The IT Measurement Compendium


Book Description

“As projects get more complicated, managers stop learning from their - perience. It is important to understand how that happens and how to change it.... Fallible estimates: In software development, initial estimates for a project shape the trajectory of decisions that a manager makes over its life. For ex- ple, estimates of the productivity of the team members influence decisions about the size of the team, which in turn affect the team’s actual output. The trouble is that initial estimates usually turn out to be wrong. ” (Sengupta, 2008) This book aims directly to increase the awareness among managers and practitioners that estimation is as important as the work to be done in so- ware and systems development. You can manage what you can measure! Readers will find in this book a collection of lessons learned from the worldwide “metrics community,” which we have documented and enhanced with our own experiences in the field of software measurement and estimating. Our goal is to support our readers to harvest the benefits of estimating and - prove their software development processes. We present the 5 ISO/I- acknowledged Functional Sizing Methods with variants, experiences, counting rules, and case studies – and most importantly, illustrate through practical - amples how to use functional size measurement to produce realistic estimates. The book is written in a practical manner, especially for the busy practitioner community. It is aimed to be used as a manual and an assistant for everyday work.




Measurements in Distance Education


Book Description

As more postsecondary faculty become engaged in designing online learning environments, research conducted on distance education program quality becomes increasingly important. Measurements in Distance Education is a concise, well-organized guide to some of the many instruments, scales, and methods that have been created to assess distance education environments, learners, and teachers. Entries are organized according to the qualities these measures attempt to gauge—such as engagement and information retention—and provide summaries of each instrument, usage information, the history of its development, and validation, including any reported psychometric properties. Offering more than 50 different surveys, tests, and other metrics, this book is an essential reference for anyone interested in understanding distance education assessment.




Compendium of Thermophysical Property Measurement Methods


Book Description

Building on the extensive coverage of the first volume, Volume 2 focuses on the fundamentals of measurements and computational techniques that will aid researchers in the construction and use of measurement devices.




The Book of Times


Book Description

“Clever and entertaining . . . contains everything you’d want to know about the ticking away of seconds, minutes, hours, days, years, decades and centuries.” —Time.com Our relationship to time is complex and paradoxical: Time stands still. Time also flies. Tomorrow is another day. Yet there’s no time like the present. We want to do more in less time, but wish we could slow the clock. And despite all our time-saving devices—smart phones, AI, high-speed trains—Americans feel that they have less leisure time than ever. In an era when our time feels fractured and imperiled, The Book of Times encourages readers to ponder time used and time spent. How long does it take to find a new mate, digest a hamburger, or compose a symphony? How much time do we spend daydreaming, texting, and getting ready for work? The book challenges our beliefs and urges us to consider how, and why, some things get faster, some things slow down, and some things never change (the need for seven to eight hours of sleep). Packed with compelling charts, lists, and quizzes, as well as new and intriguing research, The Book of Times is an addictive, browsable, and provocative look at the idea of time from every direction. “Alderman’s greatest achievement is the continual delivery of quirky knowledge that our collective curiosities crave.” —Forbes “Fascinated by how we spend—and waste—our most precious commodity, journalist Lesley Alderman gathered the sometimes-surprising stats for her debut, The Book of Times.” —People “A fascinating foray into familiar terrain and a revealing look at how we really spend our lives.” —Mental Floss







Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experiences


Book Description

Bullying, particularly among school-age children, is a major public health problem both domestically and internationally (Nansel, Craig, Overpeck, Saluja, & Ruan, 2004). Current estimates suggest that nearly 30% of American adolescents reported at least moderate bullying experiences as the bully, the victim, or both. Specifically, of a nationally representative sample of adolescents, 13% reported being a bully, 11% reported being a victim of bullying, and 6% reported being both a bully and a victim (Nansel et al., 2001).




A Compendium of Tests, Scales and Questionnaires


Book Description

This Compendium is a comprehensive reference manual containing an extensive selection of instruments developed to measure signs and symptoms commonly encountered in neurological conditions, both progressive and non-progressive. It provides a repository of established instruments, as well as newly-developed scales, and covers all aspects of the functional consequences of acquired brain impairment. In particular, the text provides a detailed review of approximately 150 specialist instruments for the assessment of people with neurological conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, stroke and traumatic brain injury. Part A presents scales examining body functions, including consciousness and orientation; general and specific cognitive functions; regulation of behaviour, thought, and emotion; and motor-sensory functions. Part B reviews scales of daily living activities and community participation. Part C focuses on contextual factors, specifically environmental issues, and Part D contains multidimensional and quality of life instruments. Each instrument is described in a stand-alone report using a uniform format. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument. The structure of the book directly maps onto the taxonomy of the influential International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (World Health Organization, 2001), enabling linkage of clinical concepts across health conditions. The Compendium will be a valuable reference for clinicians, researchers, educators, and graduate students, and a practical resource for those involved in the assessment of people with brain impairment. The book is accompanied by a password protected website. For a one-off payment, purchasers of the book can gain online access to the majority of the tests, scales and questionnaires featured in the book as downloadable PDFs. See inside the book for more details.




A Compendium of Psychosocial Measures


Book Description

"Dale Johnson brings a rare and unique assortment of skills to this enterprise. . . .he has personally been immersed in the world of severe mental illness for many yearsÖand adds a compendium of appropriate tools for the research community." --Harriet P. Lefley, PhD University of Miami School of Medicine (From the Foreword) This book discusses the rationale for the selection of psychosocial measures used to assess adults with serious mental illnesses. The chapters examine the use and efficiency of various measurement tools that intend to evaluate diagnostic and functional specificity, life stressors, supportive resources, quality of life, and more. The text also analyzes external factors that are vital to clients' clinical progress and continuing community tenure, such as continuity of care, housing resources, and family measures. Key Features: Presents the purpose of each measurement tool, the description, psychometric properties, reliability, validity, and usage guidelines in template format Includes measurement tools for functional assessment, community living, social problem solving and coping, agency performance evaluation, and more Contains research on treatment adherence, consumer satisfaction with mental health services, and feelings of empowerment Evaluates the functioning and productivity of treatment and rehabilitation centers This is the ideal tool for clinicians, psychiatrists, rehabilitation professionals, and other mental health professionals working with the mentally ill in hospital or community health settings.




Assessing the Human-animal Bond


Book Description

This book gathers, in one place, those measures presently used to study the human-companion animal bond. The measures chosen for inclusion are the most heavily used by researchers, as well as measures that appear to be innovative or relate to the different aspects of the human-companion animal relationship. The measures cover the human-animal bond principally by attachment, but also by fear, abuse, or neglect.




Software Quality Assurance and Measurement


Book Description

This book presents a comprehensive international overview of software quality assurance and metrics practice with contributions from around the world. The combination of the international perspective and practical case studies presented here will make this book invaluable to all practitioners and students in software engineering.