Microsoft Word - AJISfinal.doc AJIS Volume 12 No. 2 May 2005 3 Editorial This is the second issue of volume 12 of the Australasian Journal of Information Systems. Our first paper is presented by Dr V. Saxena of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University and Mr M Darbari of Babu Banarasi Das National Institute of Technology. Their paper is entitled A Diagrammatic Tool for Representing User Interaction in UML. UIDs have proven to be a valuable tool to gather requirements since they describe the exchange of information between the system and the user in a high level of abstraction, without considering specific user interface aspects and design details as in other UML diagrams. This paper presents a diagrammatic tool to represent the users/system interaction called User Interaction Diagram (UID). Chris Phillips, Elizabeth A. Kemp and Duncan Hedderley from Massey University, present our next paper entitled Software Development Methods and Tools: A New Zealand Study. The focus of this study is on the methods and tools used by software developers and the factors affecting the use and take-up of those tools in the workplace. Tony Lewis & Christopher Bell, from Monash University present our next paper entitled The Effect of GST on Farm Management Information Systems and Business Management Skills. This paper reports the results of a survey that describes the characteristics of dairy farm management information systems and indicates the business management skills that dairy farmers perceive they need to acquire in the short term in order to improve their farm management information systems and comply with their GST requirements. Our next paper is entitled An Integrated Management Approach to Leveraging Knowledge Innovation and is presented by Andrew Goh from the University of South Australia. This paper discusses the significance of knowledge by describing the transition from “information revolution” to “knowledge revolution” – which enables various forms of knowledge to be absorbed, assimilated, shared and utilised. Gillian Whitehouse and Chris Diamond from the University of Queensland present our next paper entitled “Hybrids” and the gendering of computing jobs in Australia. This paper presents recent Australian evidence on the extent to which women are entering “hybrid” computing jobs combining technical and communication or “people management” skills, and the way these skill combinations are valued at organisational level. Supriya Singh, Kylie Cassar Bartolo and Christine Satchell from RMIT University/Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre present our next paper entitled Grounded Theory and User Requirements: A Challenge for Qualitative Research. This paper discusses the methodological implications of moving from grounded theory to user requirements for the design of information and communication technologies. Our next paper is presented by Jennifer Patashnick and Michael Rich, Children’s Hospital Boston and is entitled Researching Human Experience: Video Intervention/Prevention Assessment (VIA). This paper examines the value of qualitative inquiry and why human experience rarely is investigated directly. An analysis of a sample VIA data is presented to demonstrate how, by utilizing grounded theory and qualitative analysis, one can derive rich and unique information from human experience. Leoni Warne, Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Celina Pascoe, University of Canberra and Irena Ali, Department of Defence present our next paper entitled Painting with and without numbers: the use of qualitative and quantitative methods to study social learning. This paper describes the process by which the qualitative methods in this study of knowledge processes were expanded to include quantitative methods. It focuses on how this combination of data collection methods evolved, and the ways in which it was capitalised on to provide a much more enriched set of findings than would have been the case if qualitative or quantitative methods had been used alone. AJIS Volume 12 No. 2 May 2005 4 Bruce Rowlands, Griffith University presents our next paper entitled Grounded Theorising Applied to IS Research — Developing a Coding Strategy. This paper provides an example of developing a coding strategy to build theory of the roles of methods in IS development. The research seeks to identify and understand how system development methods are used in an IS department within a large Australian bank. Our next paper is presented by David Wilton, Massey University. It is entitled A Tale Of Two Projects: Why IT Projects Fail (And Why They Sometimes Actually Succeed). This paper describes two similar outsourced IS projects that took place in Wellington, New Zealand (NZ) during the period 1992-99, with emphasis on the reasons why one project failed (the prime contractor repudiated the contract and the project was abandoned) and why the other succeeded. Mary Tate, Beverley Hope and Brent Coker, Victoria, University of Wellington present our next paper entitled The Buywell way: Seven essential practices of a highly successful multi-channel e- tailer. This paper examined Multi-channel retailing with the aim of building on existing theory in multi-channel e-commerce. Susan Keller and Ross Smith, Deakin University and Steve Howard and Jennie Carroll, University of Melbourne present the next paper entitled Altered images: the relations between design representations and design practice. This paper reports on an extensive design case study that aims at increasing understanding of the nature and affordances of representations in the design process and argues for the need for information systems as a discipline to open up discussion of the design representations that may be required to effectively design systems that mix traditional IS with disciplines such as industrial design, architecture and fashion design. David Arnott, Monash University, Graham Pervan, Curtin University and Gemma Dodson, Monash University present our next paper entitled A Descriptive Analysis of Decision Support Systems Research between 1990 and 2003. This paper is the first major report of a project that is investigating the theoretic foundations of decision support systems (DSS). The findings indicate that DSS research is more dominated by positivist research than general information systems (in particular experiments, surveys, and descriptions of specific applications and systems), is heavily influenced by the work of Herbert Simon, is poorly grounded in contemporary judgement and decision-making research, and falls down in the identification of the nature of clients and users. Our final paper is presented by Peter Marshall, Judy McKay, University of Tasmania and Adi Prananto, Monash University and is entitled Business Value Creation from IT investments: Towards a Process Theory of IT. A number of models have been put forward to describe the relationship between IT expenditure and business value. This paper considers one such model, the process model of Soh and Markus, and examines its features and deficiencies. I would like to thank MS Cathy Nicastrti for her assistance in preparing this issue of the journal. Dr Rob MacGregor Editor