A comparison of extrinsic clustering evaluation metrics based on formal constraints

There is a wide set of evaluation metrics available to compare the quality of text clustering algorithms. In this article, we define a few intuitive formal constraints on such metrics which shed light on which aspects of the quality of a clustering are captured by different metric families. These formal constraints are validated in an experiment involving human assessments, and compared with other constraints proposed in the literature. Our analysis of a wide range of metrics shows that only BCubed satisfies all formal constraints. We also extend the analysis to the problem of overlapping clustering, where items can simultaneously belong to more than one cluster. As Bcubed cannot be directly applied to this task, we propose a modified version of Bcubed that avoids the problems found with other metrics.

Key website factors in e-business strategy

The design of a quality website, as part of e-business strategy, has become a key element for success in the online market. This article analyzes the main factors that must be taken into account when designing a commercial website, concentrating on the Aceros de Hispania company and its business model. We have studied the features which determine website quality: accessibility, speed, navigability, content, and we have calculated the Web Assessment Index (WAI) proposed by Miranda and Bañegil [Miranda, F. J., & Bañegil, T. M. (2004). Quantitative evaluation of commercial websites: An empirical study of Spanish firms. International Journal of Information Management, 24(4), 313–328]. The results obtained provide several lessons which should be borne in mind when designing a commercial e-strategy. Firstly, it can be observed that Internet popularity and search engine positioning facilitate entry to practically inaccessible markets. Secondly, the navigability makes users feel comfortable and secure when browsing it, which increases the probability of a transaction being completed. Finally, the information provided on the website must be accurate, informative, updated and relevant to customers’ requirements. Like Aceros de Hispania, any company, thanks to the Internet, will be able to overcome the barriers which would impede its successful worldwide development in the offline market.     

Interactive question answering: Is Cross-Language harder than monolingual searching?

Is Cross-Language answer finding harder than Monolingual answer finding for users? In this paper we provide initial quantitative and qualitative evidence to answer this question.     

Psychometric Characteristics of the Revised Procrastination Inventory

The Procrastination Inventory developed for use with doctoral students in clinical psychology was modified for use with ABD students and doctoral graduates in a College of Education. The original Procrastination Inventory contained 43 items with 11 subscales. The structure of the revised measure was analyzed both through factor and Rasch analyses and three subscales that were more generalized were found instead of the eleven originally posited. The three subscales were: (1) procrastination, 20 items, alpha = .88, (2) perfectionism, 9 items, alpha = .64, and (3) graduate school comfort, 6 items, alpha = .59. Eight items were deleted after Rasch and factor analyses, resulting in a 35-item scale. Validity was demonstrated by the measure's ability to predict dissertation completion and through correlations with related measures. The Procrastination Inventory is useful in the study of attrition from doctoral programs, particularly at the dissertation stage.     

Of cultures and compromises: Publishers,textbooks, and the academy

Relationships between professors as textbook authors and publishing houses as textbook producers have always been fragile. L. Kathy Heilenman examines this relationship and describes how current changes in the climate of universities and in the structure of publishing houses have converged to render this relationship more than usaually problematic. She concludes with suggestions for restructuring the relationship so as to encourage the production of high-quality, innovative textbooks in a partnership between publishers and professors. L. Kathy Heilenman teaches French at the University of Iowa and is one of the authors ofVoilà! a first-year college-level French textbook.     

Test-Wiseness for Teachers and Students

Seventh-grade students' comments about their responses to a test designed to illustrate faulty items suggests students are quite proficient in using secondary clues to figure out correct answers. Teacher comments suggest teachers are unaware they provide such clues.     

Gene Forrester and Tom Brown:A Separate Peace as school story

Children's Literature in Education -