Enhancing Human-Computer Interaction in Digital Repositories through a MCDA-Based Recommender System

Digital repositories contain a large amount of content, which is available to heterogeneous groups of people. As such, in many cases people encounter difficulties in finding specific content which is related to their preferences. In view of this compelling need and towards advancing human-computer interaction, this paper presents a recommender system which is incorporated in a digital repository. The recommender system is designed using multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and more specifically the weighted sum model (WSM) in order to refine the delivered content to the users. It also considers several users’ characteristics (their preferences as depicted by the content they visited or searched and by the frequency of searches/visits) and features of the content (content types and traffic). The recommender system outputs the suggestions of content to users based on their preferences and interests. The presented recommender system was evaluated by real users, and the results show a high degree of accuracy in the recommended content and satisfaction by users.

PRIORITY SECTOR OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES USING AHP: A CASE STUDY OF YAMARU ENTERPRISE

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the development of a country's economy by providing employment and using local resources; they also have the ability to quickly adapt to external and internal changes and technological developments due to their flexible nature. The development of SMEs continues to be encouraged, but there are many complex factors that impact their development, primarily focused on the lack of resources. This study seeks to determine priority sectors for developing SMEs and business units that offer the greatest potential opportunities. This study uses the AHP method, which is widely used in Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). Out of the five criteria analyzed, human resources was the priority factor (28.1%) that must become the main focus for Yamaru enterprise. The results of this study can be adopted by other SMEs.

A Synthetic Indicator for Sustainability Standards of Water Resources in Agriculture

The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability of water management for agriculture in a specific territory through the creation of a synthetic index resulting from the aggregation of multiple indices (environmental, economic, and social). The resulting synthetic index can be used to set sustainability standards and to guide the choices mandated by the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027. In this work we intend to show how the Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method facilitates a complex process such as establishing a degree of sustainability in a certain area and, therefore, provides support to national or regional policies and communities. The integration of MCDA and GIS increases the efficiency of the support activity. A case study is presented evaluating the level of sustainability in the Irrigation and Reclamation Consortium of Piacenza and Emilia Centrale, in the Emilia Romagna region.