The customer has to create a project feasibility report of the topic ‘web site and database’, hypothesis needs to be produced
Marshall McLughan once put it “Medium is the message”. The statement quite aptly puts together how medium affects the way in which a message (Information) is received and perceived by the receiver.
In the present time where there is a constant exchange, need and use of information it is necessary to understand how the information is received, how accurate it is and to what use is it put to. Today computers and internet are shaping up to be the prime sources of information and affecting the lives of people across the world.
Initially databases were built and transmitted by information service providers but of late corporations, governments, public institutions, groups as well as individuals are creating and providing such information through internet on websites. In light of the currents Information Scenario it has become increasingly important to evaluate and deduce the use, quality and accuracy of such information. The intended project shall try to challenge, evaluate the quality and use of Websites and Databases.
2. Academic and Real-World Review
2.1 What are Databases?
The terms Database came into existence around the 1950s where it was used to refer to computer-accumulated data for military purposes. However, the widespread use of the term “Database” owes its homage to PubMed and certain other scientific and indexing agencies which provided database searching of publications and journals through the use of computers. Then databases were constructed using publications and journals and the term “Database” referred to computer-accumulated data constructed to obey certain quality control rules.
However, now it is essential to understand the term “Database” in context to the way it applies to web. Database is a well-structured accumulation of data. Data may be anything - a list of email addresses of people, a catalogue of products with information on pricing and images of those products. Database technology can help in managing website content, information dissemination.
Websites are created dynamically using databases meaning instead of site built of many static pages, each page is created based on information in the database, at the time the page is accessed by an end-user.
2.2 Quality Assessment of Database
CIQM (Centre of Information Management) has proposed “Database Labelling” as a way of studying the database quality. This innovative way of checking the quality of a website uses a procedure of labelling called “Quality Flag”. The Quality Flag not only assesses the database content but also a number of quality statements such as updating, record structure and indexing also carrying out spell checks. Users can use this label to determine the extent to which they can trust a website and be sure of its performance measurement and quality assurance. Labelling has lead to the use of metadata to describe the quality attributes of a website. Different R&D infrastructures like PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection) and RDF (Research Development Framework) are developing new ways of automatic data-labelling.
3. Aims and Hypothesis
The project aims to investigate the “Internet” as a source of information. We shall try to find out for what sort of information and use do people access the internet and websites. How much do they rely on the websites splurged across the internet for information and a self-study of the quality and authenticity of widely used websites and databases? Thus the main aim of the project is to study, challenge and evaluate the use and quality Websites and Databases. It shall help us in formulating views on whether people care more about the quality of a website and its contents or more on its look and feel, accessibility. We shall also determine how website caters to Data Protection and copyright laws. What is the degree of copyright infringement taking place on the internet through unsolicited websites and music and video sharing, etc.
We shall try to carry out the investigation in the project on the following hypothesis: -
1) Present trends of the use of Internet and Websites.
2) Purpose of use of websites on the Internet.
3) User’s opinion of the content of those websites.
4) Self-Evaluation of those websites and their database using a Quality Label.
4. Methodology
Here we shall try to formulate a methodology to carry out the project and thus gather evidence on the proposed hypothesis.
We shall try to survey the amount of work already carried out in this field by doing a literature survey using the following resources: -
1) Reference reports, Journals, Publications
2) Statistical Reports by Governments and Private sector institutions
3) Data Protection Acts, Copyright Laws
The first three hypotheses shall be tested and evaluated using Questionnaires. These questionnaires will be used to conduct market research to gather views of users. The data accumulated shall be used to plot graphs showing the trends in the amount of use of internet and the user’s views to the authenticity and quality of certain websites.
A Sample questionnaire is as follows: -
Evaluation Criteria User’s Views
Number of times a week you use the internet?
Purpose of use:
Select and write one or more of the following in the adjoining column: Recreational, News, E-mails, Online Shopping, Educational.
Which of the following Websites do you visit often:-
www.Amazon.com
www.ebay.com
www.google.com
www.yahoo.com
www.hotmail.com
How accurate and satisfied are you with the information quality supplied on the above website?
Rank from a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 being excellent to 5 being poorest.
www.Amazon.com
www.ebay.com
www.google.com
www.yahoo.com
www.hotmail.com
A Database Quality Evaluation of each of the above websites shall be carried out by me using the following Quality Flag I propose: -
Evaluation Criteria Elements
Title
Author
Summary
Organization Responsible
Date of Creation
Source
Rights
Usefulness
Accessibility
Overall Look and Feel
I shall then give each site a quality assessment review from 1 to 5 as above. The results from this evaluation shall be plotted against user’s review to show the difference between commonly perceived views to that carried out by Research Organizations and whether the views of such elaborate research, matters to customers.
Finally future work to be carried out on the project shall be proposed.
5. Project Plan
This section of the report shows how the project aims and objectives have been broken down into various tasks. These tasks are subject to change as need arises.
Task Key
1. Background Study.
2. Project Proposal.
3. Literature Survey of the amount of work already done through Journals, Statistical Reports.
4. Market Survey through Questionnaires.
5. Database Quality Evaluation of each website.
6. Plotting of statistical graphs using results from 4 & 5.
7. Production of Final Report.
Gantt Chart
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Total Hours: 41
6. Conclusion
The project will be a useful effort towards evaluating Websites and Database from the viewpoint of the users. It will give us a good insight into the behaviour of information use in users, the way they receive information and how much do they rely on it?
The project is quite feasible and attainable based on the topic and the approach towards carrying out the project as outlined in the Methodology section. The market research will be achieved by questionnaires circulated via E-Mail and Flyers handed out in lectures. Reference material available in libraries will be able to provide information on work already carried out and their outcomes. Quality Evaluation criteria or Quality Label will be determined after further research. The Questionnaires and Quality Evaluation Table are subject to change and shall be made more diversified and exhaustive. Similarly project timelines are subject to change and shall be updated as time progresses. Contingency plans shall be decided on according to the progress of the project.
At present proceeding methodically I shall start project survey by collecting statistical data on existing research and developing questionnaires based on this research. I shall then circulate the questionnaires. The end of market research will be first milestone at which point an interim report shall be prepared with updated timelines and inform about the progress made so far.
The project shall end with recommendations about future work to be carried out if need arises.
7. References
1. Stacy Joines, Ruth Willenborg, Ken Hygh (2002), Performance Analysis for Java Websites
2. Roy Strauss, Patrick Hogan (2001), Developing Effective Websites: A Project Manager’s Guide
3. Robin Birn (2004), The Effective Use of Market Research: How to Drive and Focus Better Business Decisions
4. Ian Brace (2004),Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research
5. Armstrong C. J. (1995), Database information Quality: Library and Information Briefing, Issue 62, pg 6-8.
6. How to evaluate an Internet based Information Source : http://.biome.ac.uk/guidelines/eval/howto.html
Online References:
7. www.Amazon.com
8. www.google.com
9. www.yahoo.com
10. www.hotmail.com
11. www.ebay.com
