Bulletin of Applied Computing and Information Technology

	01:01
	November 2003

Bulletin of Applied Computing and Information Technology.
Vol 1, Issue 1(November 2003).
ISSN 1176-4120.

From the Editors

Welcome to the first issue of BACIT, the new online publication of the National Advisory Committee on Computing Qualifications (NACCQ). The issue contains five papers and an editorial preface written by our guest editor Dr Brian Cusack. BACIT is launched as a tool to help build our research base and as a place where new writers can write and learn from the experience. The Bulletin is editorially reviewed and the editors have worked closely with a number of the authors to get their papers ready for publication - in the belief that mentoring amongst ourselves is the best way to develop a strong research culture. We will mention it specifically where an article has been blind reviewed by peers.

Articles

Research is possible

Dr R.H. Barbour

Aspects of the research process are considered from the points of view of supervisors, students and researchers. The sequence of developing research capability is described in relation to conventional preparation though course work. The process of managing research is discussed in relation to the tasks that the people concerned complete. Successful strategies are outlined and problems identified.

Modelling whakapapa with system dynamics: Developing ICT tools for genealogy research

Alan T Litchfield

The issues dealt with here are not associated with any perceived difficulty a researcher may have in gathering information, nor do they relate to the amount of effort a person must exert in the validation of their findings. The specific problem has more to do with the tools that are currently available to the family history researcher and whether they help or hinder their efforts with regard to collecting and making use of tribal information.

A brief introduction to agile methods and the Collective X research project

Becky Blackshaw

This document presents a definition of agility and a brief historical review of the agile movement. As an example of agility, a brief introduction of eXtreme Programming and Boehm and Turner’s risk based approach to development are outlined. An overview of Collective X discusses the application of the principles of eXtreme programming to a teaching environment as a research project.

Making research work for you: Responsibilities and pitfalls

Ken Eustace

A large number of postgraduates in the computing disciplines in Australia and New Zealand are full-time teaching staff in universities and colleges. The completion rate can be slow, as many face competing priorities at work and at home, so any way that student progress can be effectively improved is a bonus for the postgraduate, the institution and others around them. This paper discusses aspects of postgraduate research, including responsibilities and pitfalls. learning community.

Free computing courses in New Zealand: Considering their impact and importance

Trish Brimblecombe

Thousands of people throughout New Zealand are now able to access free, basic-level computer training at a range of institutions. This movement which started at UCOL in Palmerston North in 2000, has now spread across polytechnics and institutes of technology to private education providers. In some cases partnerships have developed with schools and other organisations, so that the free training courses can be offered in small and rural communities, or together with private enterprise.

editorial board

Editor	Krassie Petrova, Auckland University of Technology
Guest editor	Brian Cusack, Auckland University of Technology
Editorial panel and reviewers for this issue	Dr Donald Joyce, UNITEC Dr Clare Atkins, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology Tony Clear, Auckland University of Technology Andy Williamson, UNITEC Dr Colin Boswell
Web Editor	Michael Verhaart, Eastern Institute of Technology