Research Korner: Table of Contents

Contents of and IT dissertation   Cover Pages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Front and inner first – layout as per required</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Plagiarism declaration – working as per specified in workbooks, must be signed and date stamped</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Abstract – An executive summary of the entire project in about 300 words</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Acknowledgements (purely optional)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> List of keywords – list of special terms and keywords of the project</li> </ul>   Table of contents <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Itemised headings and page numbers</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> At most 3 levels – chapter, heading, sub heading</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Microsoft Word generated TOC</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Use tag to specify different headings ad Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 depending on their levels</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Generate the Table of Contents by insert, reference, index and table.., and finally the Table of Contents tab</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Re-generate the Table of contents after changing any headings</li> </ul>   List of figures <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Figures refer to charts of collected data, diagrams of strategic management models for the project</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Numbered figures and page numbers</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Should start from 1 and be independent from chapters</li> </ul>   List of tables <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Tables refer to survey results in table form</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Numbered tables and page numbers</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Should start from 1 and be independent from chapters</li> </ul>   Introduction <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Briefly introduces the research</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Delivers summary of each chapter</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Should keep this chapter brief</li> </ul>   An optional “integrated” Introduction <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Integrate the chapter of brief introduction and the chapter of significant of research</li> </ul>   Significance of research – get from Project Specification <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Extension from the project task description, project aim, and objectives</li> </ul>   Literature review – get from Project Specification <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Extension from the short literature review with additional literature identified during the research</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Update the list bibliography accordingly</li> </ul>   Research Question <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Describe the project aim in future details</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Deliver the research question</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Describe the form of answer (project outcome)</li> </ul> Research methodology and design – collect primary data <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Extension from the research design of the project specification with details of the execution of the research</li> </ul>   Organizational context of the research <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Description of the industry in the research</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> P.E.S.T. related to the industry</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> The importance of the research to the industry</li> </ul>   Data collection and analysis – handle data <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Should show sample size and response rate</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Elaborations of responses to different types of questions – reliability tests</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Presentations of consolidated data</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Deviations of collected data</li> </ul>   Research findings and conclusions <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Summary of collected data in relation to the research</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Match conclusion with collected data and arguments</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Evaluation of project aim and objectives</li> </ul>   Future research directions - recommendation <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Suggestions on future researches</li> </ul> n   In the same field but related research areas n   In the same research area but different fields n   In the same area with different variables   Bibliography <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Extension from the project specification</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Should be a complete list and conform to standards</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> The list should be sorted in alphabetical order of the last names of the authors</li> </ul>   Appendices <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Sampling related information</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Sample of cover letter</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Survey questionnaire of pro-forma question (Blank Sample)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Short Literature Review and Project Specification</li> </ul>   (Sample Dissertation can be found in Workbook 9)   Layout of the academic paper <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Paper size, font size, line spacing, and numbering should meet the requirements of the university</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Chapters, sections, sub-sections, figures, tables should be numbered and listed in Table of Contents, List of Figures, or List of Tables</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Sections are numbered up to 3 levels</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Figures and tables are inserted only when needed</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> No colour, no cartoons, no unnecessary pictures</li> </ul>   Organisational context of the research <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> P.E.S.T. Analysis – Socio-technical concern</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> S.W.O.T. Analysis – opportunities and threats</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Porter’s Five Forces Model and Value Chain Analysis</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Rules and regulations – present and future</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Trade unions and political parties</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Competitive advantages and the use of IT services</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> All these should relate to the research area</li> </ul>   Key points in an IT dissertation <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> A single section that can represent the entire research</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Co-relate the primary and secondary data to the research question and answer the sub-questions one by one</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Qualify your propositions with the help of data collected and literature reviews</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> State the arguments and justify whether there are applicable or not</li> </ul>   Research findings and conclusions <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> State the conclusion basing on propositions deduced or induced</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Give recommendations to</li> </ul> n   Target audiences of the research n   Would-be research fellows in similar areas of interest   Future research directions <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> An optional section to show your understanding of the deficit of the research</li> </ul>   Structure and weighs <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Define the headings and length of each chapter</li> </ul>   Contents of IT dissertation Sample A Introduction                                                     900 Significance of Research                                 1000 Literature Review                                             5500 Research Questions                                         600 Research Methodology & Design                     2000 Logistics Industry in the Research                   1100 Data Collection & Analysis                              1600 Research Findings & Conclusions                   1500 Future Research Directions                              800 Total Words                                         15000   Sample B Introduction                                                     900 Research Context and Objectives                     2200 Literature Review                                             5500 Research Methodology                                    2600 Research Results                                             2600 Conclusion                                                      1200             Total Words                                         15000   Tense <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Past Test</li> </ul> n   Descriptive of past events n   Re-phrased citations in your own wordings Present perfect tens <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Descriptive of events just happened</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> A way to describe the difference in time from present events. E.g. The server has been very slow before…</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Reinforcing idea</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> E.g. The solution enables continuation of …</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> E.g. The solution ahs enabled continuation of ..</li> </ul> Present tense <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Descriptive of theories, models, concepts, etc.</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Procedures in documentary and manuals</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Direct citations from books, journals, and current publications</li> </ul> Future tense <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Plans and processes to be carried out in future</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Estimate and projection</li> </ul> Guidelines of using various tenses <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> Stay in the same tense as long as the time you are writing about does not change</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> If the time changes, the verb tenses should change, even in the same paragraph of sentence</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Statements about eternal truths may be in the present tense even quoted in past events</li> <li class="MsoNormal"> Use helping words to support</li> </ul> - May and can in present tense             - Will and going to in future tense             - Might, could and would in past tense When to use passive voice             Emphasis -          The subject received the action -          The subject becomes the focus of the sentence -          E.g. IT audit is treated as a… -          E.g. Professionals treat IT audit as a ….. Avoid using I, my, me, you, your -          Hide the one who does the action -          E.g. a quick fix was developed and applied at the scene… -          2.g. the survey will be administered in the organisation…   SAMPLE 1 - Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................................................................... 5 acknowledgements................................................................................................................................................... 6 1       Introduction........................................................................................................................................................... 7 2       Background.............................................................................................................................................................. 8 3       Project Scope......................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.1        Constraints.......................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.2        Aim............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 3.3        Objectives.............................................................................................................................................................. 9 4       Literature Review........................................................................................................................................... 12 4.1        Historic Perspective....................................................................................................................................... 12 4.2        The Evolution of Technical Support...................................................................................................... 13 4.3        The Help Desk.................................................................................................................................................... 13 4.3.1         The Internal Help Desk............................................................................................................................... 15 4.4        Customers........................................................................................................................................................... 15 4.4.1         Internal Customers...................................................................................................................................... 15 5       Customer Service & Satisfaction........................................................................................................ 16 5.1.1         Customer Satisfaction for Service Organisations................................................................................. 18 5.1.2         The Relationship between Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty.............................................................. 18 5.1.3         Employee’s Perception of Customer Satisfaction................................................................................. 19 5.1.4         The importance of Customer Satisfaction for ‘Not for Profit Organisations.’................................ 19 5.1.5         Determinants of Customer Satisfaction................................................................................................... 20 5.1.6         Contact with the IT Help Desk................................................................................................................... 21 5.1.7         Customer Satisfaction Surveys.................................................................................................................. 22 5.2        Service Quality................................................................................................................................................ 24 Grönroos Service Quality Model............................................................................................................................. 26 5.3        Employee Satisfaction.................................................................................................................................. 26 5.4        Service Level Management (SLM)............................................................................................................ 27 5.5        Outsourcing IT Support................................................................................................................................. 28 5.6        Defining the Terminology........................................................................................................................... 28 5.7        Summary of Findings...................................................................................................................................... 30 5.8        Limitations of the Literature Review................................................................................................... 31 5.9        What does the Literature mean to this research?.......................................................................... 32 5.10     What does this research seek to investigate?.................................................................................. 33 6       Research Questions......................................................................................................................................... 33 7       Research Methodology.............................................................................................................................. 36 7.1        Secondary Data Retrieval......................................................................................................................... 36 7.2        Primary Data Collection Methods......................................................................................................... 37 7.2.1         Questionnaires............................................................................................................................................. 37 Instrument Design..................................................................................................................................................... 38 Questionnaire Delivery & Deadlines...................................................................................................................... 39 Promotion Strategy................................................................................................................................................... 39 7.2.2         Interviews...................................................................................................................................................... 40 7.3        Sampling............................................................................................................................................................... 42 7.4        Research Reliability & Validity.............................................................................................................. 43 7.5        Ethical Considerations................................................................................................................................ 43 7.6        Data Analysis.................................................................................................................................................... 44 7.6.1         Quantitative Data Analysis........................................................................................................................ 44 7.6.2         Qualitative Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 45 Data Reduction.......................................................................................................................................................... 45 Data Display (Findings)............................................................................................................................................ 45 Conclusion Drawing.................................................................................................................................................. 46 Alternative Methods of Analysis............................................................................................................................ 46 7.7        Limitations of the Methodology............................................................................................................. 47 8       Project Planning & Management......................................................................................................... 47 8.1        Deviations from the Specification........................................................................................................... 47 8.2        Time Management............................................................................................................................................ 48 9       Primary Research – Small Case Study Havant College.................................................... 50 9.1        Background Information............................................................................................................................ 50 9.2        Questionnaire Pilot Study.......................................................................................................................... 52 9.2.1         Feedback & Amendments........................................................................................................................... 52 9.3        Final Questionnaire....................................................................................................................................... 53 9.4        Interviews........................................................................................................................................................... 53 9.4.1         Interview Agenda......................................................................................................................................... 53 10         Display of Findings & Analysis............................................................................................................ 56 10.1     Findings from Questionnaires.................................................................................................................... 56 10.1.1      Likert Scale Questions................................................................................................................................ 62 10.1.2      Qualitative Findings................................................................................................................................... 73 10.1.3      Irrelevant Findings...................................................................................................................................... 73 10.2     Interview Findings.......................................................................................................................................... 74 11         Discussion of Findings & Implication............................................................................................ 98 11.1     Usage of IT.......................................................................................................................................................... 98 11.2     Customer Satisfaction.................................................................................................................................. 98 11.2.1      Determinants of Customer Satisfaction................................................................................................ 101 11.3     Profit & Non-Profit Making Help Desks.............................................................................................. 101 11.3.1      Do Internal Customers have a Choice?................................................................................................ 103 11.4     Customer Service Training....................................................................................................................... 103 11.5     Communication Skills................................................................................................................................. 104 11.6     Customer Satisfaction Surveys............................................................................................................. 105 11.7     Service Level Agreements........................................................................................................................ 107 11.8     Discussion of Irrelevant Findings......................................................................................................... 109 11.9     Limitations of the Discussion.................................................................................................................. 110 12         Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................... 112 13         Evaluation....................................................................................................................................................... 113 13.1     Evaluation of the Study Process.......................................................................................................... 113 13.1.1      Evaluation of Research Questions & Objectives................................................................................. 113 13.2     Evaluation of Research methods.......................................................................................................... 115 13.3     Achievements.................................................................................................................................................. 116 13.4     Improvements.................................................................................................................................................. 116 13.5     Suggestions for Further Research....................................................................................................... 117 Glossary of Terms................................................................................................................................................... 119 bibliography/ references................................................................................................................................ 122 Figures Figure 1: Havant College Help Desk Structure................................................................................................. 51     Tables Table 1: Computer Usage at Havant College. 56 Table 2: Staff & Formal IT Qualifications. 57 Table 3: IT Qualification Levels. 58 Table 4: Customers Means of Contact with the IT Help Desk. 59 Table 5: How Often Staff Contact the IT Help Desk. 61 Table 6: Number of Respondents that try to resolve the problem before reporting. 62 Table 7: Number of Respondents that ask a Colleague for Help. 63 Table 8: Respondents that feel inadequate contacting the IT Help Desk. 64 Table 9: Attitudes towards Help Desk Staff. 65 Table 10: Customer Needs Met by the IT Help Desk. 66 Table 11: Customers Perception of Help Desk Staffing Levels. 67 Table 12: Customers Awareness of Response Times. 68 Table 13: Customers Updated on Job Status. 68 Table 14: Importance of Customer Satisfaction – the Customers Perspective. 69 Table 15: Customers Satisfaction with the Help Desk Service. 70 Table 16: Customers Perception of Satisfaction Measurement 71 Table 17: Surveys used to Improve Customer Satisfaction. 72 Table 18 : Job Titles & Roles within the Help Desk. 75 Table 19: The Role of the Help Desk & Services Provided. 76 Table 20: Customers contact with the IT help desk. 77 Table 21: Support Professionals Definitions of Customer Satisfaction. 78 Table 22: Factors that affect Customer Satisfaction. 80 Table 23: The importance of customer satisfaction for the non-profit making help desk. 81 Table 24: Is customer satisfaction more important for the profit making help desk. 82 Table 26: Survey Results & Improving Customer Satisfaction. 84 Table 27: Causes of Dissatisfaction. 85 Table 28: External Elements that Affect Customer Satisfaction. 86 Table 29: How dissatisfied customers are dealt with. 87 Table 30: Employee Satisfaction. 88 Table 31: Bad day and Service Provided. 89 Table 32: Improving Customer Satisfaction. 90 Table 33: Meeting needs & exceeding expectations. 91 Table 34: Help Desk Service Level Agreement (SLA) 92 Table 35: SLA availability & Revisions. 93 Table 36: The SLA & Customer Input 94 Table 37: Help desk Software & Customer Satisfaction. 95 Table 38: Internal Customers have a Choice. 96 Table 39: Additional comments from Interviews. 97 Charts   Chart 1: Computer Usage at Havant College. 57 Chart 2: Staff & Formal IT Qualifications. 57 Chart 3: IT Qualification Levels. 58 Chart 4: Customers Means of Contact with the IT Help Desk. 60 Chart 5: How Often Staff Contact the IT Help Desk. 61 Chart 6: Number of Respondents that try to resolve the problem before reporting. 63 Chart 7: Number of Respondents that ask a Colleague for Help. 64 Chart 8: Respondents that feel inadequate contacting the IT Help Desk. 64 Chart 9: Attitudes towards Help Desk Staff. 65 Chart 10: Customer Needs Met by the IT Help Desk. 66 Chart 11: Customers Perception of Help Desk Staffing Levels. 67 Chart 12: Customers Awareness of Response Times. 68 Chart 13: Customers Updated on Job Status. 69 Chart 14: Importance of Customer Satisfaction – the Customers Perspective. 70 Chart 15: Customers Satisfaction with the Help Desk Service. 71 Chart 16: Customers Perception of Satisfaction Measurement. 72 Chart 17: Surveys used to Improve Customer Satisfaction. 72           SAMPLE 2 Structure, Semantics and Style in Word Processing   Abstract This report tries to examine the problem of digital document preparation (word processing). After an evaluation of the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of existing word processing systems, we will try to underline the need for a distinction between the structural and semantic role of document elements and how this distinction might imply a translation into stylistic properties (the process of typesetting). At the same time, we will inspect the larger problem of the organisation of digital information which leads to the establishment of forms of digital knowledge and why this objective is important in an increasingly digital world. Consequently, we will try to examine digital information systems, as well as information itself, using a dialectical framework, in order to derive a specification of the nature of a digital document, as well as the essence of what constitutes a word processing system. Based on these principles, a prototype will begin to evolve, so that the validity of the principles can be tested and evaluated. Contents 1 Introduction 3 2 Literature Review 4 2.1 The paper metaphor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2.2 What one sees is what one gets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.3 A different approach to typesetting - LATEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2.4 But why semantics? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.5 So, where do word processors fit in? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3 Principles and Design 11 3.1 A dialectical view of a system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3.2 Characteristics of Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3.3 Specifying the nature of information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3.3.1 Interpreting content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3.3.2 Interpreting structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 3.3.3 Interpreting meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3.4 Modelling information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 4 Towards the implementation of a prototype 18 4.1 More Dialectics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4.2 Strategy and Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.3 Unravelling the skein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.4 Implementation Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 5 Implementation 22 5.1 A quick overview of the code base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 5.2 User Interface module ui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 5.3 Sections Pane Widget module arttree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 5.4 Memory Representation module memrep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 1 CONTENTS 2 5.5 Screen Layout Representation module screenrep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 6 Evaluation & Conclusion 29 6.1 Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 6.2 Prototype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 6.3 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Chapter 1 Introduction There appears to be an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the state and prospect of mainstream word processing systems, shared among a significant percentage of users. There also seems to be a variety of opinions as to what the causes of this dissatisfactionmight be. For many casual users, such systems are so bloated with functionality and features that they become almost unusable for anything but the basics. Others tend to underline the occasional ugliness and lack of consistency of resulting digital documents. Such characteristics like complexity and inconsistency, among others, seem to be the predominant themes in the criticism towards mainstream word processing systems. One could observe that the problemof digital document preparation is, in fact, a subdomain of a larger problem; that of the organisation of digital information. This larger problem has emerged as a property of the gradual and ongoing transition from analog to digital models of reality, which, of course, long precedes the invention of digital computers. However, digital computers and digital information systems have made this effort muchmore intense and conscious. As such, digital documents can be regarded as sources of digital information, portions of which need to be organised and combined in certain ways in order to produce forms of digital knowledge. But before one attempts to define and implement such organisational schemes, one has to look at the degree to which existing information-conveying systems actually facilitate or impede these objectives. Our approach is to start with an investigation of existing solutions to this problem of digital document preparation. We will attempt to answer questions such as why these solutions are partly incompatible with the larger problem of digital knowledge, why the problem of the organisation of digital information exists, who are interested in a solution and what might this solution generally look like. Consequently, we will attempt to dissect the main problem of word processing and interpret its main characteristics, by examining the more general issues of information systems and information itself. This analysis will lead to the establishment of certain principles, upon which a prototype will begin to evolve. Our hope is not and could not be to prove that our analysis is correct; our hope is to demonstrate that it constitutes a valid perspective on the problem in hand. 3 Chapter 2 Literature Review "Pencil and paper /n./: an archaic information storage and transmission device that works by depositing smears of graphite on bleached wood pulp. More recent developments in paper-based technology include improved ‘write-once’ update devices which use tiny rolling heads similar to mouse balls to deposit coloured pigment. All these devices require an operator skilled at so-called ’handwriting’ technique." [The Jargon File] 2.1 The paper metaphor Despite the huge advancements in sciences and technology, the ancient tradition of depicting combinations of symbols or glyphs on some kind of medium, remains more or less the same through the millenia, at least on a conceptual level. We still tend to think about any kind of document, in terms of its representation on some kind of surface. We are still concerned about the geometrical arrangement of content in the 2-dimensional space and we demand control over these aspects during document preparation. Inevitably, these concerns are reflected in the systems we design and build, in order to produce such documents. Now, if we consider a document as a source of information, then the problem arises of organising and classifying information, residing across an ocean of documents. Digital information systems typically excel at providing solutions to these kinds of problems; but still, there needs to be a stable and sane infrastructure in order for the organisational objectives to be pursued. The problem of organising information residing in digital documents is becoming more and more complex, typically because we still produce documents based on our predisposition towards the paper metaphor. There have been voices claiming that ”the paper metaphor does not communicate any understanding of the structure beneath the surface of a digital document” [Sogaard & Sandahl, 1997]. One could argue, that our mentality as users of word processing systems, emphasises mostly how a document looks and not so much, say, what a particular segment means or how it is related to other, internal or external, segments; a behaviour that seemingly disregards the distinction between structure and semantics. 4 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 2.2 What one sees is what one gets The majority of digital document preparation systems (word processors) follows the what-yousee- is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) paradigm, according to which a real time representation of the document is displayed on screen, based on how, approximately, it will look on paper. Such systems, including Microsoft Word, OpenOffice.org Writer, Star Office etc., are in wide use across a multitude of environments (home, academia, corporations, organisations etc.), for the production of a variety of documents (technical, administrative, promotional etc.); their power approaches that of desktop publishing systems. They provide the user with a vast array of options, which control many aspects of how a document will look, based on certain presuppositions. First of all, designers of such systems assume that their users have a knowledge of typesetting; in reality, most users have not. They also assume that their analysis of what constitutes the nature of a digital document is well defined; do they have a case? The main concept in such systems is that of style. A style is a logical attribute, defined as a set of physical attributes, that ”shifts the emphasis from what the text looks like, to what the text is” [Adielsson, 2005, p. 132]. In this case, ”what the text looks like” has to do with such properties as the font in use, the font size, various absolute measurements such as line spacing etc. (physical attributes); on the other hand, ”what the text is” (logical attribute) remains somewhat vague and ambiguous a concept. For example, ”Heading 1”, which indicates a level of content organisation (structure), is a style that quite happily coexists with the style ”Author”, which has to do with the meaning (semantics) of the portion of text it decorates. The point is that ”what the text is” is not an one-dimensional concept; different portions of text can serve different and even multiple purposes within a document. Of course, one can argue that a possible attempt to disambiguate between structure and semantics is rather theoretical and has no measurable significance in terms of ”real world” requirements. Naturally, this argument’s validity depends on how the ”real world’s” requirements are defined. If we consider the requirements that are actually posed by the World Wide Web and electronic publishing, or the manipulation of digital documents within an organisation (classi- fication and reuse of content etc.), we might concur that the distinction between structural and semantic dimensions of content, residing in digital documents, is actually a prerequisite to a sane and efficient scheme of access, organisation and manipulation of content. Studies have shown that the style mechanisms offered by mainstreamWYSIWYG word processing systems are inefficient and do not succeed in serving their designated purpose, because either ”they are not used as intended, or they are not used at all” [Sorgaard, Sandahl & Ljungberg, 1996]. One might add that the mechanisms themselves are ill-defined, vague and ambiguous, for the reasons previously stated, i.e. for failing to underline the distinction between the structural and semantic dimensions of content. This mentality often results in the production of inconsistent and poorly formatted documents and definitely has repercussions in the attempts to impose some kind of organisation on pools of documents and to define or discover various kinds of interrelationships between content, within a single document or across several ones. If what one sees is fuzzy, then what one gets is impossible to accurately define. CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 6                           Checklist Project Word Count   Exclude appendices. If maximum is exceeded marks may be lost or the project rejected   The report length is within the stated guidelines (15,000 words maximum excluding appendices)   I have included all making elements indicated on the marking form   I have studied the guidance notes on common project faults found in section 9.6   I have prepared two bound copies of all my project work including any separate appendices   I understand that I may use one or both sides of the paper when printing the report.   I have included a full contents list, table list and diagram list all numbered consistently   I have used good quality A4 paper, normally in portrait orientation with a weight between of 80 and 100gsm.   I have made sure that the pages are in the right order and none are missing   I have used MS word .doc format   I have formatted the front cover and title page as required and added the necessary plagiarism declaration.   All my text is single line spaced at 6 lines per inch/25.4 mm.   All my main text, including headings is in 12-point font (Arial Narrow is recommended)   All my text in tables and diagrams is 10-point font (Arial Narrow is recommended)   All main text is right and left justified   No headings at whatever level are indented   Headings are NOT followed by a blank line   Headings are in the same font and size as the main text but are shown in bold type   No numbered headings are orphaned (that is all heading must be followed by some text not immediately by another heading )   I have used a single blank line to separate paragraphs   All chapters and appendices are numbered sequentially (1, 2, 3,…)   All subsections are numbered (2.1, 2.2,…) and none of my sections numbers exceed three levels (1.2.1, 1.2.3 …)   All my margins: (top, bottom, left and right) are 20mm   All pages have footers in 10-pt Arial Narrow in form: Page 12 of 97 - J.Letto Student No.xxxxx Submission Date: 12.10.07   I have cited other people's work properly using the Harvard APA format   I have included all citations in my list of references   My abstract accurately summarises all of the report, not just parts of it   All my chapters and appendices start on a new page   I have included appendices, where appropriate, covering: project specification, Project Plan, Requirements document(s), design document, screen shots, source code, user documentation, test results, evaluation results, questionnaires, etc.   My supervisor has read each chapter as the work progressed.   My supervisor has read the whole report   I understand that indented sentences can be used where appropriate but bullets are not recommended (see 9.3.1)   I understand that page headers are not required   I understand that each of my chapters should start with an introductory section that explains what the chapter is about   I understand that each of my chapters should end with a summary and a helpful link to the next chapter   I have fixed a copy in .doc format of the project document and any appendices on floppy/CD/DVD to my project submission   All my primary data (including requirements data) is original to this study and collected by me for this specific project purpose   My primary data collection is available in the project document or appendix (if necessary in edited or summarised form)   Engineering Projects only - I have included an executable file of my application on an attached floppy/CD/DVD

Table of Contents Requirements Sample Checklist

Contents of and IT dissertation Cover Pages : Front and inner first – layout as per required Plagiarism dec...