New book - Conceptual Structures: Knowledge Visualization and Reasoning

Conceptual Structures: Knowledge Visualization and Reasoning
16th International Conference on Conceptual Structures
ICCS 2008 Toulouse, France, July 7-11, 2008 Proceedings

Eklund, Peter; Haemmerlé, Ollivier (Eds.)

2008, X, 311 p. With online files/update., Softcover

ISBN: 978-3-540-70595-6

48,00 €

About this book

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Conceptual Structures, ICCS 2008, held in Toulouse, France, in July 2008.
The 19 revised full papers presented together with 2 invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected from over 70 submissions. The scope of the contributions ranges from theoretical and methodological topics to implementation issues and applications. The papers present a family of Conceptual Structure approaches that build on techniques derived from artificial intelligence, knowledge representation, applied mathematics and lattice theory, computational linguistics, conceptual modeling, intelligent systems and knowledge management.

"What's in a (blog) name?"

As regulars here will be aware I've been wondering what Hodges' model might learn from other conceptual frameworks produced around the world. ...

When I first read the following blog title - 'World Health Care Blog'

I thought - 'World Health Care' - now this sounds really interesting.

Unfortunately, upon investigation the world health contextual cupboard was bare.

I looked again at the label.

I looked in the tin.

I'm sorry, but from the top-down this blog proved a disappointment.

It's not that I was expecting a paper on world health care models or frameworks.

Don't get me wrong the business (economic, industry) world of health care is essential (reading) for those who want to stride - not step - from today into the future. Health care has been commodified for ages, for all ages. To be fair the 'subtitle' and 'about' statement makes the focus of the blog very clear. From the bottom-up there is clearly content to satisfy the ardent business-info-addict with posts and contributions from leading players.

Maybe it's me and my digital preoccupation has regressed to hairs; but this title IS imho very misleading. How so? Well from the perspective of world health care business-industry insiders all seems well with the-ir world. Meanwhile, non-'business' visitors like this one, may spend their visit exercising ruined expectations. (If the target audience is specific then somebody had better go sort the stage and the sights: there's still a debate to had.)

'Stuck' (and essentially 'skint') as I am here in Lancashire, UK I can't exactly throw stones. Hodges' model is a small - very tasty - fruit (when ripe!) with four (or five) kernels possessed of global - world health aspirations. We need global conceptual frameworks for health and social care and education.

Browsing the 'World health Care Blog' and searching for 'world health' revealed posts totally unrelated to what many people would consider the real issues surrounding 'world health'. There are posts on global health funding and global health program, India, Mexico, Thailand.

At the time of writing 'World Health Care' is not even listed as a category. Try 'poverty'...?

Perhaps 'world health' is implied in the content, but is this sufficient given the title?

Noting the sponsor perhaps there's a risk of confusing or conflating 'World Health Care - Congress' with 'World Health Care'?

The World Health Care Blog is not listed on the main Corante site, so perhaps this blog is off the beaten track?

All this makes we wonder about Google-SEO ranking and semantic web weighting? [Actually, where does (will) the weight of blog, website, and Web 2.0-3.0 application purposes and titles feature on the semantic web?]

'Corante' may have been the world's first English language newspaper, but *global health care* comprises a multitude of languages that must be given a voice. Especially as many of those languages are threatened species (including Danish).

There - was - an interesting brief video clip by Dr Anil Kumar

I realise of course that many contributors and agencies at the World Health Care Blog and Congress will be greatly involved in major world-wide humanitarian and philanthropic projects. The concern is one of impressions.... Reflecting on the meaning of 'world health' and the inclusion of these term(s) might pay great dividends in terms of publicity, balance, governance, corporate and social responsibility.

So, come on Corante if you - as blog managers - insist on this title, on this stage then pick up the theme of 'World Health Care' holistically - you know you want to.... since after all

Corante = Enactor

'To act (something) out, as on a stage: enacted the part of the parent.' http://www.answers.com/enactor&r=67

Lead the way...

All trademarks acknowledged.

Next paper? Conceptual Spaces and Hodges' model

Somebody is in trouble.
Me!

I have not run the server for quite a while, so my Drupal skills (what they were) are in back-pedal mode again. I have been reading a bit on Ruby, but overall this is painful.

Drupalcon 2008 Sgezed is booked so at least there is an ideal opportunity to get drenched in Drupal for a week.

My excuse is that I've been carried away with what I can call the '3rd paper'. It remains to be seen whether this one makes it as a book chapter, but the working title is -

Hodges model:
Aide-mémoire or Candidate Gardenforsian Conceptual Space?

While the two page introduction uses the same two figures for the model's the axes and domains, the text is new, referring the reader to other sources for more details on the model. Thus far the 5,200 words are structured and contain the following:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Cognitive Science, Computation and Computer Graphics
• Conceptual Spaces, Representation and Icons
• Forms of Literacy, Requirements and Socio-technical Perspectives
• Gardenfors: Definitions - Domains, Quality Dimensions, Properties, Convexity
• Nursing, Care Theory and Domains
• Conceptual Space, Hodges’ model, Process and Practice
• Closing Discussion - Scope of Application
• References= 32
• Figures At least= 2
• Tables= 6
• Acknowledgements

Health Informatics Review Report published

Published yesterday here in the UK by the Department of Health:

The Health Informatics Review Report builds on the Next Stage Review by describing how informatics is supporting the delivery of better, safer care of patients, improving the NHS through better research, planning and management, and empowering patients to make more informed choices about health and care.

A Health Informatics Review Implementation Report will be published in the autumn 2008.

Document purpose: Policy
Gateway Reference: 10104
Title: Health Informatics Review Report
Author: DH
Publication date: 10 July 2008

Nursing theory - conceptual spaces: Where's my T-shirt?

Tripp-Reimer's 1996 paper The Dimensional Structure of Nursing Interventions has been sitting in my dsw - 'do something with' - pile for ages. Now reading Gardenfors I came across multidimensional scaling and realised that Tripp-Reimer et al. have also been there done that. They have been wearing the T-shirt for well over a decade.

Their paper begins with the evolution of nursing’s substantive structures and the emergence through the late 1960s to the early 1980s of a plethora of conceptual models (including - but not mentioned Hodges’ model). According to Tripp-Reimer these models while clearly possessed of nursing credentials, they were not always produced as combined research and practice tools. They argue that this failure may have contributed to the rise of the metaparadigm of nursing, with the effect that:

‘At best, the metaparadigm myth provided a rationale and mechanism for the discipline to displace (transcend) the conceptual models.’ p.11.

Ah! So that would account for why Hodges' model (and other global conceptual frameworks) have languished in the lay-bye!

‘Currently, nursing conceptual models have limited utility beyond their historical importance. That utility is derived from the structures they can provide for nursing education programs. Analogously, they also provide a framework that is useful for beginning nurses, assisting them in cognitively framing a clinical situation. These models provide a map, stimulating the new nurse in a clinically familiar space.’ p.15.

The paper goes on to contrast the way these models are used a-consciously by experts. I would suggest that there is a problem in nursing theory; or if not so severe as to be deemed a 'problem' then a tension at least. Educationalists (theorists) will rightly justify the case for nursing to be defined and boundaries set; otherwise, curricula will not support delivery of the desired learning experience, would lack focus and integrity in terms of evaluation of content and professional credibility. Socio-politically professional groups need a sense of (group) identity. The intention to develop models – theories in order to delineate nursing and establish professional identity is, however, at odds with the practice objectives of holistic and (interdisciplinary) integrated health and social care. Nurses need conceptual models and spaces that extend - from the outset - beyond the clinical situation.

It is the unfamiliar spaces (patient, carer, community... occupied) that we must seek or at least be able to account for in assessment, planning, interventions, evaluation (research) and information governance. Clinical situations should certainly be familiar within the bounds (latitude) of the curricula and including the match between what is taught and practical experience (practicum).

Health and social care, education and policy are constantly changing. Amid the rapid pace of T-shirt slogan turnover tools such as Hodges’ model retain their relevance for experts and beginners alike.

Tripp-Reimer, T., Woodworth, G., McCloskey, J.C., Bulechek, G. (1996). The dimensional structure of nursing interventions. Nursing Research; 45(1):pp.10-17.

T-shirt image source Copyright © 2001 - 2008 The CELDirect Group

W2tQ shortlisted for Computer Weekly IT Blog Awards!

...

Voting is 'now' closed... :-)

This is a really amazing development.
Thanks to the CW team for the recognition!
And in anticipation of our visitor's votes!
It's great to see that Rod Ward is also listed informaticopia
Nursing & Community Informatics - let's spread the care!