-time/different-place cooperative applications. We address three fundamental aspects of these kind of systems: information sharing, coordination and multiuser-interface. The proposed approach defines four types of objects. Contents store application data. Containers are dedicated to organise and structure application data. Connections manage group coordination. And, finally, Monitors are concerned with users awareness of cooperative activities. One important characteristic of the approach is that it identifies and maps into the above objects two basic properties of group interaction support: visibility (public/private information) and durability (durable/transient information). The system eases the design of complex group interaction processes because it defines simple actions that allow programmers and users to define and combine object properties. An example of system usage is given for an ap...

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Please note that Tyndall working papers are "work in progress". Whilst they are commented on by Tyndall researchers, they have not been subject to a ‘full ’ peer review. The accuracy of this work and the conclusions reached are the responsibility of the author(s) alone and not the Tyndall Centre. A widespread enthusiasm has been growing with regard to the transition towards more sustainable systems of production and consumption in order to meet today’s needs without compromising those of future generations. Renewable energy technologies, in particular, are becoming internationally recognised as a vital contribution towards a sustainable energy future. This paper presents a set of renewable energy scenarios for the currently oil-rich Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These scenarios have been developed using the Delphi technqiue, and represent a

Research article Quality of care assessment in geriatric evaluation and management units: construction of a chart review tool for a tracer condition

WES Manager. Program Monitors during this study were Mr. John W. Bellinger and Mr. K. Brad Fowler, HQUSACE. The Field Review Group members that provided overall Program direction and their District or

December 1996Views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the

Abstract—Group decision making is investigated using ordinal interval number ranking. The closed interval preference is given independently by each decision maker and for every course of action. Genetic algorithms are employed for establishing the mutually preferred course(s) of action. The combination of crossover and adjusted mutation is found efficient in terms of problem representation and geneticalgorithm operation/convergence to (one of) the preferred course(s) of action. G I.