The Rapid Iterative Test and Evaluation Method (RITE)

Author(s):  
Michael C. Medlock

This chapter begins with a discussion of the philosophy and then definition of the RITE method. It then delves into the benefits of this method and provides practical notes on running RITE tests effectively. The chapter concludes with an overview of the original case study behind the 2002 article documenting this method.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Malczewski ◽  
Claus Rinner

Commonly used GIS combination operators such as Boolean conjunction/disjunction and weighted linear combination can be generalized to the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) family of operators. This multicriteria evaluation method allows decision-makers to define a decision strategy on a continuum between pessimistic and optimistic strategies. Recently, OWA has been introduced to GIS-based decision support systems. We propose to extend a previous implementation of OWA with linguistic quantifiers to simplify the definition of decision strategies and to facilitate an exploratory analysis of multiple criteria. The linguistic quantifier-guided OWA procedure is illustrated using a dataset for evaluating residential quality of neighborhoods in London, Ontario. <div><br></div><div>This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Geographical Systems. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10109-005-0159-2 <br></div>


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willem Karel M. Brauers ◽  
Simona Kildienė ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Artūras Kaklauskas

The recession 2008-2009 which influenced the World economy has set new challenges for the development of the European construction sector. In the years 2008–2009 a great number of countries faced serious production and employment breakdowns. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the construction sector from a macroeconomic point of view by comparing construction market variations appeared during the crisis in twenty European countries. Therefore statistical indicators of the construction sector were used and a multiobjective evaluation method under the name of MULTIMOORA was employed. However these traditional indicators of the construction sector deliver an incomplete definition of real situations within the sector as during the recession plenty of constructed buildings remained unsold. Therefore the authors of this article propose a rather complex comparison of construction indicators for different European countries. The case study provides the analysis and calculations performed with the help of the MULTIMOORA method. This method enables the evaluation of European countries in accordance with the investigated objectives and ranges them into different groups according to the objectives set for the construction sector.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Wan ◽  
Qiuping Peng ◽  
Jiuhe Wang ◽  
Yong Tian ◽  
Can Xu

Although the concept of sustainable development has made certain achievements in many fields, airport sustainability (AS) has not yet formed a unified and comprehensive theory and evaluation method. According to the connotation of sustainable development, this paper proposes the definition of airport sustainability by considering China’s national conditions and airport characteristics. Secondly, this paper identifies four AS dimensions of economy, environment, society, and operation and selects and screens evaluation indicators for each dimension. Thirdly, a synthetic evaluation index model of AS is constructed based on the benefit of the doubt (BoD) model, and the process of evaluation method is planned according to a synthetic evaluation method. Finally, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) is selected as a case study to evaluate the AS from 2008 to 2017, and the influencing factors of AS are discussed to predict AS in 2018. The evaluation and prediction results are consistent with the actual operational characteristics of CAN.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Malczewski ◽  
Claus Rinner

Commonly used GIS combination operators such as Boolean conjunction/disjunction and weighted linear combination can be generalized to the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) family of operators. This multicriteria evaluation method allows decision-makers to define a decision strategy on a continuum between pessimistic and optimistic strategies. Recently, OWA has been introduced to GIS-based decision support systems. We propose to extend a previous implementation of OWA with linguistic quantifiers to simplify the definition of decision strategies and to facilitate an exploratory analysis of multiple criteria. The linguistic quantifier-guided OWA procedure is illustrated using a dataset for evaluating residential quality of neighborhoods in London, Ontario. <div><br></div><div>This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Geographical Systems. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10109-005-0159-2 <br></div>


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Saida Parvin

Women’s empowerment has been at the centre of research focus for many decades. Extant literature examined the process, outcome and various challenges. Some claimed substantial success, while others contradicted with evidence of failure. But the success remains a matter of debate due to lack of empirical evidence of actual empowerment of women around the world. The current study aimed to address this gap by taking a case study method. The study critically evaluates 20 cases carefully sampled to include representatives from the entire country of Bangladesh. The study demonstrates popular beliefs about microfinance often misguide even the borrowers and they start living in a fabricated feeling of empowerment, facing real challenges to achieve true empowerment in their lives. The impact of this finding is twofold; firstly there is a theoretical contribution, where the definition of women’s empowerment is proposed to be revisited considering findings from these cases. And lastly, the policy makers at governmental and non-governmental organisations, and multinational donor agencies need to revise their assessment tools for funding.


2020 ◽  
pp. 607-612
Author(s):  
Bernard Coûteaux

This paper elaborates on the key solutions offered by De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) to optimize the efficiency of cane sugar producing and processing facilities. In order to meet customer needs, DSEC offers proprietary predictive models built using the latest versions of specialized software. These models allow factory managers to envision the whole picture of increased operational and capital efficiency before it becomes reality. An integrated energy model and the CAPEX/OPEX evaluation method are discussed as ways to estimate and optimize costs, both for new greenfield projects and revamping of existing factories. The models demonstrate that factory capacities can be successfully increased using equipment that is already available. Special attention is paid to crystallization and centrifugation process simulations and the potential improvement of the global energy balance. One case study shows the transformation of a beet sugar factory into a refinery to process raw cane sugar after beet crop season and the second case shows the integration of a refinery into a cane sugar factory. The primary focus of the article is optimization of the technological process through predictive modelling. DSEC’s suggested solutions, which lead to great improvements in a plant’s efficiency and its ability to obtain very low energy consumption, are discussed.


Author(s):  
Emron Esplin

This essay explores Edgar Allan Poe’s extraordinary relationships with various literary traditions across the globe, posits that Poe is the most influential US writer on the global literary scene, and argues that Poe’s current global reputation relies at least as much on the radiance of the work of Poe’s literary advocates—many of whom are literary stars in their own right—as it does on the brilliance of Poe’s original works. The article briefly examines Poe’s most famous French advocates (Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Valéry); glosses the work of his advocates throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas; and offers a concise case study of Poe’s influence on and advocacy from three twentieth-century writers from the Río de la Plata region of South America (Quiroga, Borges, and Cortázar). The essay concludes by reading the relationships between Poe and his advocates through the ancient definition of astral or stellar influence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4186
Author(s):  
Abdulhakeem Raji ◽  
Abeer Hassan

This paper adopted a case study approach to investigate the sustainability practices of a Scottish university in order to understand if sustainability forms part of its central policy agenda. As such, the paper focuses on the levels of awareness and disclosure of their sustainable practices, measuring the impacts and effectiveness of those initiatives. This paper introduces signaling theory to explore the idea that appropriate communication via integrated thinking can close the gap between the organization and its stakeholders. We believe that the provision of this relevant information will lead to better communication between the organization and its stakeholders, supporting a signaling theory interpretation. Therefore, we are suggesting that integrated thinking is an internal process that organizations can follow to increase the level of disclosure as a communication tool with stakeholders. From the literature reviewed, four themes were identified (definition of university sustainability, sustainability awareness, disclosure framework within universities, and level of accountability). The research adopted a pragmatic view and conducted individual interviews with participants belonging to three stakeholder groups (members of the university’s senior management, the governing council, and the student union executive). Although this study focused on just one Scottish university, it should still provide some insight for the better understanding of the underpinning issues surrounding the sustainability accountability practices of Scottish universities in general. The research findings indicated that the university prioritized only two sustainability dimensions—economic and environmental—and that the university still perceived sustainability as a voluntary exercise. Additionally, it is evident that the university had no framework in place for measuring its sustainability delivery—and therefore had no established medium of communicating these activities to its stakeholders. Moreover, research findings showed that the social and educational context of sustainability was lacking at the university. The university has done little or nothing to educate its stakeholders on sustainability.


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