Ana Funes

E-government Services Offerings Evaluation Using Continuous Logic

Electronic government although it has many areas is more commonly associated with the possibility of the general public to obtain through the web not only information about the government itself but also being able to access online public services. We present here an evaluation model for online public service offerings that is based on one hand on the use of the benchmarking of online public services created by the European Commission and on the other hand by the use of one particular method of continuous logic called logic scoring of preference.

Integrating OCL expressions into RSL specifications

In this work, we go a step further in the integration of the RAISE specification language (RSL) and the unified modeling language (UML). On the basis of our previous work -where we showed how to derive an initial formal specification in RSL from a UML class diagram-we propose here the use of set of rules to transform object constraint language (OCL) expressions into RSL expressions. Class diagrams can be enhanced with annotated OCL invariants and the corresponding formalizations in RSL can be obtained. Property verification of the model described by the UML class diagram and OCL invariants can now take place on the derived RSL specification by using reasoning techniques supported by the RAISE method.

A technique based on the OMG metamodel and OCL for the definition of object-oriented metrics applied to UML models

Summary form only given. The development of wide software systems is an activity that consumes great quantities of time and resources. Even with the increase of the automation in the software development activities, the resources stay scarce. As a consequence of this, there is a big interest in the metrics of software due to its potential for a better, more efficient use of the resources. Tools help and assist in the planning and in the estimation of the complexity of the applications to develop during different stage of a process. We describe a technique to define metrics using the OMG (Object Management Group) standard specification. The semantic in each metrics is specified formally with OCL (Object Constraint Language) based on OMG metamodels. For their concrete specification, we establish a series of steps that allows define uniformly each metric in the different RUP models. Furthermore, the present paper shows the use of metrics defined using this technique and the relation between data obtained from the application of the metrics to thirteen object oriented systems. They encompass projects from the capture of requirements until its implementation, showing the metrics applied in different stage of the deployment.

Hierarchical Distance-Based Conceptual Clustering

In this work we analyse the relation between hierarchical distance-based clustering and the concepts that can be obtained from the hierarchy by generalisation. Many inconsistencies may arise, because the distance and the conceptual generalisation operator are usually incompatible. To overcome this, we propose an algorithm which integrates distance-based and conceptual clustering. The new dendrograms can show when an element has been integrated to the cluster because it is near in the metric space or because it is covered by the concept. In this way, the new clustering can differ from the original one but the metric traceability is clear. We introduce three different levels of agreement between the clustering hierarchy obtained from the linkage distance and the new hierarchy, and we define properties these generalisation operators should satisfy in order to produce distance-consistent dendrograms.

An Instantiation of Hierarchical Distance-Based Conceptual Clustering for Propositional Learning

In this work we analyse the relationship between distance and generalisation operators for real numbers, nominal data and tuples in the context of hierarchical distance-based conceptual clustering (HDCC). HDCC is a general approach to conceptual clustering that extends the traditional algorithm for hierarchical clustering by producing conceptual generalisations of the discovered clusters. This makes it possible to combine the flexibility of changing distances for several clustering problems and the advantage of having concepts which are crucial for tasks as summarisation and descriptive data mining in general. In this work we propose a set of generalisation operators and distances for the data types mentioned before and we analyse the properties by them satisfied on the basis of three different levels of agreement between the clustering hierarchy obtained from the linkage distance and the hierarchy obtained by using generalisation operators.

Integrating balanced scorecard domain formalization with underlying project plan formalization

Summary form only given. The balanced scorecard is a management system that enables organizations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action. It provides feedback about both the internal business processes and external outcomes in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results. In the organizations, there exists the problem that the strategies, - that are the only sustainable forms that the organizations have to create value - are changing, but the tools to measure them are not. We believe that if the organizations have tools that support - or help - to maintain a permanent and actualized snapshot of the reality, then the managers have the possibility to make decisions with greater speed and accuracy, as well as to observe with more anticipation the deviations of the desirable goals from reality. We present a proposal to construct formally tools for supporting balanced scorecard in the organizational environment. In order to construct high quality software, it is important to formally define domain and requirement specifications. To do this we use RAISE Specification Language (RSL) since it is well suited to formal specifications of real developments in the software industries. RSL is a formal language, but it also allows rigorous - not strictly formal - style of specifications, where only the critical properties of the system are proved. These tools permit to organizations describe and measure things to manage assets based on knowledge and strategies for value creation.