scholarly journals Ethical Approaches to Robotic Data Gathering in Academic Research

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Burk

Internet researchers increasingly have at their disposal of an array of automated software agents, or "bots," which can rapidly and efficiently retrieve a variety of economic and technical data from publicly accessible web sites. While these automated tools greatly facilitate the retrieval and analysis of data for academic research, they may pose ethical problems for Internet researchers. Specifically, automated software bots place some load on servers being accessed, possibly in contradiction to the expected use of such servers, and possibly in violation of the legal prerogatives of web site owners. Determining how and when to access such web sites, and whether to seek the consent of web site owners for retrieval of publicly accessible data presents an apparent conflict between general principles of information policy and the emerging legal precedent regarding trespass to computers. This conflict may be characterized as pitting utilitarian considerations against deontological considerations in a fashion reminiscent of previous debates over informed consent in on-line research. In this paper, we examine both utilitarian and deontological characterizations of the ethical obligations of researchers employing automated data retrieval bots, and argue that the contrasts between the two approaches do not necessarily result in conflict. Instead, we argue that the tension within the relevant practices indicates the need for a "meta-choice" between utilitarian and deontological considerations. We further suggest certain factors that may differentiate such a "metaethical" choice in the context of automated data retrieval from the "meta-ethical" choice presented in previously identified contexts of human subjects research or of web browser technology design. In the end, we argue that by analyzing the ethical issues in terms of the contrast between utilitarian and deontological ethics, it is possible to resolve some of the ethical dilemmas regarding automated data retrieval in fruitful and cogent ways.

2011 ◽  
pp. 142-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Gena ◽  
Liliana Arissono

This chapter describes the user-centered design approach we adopted in the development and evaluation of an adaptive Web site. The development of usable Web sites, offering easy and efficient services to heterogeneous users, is a hot topic and a challenging issue for adaptive hypermedia and human-computer interaction. User-centered design promises to facilitate this task by guiding system designers in making decisions, which take the user’s needs in serious account. Within a recent project funded by the Italian Public Administration, we developed a prototype information system supporting the online search of data about water resources. As the system was targeted to different types of users, including generic citizens and specialized technicians, we adopted a user-centered approach to identify their information needs and interaction requirements. Moreover, we applied query analysis techniques to identify further information needs and speed up the data retrieval activity. In this chapter, we describe the requirements analysis, the system design, and its evaluation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Fahim Afarinasadi

<p>In an increasingly globalized world, web site localization has rapidly become an important form of cross-cultural and multimodal translation. The current pandemic has poignantly demonstrated how crucial multilingual web sites are to all aspects of life – from healthcare to education, from business to sport. The localization of football clubs’ web sites, however, has received very little attention in terms of academic research. As any other brands with local and global markets, football clubs rely on multilingual and multimodal communications to reach wider audience and increase their profile as well as their revenue. Most of the internet users in the world are non-native English speakers. The relevance of this data also applies to the most popular game in the world, football, and ought to be taken into serious consideration by football clubs in shaping their profile and priorities in terms of identity and outreach. The aim of this interdisciplinary thesis – one of the first academic studies worldwide devoted to the theory and practice of football club web site localization, especially in the context of Iran, where interest in national and international football is constantly growing – was thus to investigate how accurate and cross-culturally appropriate the translation of leading football clubs’ web site content actually is. This research project was conceptualized and conducted as a mixed-method case study to generate and combine quantitative and qualitative data in order to analyse and assess the translation and intercultural communication strategies adopted by some of the top football to produce multilingual web site content. Gathered data has been used to establish a set of theoretical principles and practical guidelines to help not only web site localizers and translation scholars but also media consultants and marketing analysts acquire a deeper understanding of how crucial translation quality and cross-cultural competence are – all the more so when localizing into a such a unique language as culture that is far-removed from the source language and culture. The theoretical and practical rubric I have devised has then been tested by translating into Persian selected pages from the web site of Football Club Internazionale Milano, one of the most international (as its name attests) and globally-minded as well as successful football clubs in the world. The findings of this study demonstrate that football clubs ought to consider linguistic and cultural accuracy, alongside up-to-date technology and appealing content, as key factors in achieving not only effective communication but also short-term and long-term success on and off the field.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Fahim Afarinasadi

<p>In an increasingly globalized world, web site localization has rapidly become an important form of cross-cultural and multimodal translation. The current pandemic has poignantly demonstrated how crucial multilingual web sites are to all aspects of life – from healthcare to education, from business to sport. The localization of football clubs’ web sites, however, has received very little attention in terms of academic research. As any other brands with local and global markets, football clubs rely on multilingual and multimodal communications to reach wider audience and increase their profile as well as their revenue. Most of the internet users in the world are non-native English speakers. The relevance of this data also applies to the most popular game in the world, football, and ought to be taken into serious consideration by football clubs in shaping their profile and priorities in terms of identity and outreach. The aim of this interdisciplinary thesis – one of the first academic studies worldwide devoted to the theory and practice of football club web site localization, especially in the context of Iran, where interest in national and international football is constantly growing – was thus to investigate how accurate and cross-culturally appropriate the translation of leading football clubs’ web site content actually is. This research project was conceptualized and conducted as a mixed-method case study to generate and combine quantitative and qualitative data in order to analyse and assess the translation and intercultural communication strategies adopted by some of the top football to produce multilingual web site content. Gathered data has been used to establish a set of theoretical principles and practical guidelines to help not only web site localizers and translation scholars but also media consultants and marketing analysts acquire a deeper understanding of how crucial translation quality and cross-cultural competence are – all the more so when localizing into a such a unique language as culture that is far-removed from the source language and culture. The theoretical and practical rubric I have devised has then been tested by translating into Persian selected pages from the web site of Football Club Internazionale Milano, one of the most international (as its name attests) and globally-minded as well as successful football clubs in the world. The findings of this study demonstrate that football clubs ought to consider linguistic and cultural accuracy, alongside up-to-date technology and appealing content, as key factors in achieving not only effective communication but also short-term and long-term success on and off the field.</p>


Author(s):  
Cristina Gena ◽  
Liliana Ardissono

This chapter describes the user-centered design approach we adopted in the development and evaluation of an adaptive Web site. The development of usable Web sites, offering easy and efficient services to heterogeneous users, is a hot topic and a challenging issue for adaptive hypermedia and human-computer interaction. User-centered design promises to facilitate this task by guiding system designers in making decisions, which take the user’s needs in serious account. Within a recent project funded by the Italian Public Administration, we developed a prototype information system supporting the online search of data about water resources. As the system was targeted to different types of users, including generic citizens and specialized technicians, we adopted a user-centered approach to identify their information needs and interaction requirements. Moreover, we applied query analysis techniques to identify further information needs and speed up the data retrieval activity. In this chapter, we describe the requirements analysis, the system design, and its evaluation.


Author(s):  
Cristina Gena ◽  
Liliana Ardissono

This chapter describes the user-centered design approach we adopted in the development and evaluation of an adaptive Web site. The development of usable Web sites, offering easy and efficient services to heterogeneous users, is a hot topic and a challenging issue for adaptive hypermedia and human-computer interaction. User-centered design promises to facilitate this task by guiding system designers in making decisions, which take the user’s needs in serious account. Within a recent project funded by the Italian Public Administration, we developed a prototype information system supporting the online search of data about water resources. As the system was targeted to different types of users, including generic citizens and specialized technicians, we adopted a user-centered approach to identify their information needs and interaction requirements. Moreover, we applied query analysis techniques to identify further information needs and speed up the data retrieval activity. In this chapter, we describe the requirements analysis, the system design, and its evaluation.


2009 ◽  
pp. 791-806
Author(s):  
Cristina Gena ◽  
Liliana Ardissono

This chapter describes the user-centered design approach we adopted in the development and evaluation of an adaptive Web site. The development of usable Web sites, offering easy and efficient services to heterogeneous users, is a hot topic and a challenging issue for adaptive hypermedia and human-computer interaction. User-centered design promises to facilitate this task by guiding system designers in making decisions, which take the user’s needs in serious account. Within a recent project funded by the Italian Public Administration, we developed a prototype information system supporting the online search of data about water resources. As the system was targeted to different types of users, including generic citizens and specialized technicians, we adopted a user-centered approach to identify their information needs and interaction requirements. Moreover, we applied query analysis techniques to identify further information needs and speed up the data retrieval activity. In this chapter, we describe the requirements analysis, the system design, and its evaluation.


2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-86
Author(s):  
Christine Rzepka

One of the top reasons given for use of the internet is the ability to search for health information. However, much of the planning for web-based health information often fails to consider accessibility issues. If health care organizations and community agencies’ web sites have the latest, most wellresearched information on the health topics of the day, it is useless to those who cannot access it because of invisible technological barriers. Many flashy, high-tech sites were designed only to appeal to the needs of the mainstream population, with no consideration given to how people with disabilities must adapt their use of the web in order to access information. This article addresses issues of access specific to web site development, and will explore barriers to accessibility frequently experienced by web users with disabilities, requirements for ADA compliance, and how people with disabilities use the web. Web site accessibility guidelines, as well as simple evaluation tools, will be discussed. A thorough review of the article will enable even the least tech-savvy of health educators to enhance their skills in planning and evaluating web sites to promote access for people with disabilities.


Author(s):  
Petar Halachev ◽  
Aleksandra Todeva ◽  
Gergana Georgieva ◽  
Marina Jekova

he report explores and analyzes the application of the most popular programming languages from different organizations: GitHub; Stackoverflow; the TIOBE's Community index. The main client technologies: HTML; CSS; JavaScript; Typescript are presented and analysed. Features are characterized and the advantages and the disadvantages of the server technologies are described: Java; PHP; Python; Ruby. The application areas for web site development technologies have been defined. The creation of a quality web site is a complex and complicated process, but by observing some guidelines and recommendations in the work process can help to select the tools and the technologies in its design and development.


Author(s):  
David B. Resnik

This chapter discusses some of the key ethical issues that arise in environmental health research involving human subjects, including returning individualized research results, protecting privacy and confidentiality, research on environmental interventions, intentional exposure studies, research regulations, autonomy, beneficence, informed consent, payments to subjects, and protecting vulnerable human subjects. The chapter will discuss issues that are common to all research designs, as well as those unique to certain types of designs, such as intentional exposure studies. It will also address ethical issues that arose in two important cases, the Kennedy Krieger Institute lead abatement study, and the Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study.


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