On the secure software development process: CLASP, SDL and Touchpoints compared (journal article)
By Bart De Win etal
from Information & Software Technology Vol. 51 Iss 7 Jul 2009, pp. 1152-1171
"Development processes for software construction are common knowledge and mainstream practice in most development organizations. Unfortunately, these processes offer little support in order to meet security requirements. Over the years, research efforts have been invested in specific methodologies and techniques for secure software engineering, yet dedicated processes have been proposed only recently. In this paper, three high-profile processes for the development of secure software, namely OWASP’s CLASP, Microsoft’s SDL and McGraw’s Touchpoints, are evaluated and compared in detail. The paper identifies the commonalities, discusses the specificity of each approach, and proposes suggestions for improvement."
Contact the Library if you require a copy of this article.

From a theory to a consensus on emissions (newspaper article)
by John M. Broder
from New York Times, 17 May 2009
"How did cap and trade, hatched as an academic theory in obscure economic journals half a century ago, become the policy of choice in the debate over how to slow the heating of the planet? And how did it come to eclipse the idea of simply slapping a tax on energy consumption that befouls the public square or leaves the nation hostage to foreign oil producers?"

Investments in intangible assets and Australia's productivity growth [book]

Authors: Paula Barnes & Andrew McClure / Australia. Productivity Commission

Considers the measurement of investment in intangible assets such as R&D, computerised information and human/organisational capital in the Australian economy.

Request this book by clicking here!

Obama's emerging IT agenda could mean big changes (article)
from FCW Daily, 18 May 2009
"We asked FCW staff writers Doug Beizer, Alice Lipowicz and Matthew Weigelt to talk with experts around the community to take measure of Obama’s ambitions for IT in five areas featured prominently in the president’s IT agenda: Web 2.0, health information technology, transparency, acquisition reform and workforce improvement.
For each area we asked our experts to gauge the significance of the changes promised and to explain the ramifications for the community. Here are their reports."

Exploring service issues within the IT organisation: Four mini-case studies (journal article)
By Neil McBride
from International Journal of Information Management Vol. 29 Iss 3 June 2009, pp. 237-243
"This case study paper presents four mini-case studies which explore IT service management issues within IT departments. It suggests that there is a shift in focus in IT away from the technical artefacts towards customer directed services. The case studies concern a hospital, a provider of marine charts, a logistics company and the batch operations of a bank. A range of issues are discussed including the provision of customer support, the acquisition of software and services, relationships with suppliers and the development of service strategy. The mini-case study is presented as a vehicle for identifying research issues and for teaching IT service management concepts in short tutorial sessions."
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.

Do Regional and Non-regional Knowledge Flows Differ? An Empirical Study on Clustered Firms in the Dutch Life Sciences and Computing Services Industry (journal article)
By Anet Weterings and Roderik Ponds
from Industry & Innovation Vol 16 Iss 1 Feb 2009, pp. 11 - 31
"In the literature on innovation and geographical proximity, inter-organizational knowledge flows are increasingly acknowledged to take place at multiple spatial levels. Furthermore, the knowledge flows within and between regions are assumed to have different characteristics. Until now, hardly any study has examined those latter assumptions empirically. This study aims to provide empirical insights by analysing whether there are differences in the characteristics of regional and non-regional inter-organizational knowledge flows in the Dutch computing services and life sciences industry. The results indeed show significant differences. Confirming the assumptions in the literature, regional knowledge flows are characterized by a higher number of face-to-face contacts, while the knowledge exchanged through non-regional knowledge flows is more valuable. The relations between the duration and the social base of the knowledge flow and its spatial scale are less straightforward. "

Sustainability 3.): building tomorrow's earth-friendly communities (journal article)
By Timothy Beatley
From Planning May 2009
Sustainability has also been described as the next wave of innovation, following on the heels of the digital and information age and taking us in profoundly new directions in renewable energy, green chemistry, and resource efficiency. There can be little doubt that we are on the cusp of entirely new ways of producing and living in our resource-constrained
World.. If history is any guide, these innovations may have consequences for many years to come.

Futurama: transportation in transition (journal article)
By Ruth Eckdish Knack
From Planning, May 2009, pp. 34-37
"Transportation prognosticators generally fall into two groups: those who believe that the car will always be with us, and those who see bikes and buses—not Fords—in our future. In line with this issue's theme of looking forward, we asked representatives of both groups (and some in between) to consider what modes will be dominant in 2050 and beyond, what technological breakthroughs are on the horizon, and what the communities of tbe future will look like."

Privacy worries grow over wireless monitoring devices: Tech investors weigh question of Big Brother (journal article)
By Matt Hamblen
From CIO 6 May 2009
"The wireless industry is abuzz with plans for expanding remote monitoring of just about any device over wireless networks. Examples range from reading water and power meters remotely, to helping police see how long a car has been parked on a city street or monitoring traffic congestion via wireless cameras. But with the growth in the technology, there's also growing concern that Big Brother will have more eyes and ears than ever before. "

Promoting Regional Innovation Systems in a Global Context (journal article)
By Cali Nuur, Linda Gustavsson and Staffan Laestadius
from Industry & Innovation Vol 16 Iss 1 Feb 2009, pp. 123 - 139
"Ever since the innovation systems (IS) concept was coined in the late 1980s, it has been accepted as a mechanism of economic and technological development in policy circles. This recognition follows a change in our understanding of the characteristics of the innovation process as a non-linear process and having a systemic character. This changed understanding is also reflected in the movement in policy focus from science and technology (S&T) policy towards innovation policy. In recent years, the IS approach has been downscaled from the national level (NIS) to the regional level (RIS), a system's level that has gained the interest of policy makers. There are many rationales for this regionalization of innovation policy. However, as this paper points out, there are several challenges to implement an IS policy on the regional level. Based on a case study of a Swedish regional policy programme, this paper highlights (some of) the challenges related to defining the regional system's domain, implementing functional regions and securing sufficient regional knowledge infrastructure. This paper argues that when the IS approach is put into policy practice and downscaled to the regional level, it stands the risk of losing its strength as a tool for coping with the structural problems connected to innovation and globalization. Based on the identified challenges, the paper is concluded with a number of more general policy implications for IS-based policies with regional intentions. "

Material Transfer Agreements: A Review of Modes and Impacts (journal article)
By Victor Rodriguez
from Prometheus Vol 27 Iss 2 June 2009, pp. 141 - 151
"Sharing or exchanging research material is typically formalised through material transfer agreements. The aim of this article is to put into critical perspective the empirical findings on modes and impacts of these agreements vis--vis commonly accepted concerns formulated in a Mertonian fashion for the case of academic science, and from the perspective of the anticommons theory for the case of academic commercialisation. Empirically, scholars have used statistical evidence in surveys of perceptions and dedicated measures through bibliometrics to study these agreements. These statistical studies have thus helped make progress in the understanding of the mode and impact, but such implications need to integrate diverse results from anecdotal evidence that is currently considered separately."

It's A Dirty Job (journal article)
By Ben Eltham
from New Matilda, 13 May 2009
"It's a good start that the Australian Government is at last systematically trying to identify the nation's infrastructure needs. But unless Infrastructure Australia develops a far more sophisticated understanding of global demographic, environmental and natural security trends, future projects seem doomed to the current orthodoxy of concrete pouring. Indeed, in spite of Wayne Swan's commendable effort to address the long-term demographic issues posed by Australia's ageing population, the Rudd Government's long-term planning horizons are still poorly researched and hazy. At least their view is slightly longer-term than the next election. "

Insatiable curiosity : innovation in a fragile future [book]

Author: Helga Nowotny

"Explores the strands of the often unexpected intertwining of science, technology and society. Uncertainty arises from an oversupply of knowledge. The quest for innovation is society’s response to the uncertainties that come with scientific and technological achievement." - cover.

You can borrow this book from the library. Click here & send us an email.

Infrastructure investment : links to growth and the role of public policies [online]

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"Investment in network infrastructure - the energy, water, transport and telecommunication networks - which performs a vital role for the functioning of the economy, can contribute to raising growth and social welfare. But more is not always better. ... This paper identifies the policy framework that promotes investment that is conducive to growth and ensures the appropriate use of infrastructure." - abstract.

Corporate Control, Foreign Ownership Regulations and Technology Transfer (journal article)
By Jota Ishikawa, Yoichi Sugita and Laixun Zhao
from Economic Record Vol 85 Iss 269 2009, pp. 197 - 209
"Multinationals are often required to form joint ventures (JVs) with local firms when entering the host country market. Explicitly taking corporate control into account, we explore the relationship between technology transfer and foreign ownership regulation in the presence of technology spillovers from JVs to local firms. It is shown that foreign ownership regulations may facilitate both technology transfer and spillovers when the multinational has corporate control. Under corporate control by the local partner firm, however, such regulations may hamper technology transfer."

White House wants cloud computing (article)
by Doug Beizer
From Federal Computer Week, 11 May 2009
"Cloud computing will play a major role in modernizing the federal government’s technology infrastructure, according to a White House document published today with the administration's 2010 budget request. Cloud computing refers to an arrangement in which an organization pays a service provider to deliver applications, computing power and storage via the Web. Under the White House’s plan, several agencies could access a common application from the cloud. "

The effective use of technology in personal knowledge management: A framework of skills, tools and user context (journal article)
by Raj Agnihotri and Marvin D. Troutt
from Online Information Review, Vol 33, No 2, 2009
"The objective of this paper is to further explore the emerging concept of personal knowledge management (PKM) and to bring researchers’ attention to this notion. Specifically, this paper aims to address issues related to the effective utilisation of technology in PKM practices. The success of technology utilisation resides not simply in whether individuals use technology, but if this usage actually increases effectiveness."

Business cases for info pros : here’s why, here’s how [book]

Author: Ulla De Stricker

"An inherent challenge for information professionals involves often difficult-to-quantify contributions of their initiatives to an organization’s bottom line and the elusive ROI calculation. In this practical guide, Ulla de Stricker explains why, when, and how a formal business case can be used as an effective tool for gaining support for information-based projects." - cover.

Click here to borrow this book.

Review of regulatory burden on the upstream petroleum (oil and gas) sector [book]

Author: Australia. Productivity Commission

"Identifies significant unnecessary costs from delays and uncertainties in obtaining approvals, duplication of compliance requirements, and inconsistent administration of regulatory processes." - foreword.

Click here to borrow this book.

The Response of the Australian coal industry to the sustainable development agenda [online]

Authors: University of Queensland. Sustainable Minerals Institute / Australian Coal Association Research Program (ACARP)

"Over the last two decades, sustainable development has emerged as the key organising concept to describe how society can balance the objective of improving quality of life while staying within environmental boundaries. ... [this report] has the objective of developing an approach to describe the response of the Australian coal industry to the sustainable development agenda." - executive summary.