Information-Theoretic Methods in Data Science


Book Description

The first unified treatment of the interface between information theory and emerging topics in data science, written in a clear, tutorial style. Covering topics such as data acquisition, representation, analysis, and communication, it is ideal for graduate students and researchers in information theory, signal processing, and machine learning.




Research Methods in Information


Book Description

The long-awaited 2nd edition of this best-selling research methods handbook is fully updated and includes brand new coverage of online research methods and techniques, mixed methodology and qualitative analysis. This edition includes two new contributed chapters: Professor Julie McLeod, Sue Childs and Elizabeth Lomas focus on research data management, applying evidence from the recent JISC funded DATUM project; Dr Andrew Shenton examines strategies for analysing existing documents. The first to focus entirely on the needs of the information and communications community, this handbook guides the would-be researcher through the variety of possibilities open to them under the heading research and provides students with the confidence to embark on their dissertations. The focus here is on the doing and although the philosophy and theory of research is explored to provide context, this is essentially a practical exploration of the whole research process with each chapter fully supported by examples and exercises tried and tested over a whole teaching career. Readership: Students of information and communications studies and archives and records management, and practitioners beginning a piece of research.




Information-Spectrum Methods in Information Theory


Book Description

From the reviews: "This book nicely complements the existing literature on information and coding theory by concentrating on arbitrary nonstationary and/or nonergodic sources and channels with arbitrarily large alphabets. Even with such generality the authors have managed to successfully reach a highly unconventional but very fertile exposition rendering new insights into many problems." -- MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS




Research Methods


Book Description

Research Methods: Information, Systems, and Contexts, Second Edition, presents up-to-date guidance on how to teach research methods to graduate students and professionals working in information management, information science, librarianship, archives, and records and information systems. It provides a coherent and precise account of current research themes and structures, giving students guidance, appreciation of the scope of research paradigms, and the consequences of specific courses of action. Each of these valuable sections will help users determine the relevance of particular approaches to their own questions. The book presents academics who teach research and information professionals who carry out research with new resources and guidance on lesser-known research paradigms. - Provides up-to-date knowledge of research methods and their applications - Provides a coherent and precise account of current research themes and structures through chapters written by authors who are experts in their fields - Helps students and researchers understand the range of quantitative and qualitative approaches available for research, as well as how to make practical use of them - Provides many illustrations from projects in which authors have been involved, to enhance understanding - Emphasises the nexus between formulation of research question and choice of research methodology - Enables new researchers to understand the implications of their planning decisions




Methods of Information Geometry


Book Description

Information geometry provides the mathematical sciences with a fresh framework of analysis. This book presents a comprehensive introduction to the mathematical foundation of information geometry. It provides an overview of many areas of applications, such as statistics, linear systems, information theory, quantum mechanics, and convex analysis.




Human Interface and the Management of Information. Methods, Techniques and Tools in Information Design


Book Description

This is the first of a two-volume set that constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Symposium on Human Interface 2007, held in Beijing, China in July 2007. It covers design and evaluation methods and techniques, visualizing information, retrieval, searching, browsing and navigation, development methods and techniques, as well as advanced interaction technologies and techniques.




Information Technology Based Methods for Health Behaviours


Book Description

Understanding and modifying health behaviors plays an important part in healthcare. The need to change behaviors applies across a range of health contexts, from individual interventions to the clinically-delivered management of chronic diseases and rehabilitation. Telehealth or virtual care technology offers many possible advantages here, including cost-efficiency, scalability, personalization, and automated high volume data collection and analysis, but success will depend on the effectiveness of the design, implementation and deployment of IT-based methods. This book, which forms part of the Global Telehealth series, includes papers presented at Global Telehealth 2019 (GT2019), a National Symposium on the topic of IT-based Methods for Health Behaviours held in Adelaide, Australia on 5 July 2019. The 10 papers selected for inclusion here comprise only full-paper, blind peer-reviewed contributions received for the symposium and the subsequent call for further contributions. Topics range from the scientific theory of health behavior change, through technological approaches to active ageing and the implementation of the 10,000 steps project, to a discussion of digital infrastructure for the storing & sharing of internet of things, wearables and app-based research study data. The book will be of interest to all researchers, managers and healthcare practitioners working to bring about positive changes in health behavior.




Linking Sensitive Data


Book Description

This book provides modern technical answers to the legal requirements of pseudonymisation as recommended by privacy legislation. It covers topics such as modern regulatory frameworks for sharing and linking sensitive information, concepts and algorithms for privacy-preserving record linkage and their computational aspects, practical considerations such as dealing with dirty and missing data, as well as privacy, risk, and performance assessment measures. Existing techniques for privacy-preserving record linkage are evaluated empirically and real-world application examples that scale to population sizes are described. The book also includes pointers to freely available software tools, benchmark data sets, and tools to generate synthetic data that can be used to test and evaluate linkage techniques. This book consists of fourteen chapters grouped into four parts, and two appendices. The first part introduces the reader to the topic of linking sensitive data, the second part covers methods and techniques to link such data, the third part discusses aspects of practical importance, and the fourth part provides an outlook of future challenges and open research problems relevant to linking sensitive databases. The appendices provide pointers and describe freely available, open-source software systems that allow the linkage of sensitive data, and provide further details about the evaluations presented. A companion Web site at https://dmm.anu.edu.au/lsdbook2020 provides additional material and Python programs used in the book. This book is mainly written for applied scientists, researchers, and advanced practitioners in governments, industry, and universities who are concerned with developing, implementing, and deploying systems and tools to share sensitive information in administrative, commercial, or medical databases. The Book describes how linkage methods work and how to evaluate their performance. It covers all the major concepts and methods and also discusses practical matters such as computational efficiency, which are critical if the methods are to be used in practice - and it does all this in a highly accessible way! David J. Hand, Imperial College, London.




Visual Research Methods


Book Description

Visual research methods (VRM) comprise a collection of methods that incorporate visual elements such as maps, drawings, photographs, videos, as well as three-dimensional objects into the research process. In addition, VRM including photo-elicitation, photovoice, draw-and-write techniques, and cognitive mapping are being leveraged to great effect to explore information experiences to investigate some of the central questions in the field; expand theoretical discussions in LIS; and improve library services and spaces. Visual Research Methods: An Introduction for Library and Information Studies is the first book to focus on visual methods in LIS, providing a comprehensive primer for students, educators, researchers and practitioners in the field. Contributed chapters in the book showcase examples of VRM in action and offer the insights, inspirations, and experiences of researchers and practitioners working with visual methods. Coverage includes: - an introduction to visual research methods including a discussion of terminology - an overview of the literature on VRM in libraries - methodological framing including a discussion of theory, epistemology, - practical and ethical considerations for researchers embarking on VRM projects - chapters showcasing VRM in action including drawing techniques, photographic techniques, and mixed methods - six contributed chapters each showcasing the results of visual research methods, discussions of the techniques, and reflections on VRM for research in information studies. This book will provide a strong methodological context for the adoption of visual research methods in LIS and feature examples of VRM ‘in action.’ It will prove to be a must-have reference for researchers, practitioners, instructors, and students who want to engage with visual research methods and to expand their methodological toolkit.




Research Methods in Library and Information Science


Book Description

The seventh edition of this frequently adopted textbook features new or expanded sections on social justice research, data analysis software, scholarly identity research, social networking, data science, and data visualization, among other topics. It continues to include discipline experts' voices. The revised seventh edition of this popular text provides instruction and guidance for professionals and students in library and information science who want to conduct research and publish findings, as well as for practicing professionals who want a broad overview of the current literature. Providing a broad introduction to research design, the authors include principles, data collection techniques, and analyses of quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as advantages and limitations of each method and updated bibliographies. Chapters cover the scientific method, sampling, validity, reliability, and ethical concerns along with quantitative and qualitative methods. LIS students and professionals will consult this text not only for instruction on conducting research but also for guidance in critically reading and evaluating research publications, proposals, and reports. As in the previous edition, discipline experts provide advice, tips, and strategies for completing research projects, dissertations, and theses; writing grants; overcoming writer's block; collaborating with colleagues; and working with outside consultants. Journal and book editors discuss how to publish and identify best practices and understudied topics, as well as what they look for in submissions.