Javier Gomez

A multi-stage method for content classification and opinion mining on weblog comments

In this paper, we illustrate how to combine supervised machine learning algorithms and unsupervised learning techniques for sentiment analysis and opinion mining purposes. To this end, we describe a multi-stage method for the automatic detection of different opinion trends. The proposal has been tested on real textual data available from comments introduced in a weblog, connected to organizational and administrative affairs in a public educational institution. The use of the described tool, given its potential impact to obtain valuable knowledge from opinion streams created by commenters, may be straightforwardly extended, for example, to the detection of opinion trends concerning policy decision making or electoral campaigns.

On deciding how to decide: Designing participatory budget processes

Participatory budgets are becoming increasingly popular in many municipalities all around the world. The underlying idea is to allow citizens to participate in the allocation of a municipal budget. Many advantages have been suggested for such experiences, including legitimization and more informed and transparent decisions. There are many conceivable variants of such processes. However, in most cases both its design and implementation are carried out in an informal way. In this paper we propose a methodology to design a participatory budget process based on a multicriteria decision making model.

From Participatory to e-Participatory Budgets

This chapter provides an overview of the main participatory budget practices in Europe, together with a description of the pioneer one of Porto Alegre, as many of them are based on it. We also present an architecture for e-participatory budget formation support. Finally, an experiment is carried out to illustrate the architecture.

A participatory budget model under uncertainty

Participatory budgets are becoming increasingly popular in many municipalities all over the world. The underlying idea is to allow citizens to participate in the allocation of a fraction of the municipal budget. There are many variants of such processes. However, in most cases they assume a fixed budget based upon a maximum amount of money to be spent. This approach seems lacking, especially in times of crisis when public funding suffers high volatility and widespread cuts. In this paper, we propose a model for participatory budgeting under uncertainty based on stochastic programming.

A framework for risk management decisions in aviation safety at state level

Aviation is a key industrial sector for global development. Safety is essential for its healthy growth. However its management is pervaded by simplistic methods based on risk matrices. We provide here a framework for risk management decisions in aviation safety at state level. This helps us in identifying the best portfolio that a state agency may implement to improve aviation safety in a country. We illustrate our proposal with a case study.

Robustness for Adversarial Risk Analysis

Adversarial Risk Analysis is an emergent paradigm for supporting a decision maker who faces adversaries in problems in which the consequences are random and depend on the actions of all participating agents. In this chapter, we outline a framework for robust analysis methods in Adversarial Risk Analysis. Our discussion focuses on security applications.

ePBPM: a graphical language supporting interoperability of participatory process

In recent years, there has been an increase in the desire by citizens to participate in public decision-making. This has led to the emergence of numerous participatory processes across the world. A participatory process may be described as a set of participatory common tasks satisfying certain constraints. The design of such processes may become a complex task for inexperienced individuals. We develop an architecture to support distributed decision making that allows for executing most participatory processes available and propose a method to design participatory processes filling only a simple form allowing its further modification through a graphical interface. To do this we rely on business process management systems, using the BPM standard notation (BPMN).

Topological structures are consistently overestimated in functional complex networks

Functional complex networks have meant a pivotal change in the way we understand complex systems, being the most outstanding one the human brain. These networks have classically been reconstructed using a frequentist approach that, while simple, completely disregards the uncertainty that derives from data finiteness. We provide here an alternative solution based on Bayesian inference, with link weights treated as random variables described by probability distributions, from which ensembles of networks are sampled. By using both statistical and topological considerations, we prove that the role played by links’ uncertainty is equivalent to the introduction of a random rewiring, whose omission leads to a consistent overestimation of topological structures. We further show that this bias is enhanced in short time series, suggesting the existence of a theoretical time resolution limit for obtaining reliable structures. We also propose a simple sampling process for correcting topological values obtained in frequentist networks. We finally validate these concepts through synthetic and real network examples, the latter representing the brain electrical activity of a group of people during a cognitive task.

Decision support services: A framework for distributed decision making over the Web

There has been a raise in the desire to participate in governmental decisions by citizens in recent years. This has motivated the emergence of hundreds of participatory instruments that facilitate the transmission of citizen concerns and desires. Similarly, there has been an increased use of information and communication technologies allowing citizens to contact and provide their preferences to the politicians. We develop here an architecture to support distributed decision making, allowing to construct and implement most participatory processes available. It is based on a standard that enables information exchange among various stages of the process, using XML standard and Web services.