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    A menu interface development environment based on lean cuisine : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1995) Gu, Jianpeng
    The integrated user interface development environment based on the Lean Cuisine graphical notation [Apperley & Spence, 89) is a combination of software tools used to support user interface development from initial design, rapid prototyping through to direct implementation. This thesis describes the development of three software tools used in the integrated user interface development environment. The Lean Cuisine graphical editor (Elc) provides an interactive design environment for graphical specifications of menu-based interfaces and shows that the Lean Cuisine notation described in (Apperley & Spence, 89] has been implemented in a practical computer environment as an interactive interface design tool. The user interface simulator (Slc) is a very effective and reliable interface simulating and testing tool which supports quick and convenient user interface simulation Using Slc, a menu interface can be quickly simulated in its design environment, where a menu-based interface can be partially or wholly simulated and invalid menu structures can be dynamically modified, or in its application environment, where evaluators are given a real feel of how this menu-based user interface works. The user interface generator (Glc) is used to generate basic interface source code files for a user interface from its Lean Cuisine graphical specification file, and a working model of a user interface can be easily and quickly implemented without programming. The integrated user interface development environment based on the Lean Cuisine graphical notation (Apperley & Spence, 89] successfully integrates a graphical notation, the visual programming technique, with an existing programming toolkit and offers advantages over other User Interface Programming Toolkits, language-based UIMSs and current Visual Programming Tools. It supports three main phases (design, prototyping and implementation) of the graphical user interface development lifecycle. This approach has not been found in previous user interface development tools and user interface management systems.
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    Expressing business rules : a fact based approach : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Information Systems at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2004) Hargreaves, Adrian John
    Numerous industry surveys have suggested that many IT projects still end in failure. Incomplete, ambiguous and inaccurate specifications are cited as a major causal factor. Traditional techniques for specifying data requirements often lack the expressiveness with which to model subtle but common features within organisations. As a consequence, categories of business rules that determine the structure and behaviour of organisations may not be captured until the latter stages of the systems development lifecycle. A fact-based technique called Object Role Modelling (ORM) has been investigated as an altemative approach for specifying data requirements. The technique's ability to capture and represent a wide range of data requirements rigorously, but still in a form comprehensible to business people, could provide a powerful tool for analysts. In this report, ORM constructs have been synthesised with the concepts and definitions provided by the Business Rules Group (BRG), who have produced a detailed taxonomy of business rule categories. In doing so, business rules discovered in an organisation can be expressed in a form that is meaningful to both analysts and business people. Exploiting the expressive simplicity of a conceptual modelling technique to articulate an organisation's business rules could help to fill a significant requirements gap.
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    A direct manipulation object-oriented environment to support methodology-independent CASE tools : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1996) Zhong, Bei
    The aim of the thesis is research into application of direct-manipulable OO graphical environments to the development of methodology-independent CASE tools. In this thesis, a Methodology-Independent Graphical OO CASE Environment (M1GOCE) is proposed. MIGOCE consists of three parts: OO Notation Workshop, OO Notation Repository and Universal OO Diagramming Tool. OO Notation Workshop is an OO graphical editor which is used to design existing and new notations; OO Notation Repository is a notation database that stores different notations designed by the notation workshop; Universal OO Diagramming Tool is an upper-CASE graphical environment, by which a user can draw arbitrary OO diagrams of different methodologies. The MIGOCE database management system provides OO notation sets management, OOA/OOD diagrams management and OO repository management for data integrity and sharing. MIGOCE has three outstanding characteristics: Methodology-independence, Directly-manipulable graphical environment and Easily-expanded program structure MIGOCE is completely methodology-independent. It not only supports existing OO methodologies, but also supports users' own notation designs. It provides support for mixing, updating existing methodologies or defining new ones. It typically allows the user to switch quickly different OO notation sets supported by corresponding methodologies for designing diagrams. Direct manipulation interfaces of MIGOCE enable it more flexible and distinctive. The user can easily add, delete, edit or show notation shapes, and get the system feedback very quick on the screen. The MIGOCE system itself is programmed using object-oriented programming language - C++. Its program structure enable the functions of itself easy to be modified and expanded. Although MIGOCE is a prototype, it provides a new way to develop the real methodology-independent OO CASE environment. So far, the way and style taken by MIGOCE have not been found in OO CASE literatures. This system gives a complete possibility of implementing a methodology-independent OO CASE tool and shows distinct effectiveness of such a tool in practice.
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    Piata mai : a case study of a Kaupapa Māori approach to developing an electronic system for Ohomairangi Early Intervention Service : thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Information Science in Computer Science at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Donaldson, Karina
    This thesis endeavours to explore the possibility of developing a system for a small Māori organisation incorporating their Kaupapa Māori needs. A project was undertaken to develop a system for "Ohomairangi", an Early Intervention Service to assist with sustainable management of data and the production of reports. For this project, a Kaupapa Māori approach to development was chosen to enhance cultural validity, to acknowledge the tikanga and kaupapa of Ohomairangi, create a stronger sense of shared understanding and trust, and to enable a more appropriate and user-friendly system to be developed. This project was commissioned by, financially supported by, and will be utilised within Ohomairangi Trust Early Intervention Service (See Appendix B).
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    An information system for psychotherapy research using expert commentary of videotaped expertise : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) Carter, Philip Desmond
    This project looked at the domain of psychotherapy research and asked the question - How can Information System's technology and methods be applied and developed to serve this domain's current needs? Review of the psychotherapy research literature identified 'astute observation and careful description' as the most productive next step in research efforts. As one response, EXpert Commentary of Videotaped Expertise (EXCOVE) was developed as a Knowledge Elicitation (KE) approach. EXCOVE aims to maximise the quality of observation and description of psychotherapy processes. EXCOVE is the collection of expert commentary on specific videotaped, expertexecuted events. This strategy aims to retain the advantages of open questioning, minimise the possibility of copious and inaccurate data, and trigger and bring to consciousness the viewing expert's cognitive processes. Psychodrama was chosen as the psychotherapy of focus. Six psychodrama sessions totalling seven hours were videotaped and at least four expert commentaries on each session were collected using the EXCOVE approach. A computer system was then required to manage this data and to assist in the various qualitative-type analyses envisaged for the data. However, Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) were limited in their abilities to meet these requirements. Therefore, a computer system called Flexible Environment for Research And Learning (FERAL) was developed. FERAL's behaviour was modelled on a sheets-of-paper metaphor which is proposed as an improvement to some aspects of existing CAQDAS. The collected data was managed in a FERAL application and various analysis tasks were completed with facilities developed in FERAL. Five psychodrama topics were investigated - phases, doubling, mirroring, unpredictability, and action. Results of the investigations appeared to provide some useful contributions to the understanding of psychodrama. The results also indicated that data collected using EXCOVE and its various mechanisms were useful. FERAL was found to be useful during analysis, particularly the data co-ordination facilities and the sheets-of-paper interface. The project resulted in a working information system for psychodrama that contained a sufficient amount of data to be useful for analysis of various psychodrama topics. The process of developing an information system for this application domain also resulted in the identification of innovations in KE and CAQDAS and their initial verification in a live application.
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    Critical factors in community informatics : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Production Engineering at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2003) Mason, David Douglas Miller
    Community Informatics is a new field of research that studies how information and communications technologies can be used to improve the quality of life of communities. The use and acceptance of technology is unpredictable. Early Community Informatics research found that deploying information technology with the aim of improving communities was seldom successful. Research has been done to identify the factors that might have a bearing on the outcome, but no definitive answer has emerged, and little work has been done on evaluating the effect of the methodology on the outcome. This research set out to establish what the critical factors were, and to determine whether a specific community informatics methodology could be designed. The objective of this research was to design a Community Informatics methodology, a way of introducing ICT into communities, that would ensure a successful economic outcome. The strategy was to use tourism as the catalyst for economic growth. The outcome sought was a self sustaining, locally owned and scalable tourism product which would provide jobs initially and in the longer term would bring money into the local economy and lead to a revitalisation of the community. The research was in two parts. The first part consisted of prototyping ecommerce Internet sites of increasing scope and complexity using a participative methodology within the socio-economic computer systems design paradigm. The work involved four organisations: the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, the Spa Association of New Zealand and two large hotels. The outcome was a generic ecommerce model and a participative methodology for implementing that model. The second part of the research involved applying the prototype methodology to communities in isolated parts of New Zealand. The communities involved were located in North Hokianga, Mahia and East Cape. The final outcome was a community owned and maintained ecommerce Internet site that could form the basis for a tourism led economy. This research has shown that by using the right methodology it is possible to create a viable community based ecommerce application, and that there are four critical factors in Community Informatics: leadership, motivation, consensus and the methodology used.