{"data":[{"id":853,"title":"A Tale of Two Systems","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2017,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"This is the story of a web-based information system rebuild. The system in question is www.teachengineering.org, a digital library of K-12 engineering curriculum that was built from the ground up with established technology and which for 13 years enjoyed lasting support from its growing user community and its sponsors. These 13 years, however, cover the period during which smart phones and tablets became commonplace, during which the Internet of Things started replacing the Semantic Web, during which NoSQL databases made their way out of the research labs and into everyday development shops, during which we collectively started moving IT functions and services into ‘the cloud,’ and during which computing performance doubled a few times, yet again. During this same period, TeachEngineering’s user base grew from a few hundred to more than 3 million users annually, its collection size quadrupled, it went through several user interface renewals, and significant functionality was added while having an exemplary service record, and it enjoyed continued financial support from its sponsors. In this monograph we provide a side-by-side of this rebuild. We lay out the choices made in the old architecture —we refer to it as TE 1.0— and compare and contrast them with the choices made for TE 2.0. We explain why both the 1.0 and 2.0 choices were made and discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with them.","contributors":[{"id":5180,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"René","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Reitsma","location":"Oregon State University","background_text":"René Reitsma is a professor of Business Information Systems at Oregon State University’s College of Business. He grew up and was educated in the Netherlands. Prior to receiving his PhD from Radboud University in 1990, he worked at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria on a project developing an expert system for regional economic development. René joined the University of Colorado, Boulder’s Center for Advanced Decision Support in Water and Environmental Systems (CADSWES) in 1990, working on the design and development of water resources information systems. In the summer of 1998 he accepted a faculty position in Business Information Systems at Saint Francis Xavier (STFX) in Nova Scotia, Canada. He joined the faculty at Oregon State University in 2002."},{"id":5181,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kevin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Krueger","location":"Oregon State University","background_text":"Kevin Krueger is Founder and Principal Consultant at SolutionWave, a boutique custom software development firm. With more than 15 years of software development experience, he currently specializes in web application development. He enjoys the exposure to a wide variety of industries that being a consultant affords him. Depending on the client, he acts in a number of roles including softwaredeveloper, product manager, project manager, and business analyst. He has worked on projects for Fortune 500 organizations, large public institutions, small startups, and everything in between."}],"subjects":[{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":832,"url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/taleoftwosystems/","year":2017,"created_at":"2020-06-27T11:32:44.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-27T11:32:44.000-05:00","name":"Oregon State University"}],"formats":[{"id":1495,"type":"Online","url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/taleoftwosystems/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1496,"type":"PDF","url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/taleoftwosystems/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1602,"type":"eBook","url":"https://open.oregonstate.education/taleoftwosystems/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":null,"textbook_reviews_count":0,"reviews":[],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/a-tale-of-two-systems-reitsma?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:09:56.000-05:00"},{"id":856,"title":"Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain","edition_statement":"Second Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2019,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781944548155","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Unmanned Aircraft Systems are an integral part of the US national critical infrastructure. The authors have endeavored to bring a breadth and quality of information to the reader that is unparalleled in the unclassified sphere. This textbook will fully immerse and engage the reader / student in the cyber-security considerations of this rapidly emerging technology that we know as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The first edition topics covered National Airspace (NAS) policy issues, information security (INFOSEC), UAS vulnerabilities in key systems (Sense and Avoid / SCADA), navigation and collision avoidance systems, stealth design, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms; weapons systems security; electronic warfare considerations; data-links, jamming, operational vulnerabilities and still-emerging political scenarios that affect US military / commercial decisions.","contributors":[{"id":5188,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Randall","middle_name":"K.","last_name":"Nichols","location":"Kansas State University","background_text":"Randall K. Nichols is Professor of Practice in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) – Cybersecurity at Kansas State University Polytechnic (KSUP) in Salina, Kansas. Nichols serves as Director, graduate U AS- Cybersecurity Certificate program at KSUP. Nichols is internationally respected, with 50 years of experience in leadership roles in cryptography, counterintelligence, INFOSEC, and sensitive computer applications. Throughout his career, Nichols has published seven best-selling textbooks. Nichols has provided counsel to the United States government and is certified as a federal subject matter expert (SME) in both cryptography and computer forensics. His most recent work involves creating master and certificate graduate – level programs for KSU and Utica College."},{"id":5189,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Hans","middle_name":"C.","last_name":"Mumm","location":"California University of Pennsylvania","background_text":"Dr. Hans C. Mumm holds a Doctor of Management with a concentration in Homeland Security from Colorado Technical University (CTU) and an MS in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University (AMU). He gained notoriety during Operation Iraqi Freedom as the officer in charge of the “Iraqi Regime Playing Cards; CENTCOM’S Top 55 Most Wanted List” which was touted by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as one the most successful Information Operations (IO) in the history of Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Dr. Mumm is the former Division Chief for Cyber Security at the Office of The Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) programming and executing a budget of over $140M. Dr. Mumm has earned twenty-three personal military ribbons/medals including six military unit medals/citations, and two Directors Awards, from the DIA."},{"id":5190,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Wayne","middle_name":"D.","last_name":"Lonstein","location":"VFT Solutions","background_text":"Wayne D. Lonstein holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Wilkes University, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Cyber Forensics and Information Security from Syracuse University – Utica Collage, A Master of Science Degree in Homeland Security with a concentration in Information Security from The Pennsylvania State University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Pace University School of Law. Additionally he holds a CISSP Certification from The Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the state bars of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts an Pennsylvania as well as being admitted to over 30 United States District Court Bars, Court of Veterans Appeals, United States Tax Court and the bar of the United States Court of Appeals of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Circuits."}],"subjects":[{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":835,"url":"https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/27/","year":2019,"created_at":"2020-06-29T14:47:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-29T14:47:04.000-05:00","name":"New Prairie Press"}],"formats":[{"id":1500,"type":"Online","url":"https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/unmannedaircraftsystems/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1501,"type":"PDF","url":"https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/27/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":"9781944548155"}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":4,"reviews":[{"id":4623,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Yasenchock","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"University of Southern Maine","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Detailed analysis of the usage of UAV's in the cyber domain.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"second edition updated the use of newer technologies.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Anyone working with UAV's should read this book.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Easy enough to read without expertise with UAV technology.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Updated to maintain changes in technology.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"chapters can be read as \"read alone\" assignments.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"chapters can be read as \"read alone\" assignments.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Images reinforce key points of the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammar errors","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Cultural unbiased.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Excellent rad for those interested with UAV technology.","created_at":"2021-02-17T12:45:17.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-02-17T12:45:17.000-06:00"},{"id":4861,"first_name":"Shane","last_name":"Jackson","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides a comprehensive overview of the capabilities and effectiveness of unmanned aircraft systems on the battlefield in urban areas and ways governments can utilize this developing next-gen technology.  At the heart of UAS is the ability for delivering airborne capabilities in intelligence and surveillance while delivering maximum efficiency in the most complex operating environments on our planet.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book synthesizes many different resources and aligns them with UAS and ADS (Airborne Delivery Systems) which enables them to operate in sophisticated and challenging environments with self-learning autonomous AI systems.  There are many chapters that address everything from legal considerations, cyber threats, foreign governments, and so much more.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"From Amazon to UPS autonomous drones will become part of our everyday lives within the next decade.  Africa is the largest proving ground for this technology and the results show that the efficiency and functionality will be used in a myriad of ways in our everyday life.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This book addressed many of the aspects of surveillance, intelligence, and recognizance in not just UAS but in the ways that governments are using these elements today.  While most of the chapters were detailed and comprehensive, sometimes they did not flow together seamlessly, they were still valuable sources of information.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text was consistent throughout in terms of the terminology and framework used to describe UAS, ADS, and principles of the technology being used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One of the best attributes of this book is that the chapters are easily adapted to a course and each chapter can expand and integrate with different components.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the book was comprehensive, easy to navigate, and aligned with current and future geopolitical issues throughout the world.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was straightforward, easy to read, and provided a logical transition through topics.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book was free from grammatical errors, flowed well, and provided excellent theoretical and practical frameworks.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text is free from offensive or insensitive remarks or characterizations.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I will integrate this book into future courses.","created_at":"2021-04-29T21:07:33.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-26T16:09:57.000-05:00"},{"id":33783,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Macey","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The authors provide a comprehensive background of UAS and cyber challenges concerning UAS. The background information is very UAS focused though, without informing the reader about related historical cyber challenges.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"As may be expected with this rapidly evolving subject matter, some information is out-of-date. The more concerning factor in the accuracy of this text is the sources that were used and how they were represented. In one case an article involving a UAS-crewed aircraft collision was referenced and paraphrased, but the authors failed to mention the incident was not proven to involve UAS. Otherwise, this text does use accurate sources in key areas.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information presented in this text is highly relevant. Though some information, particularly relating to regulation, has changed since publication, the core of the content will continue to be relevant and should be easily updated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors have taken a complex subject matter and presented it in a manner that is easily understood. Subjects involving uncrewed aircraft systems tend to unavoidably become laden with jargon and technical terms. The Appendix including lists of acronyms, overviews, and figures within the chapters helps to make the subject more easily understood.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The layout and language of the text remained consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text was well-divided into smaller sections. It cannot be easily realigned due to how the information builds upon itself, but is not overly self-referential.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The early chapters have a logical flow that is easy to follow. The later chapters seem be written with less clarity of broader learning goals.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface of this text is no flashy, but it is easy to navigate and provides a thorough yet appropriate amount of visualizations.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noticed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Updates are needed to reflect modern changes in terminology such as the adjustment from unmanned to uncrewed.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-04-11T15:08:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-04-11T15:08:36.000-05:00"},{"id":34083,"first_name":"Carlos","last_name":"Rubio-Medrano","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Texas A\u0026M University-Corpus Christi","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is easy to read, and covers the latest developments on UAVs, a.k.a. drones, from the last 10 years. It has been written by a variety of experts, who have contributed with knowledge, definitions, examples, as well as diagrams and photographs of existing, unclassified projects involving drones. Not only the book is informative and easy to follow, but the amount of visual materials makes it appealing to readers interested in this emerging technology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The contents of the book are accurate, illustrative, and have been obtained from a variety of sources as well as the experiences of each co-author. Generally, the contents are also un-biased, presenting different points of view with a minor focalization in national security and military agencies.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is quite relevant to the field of study, and contains valuable information from academics and people from industry. Concepts are carefully explained and accompanied with photos from actual drone-related projects. Whereas the core of the book is not likely to change over time, some projects and side concepts may quickly change. As a matter of fact, a second edition of the book was quickly produced due to the rapid changes in the field. A similar behavior may be expected in the future.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is well-organized. Topics are discussed in an easy-to-grasp, chronological order. Descriptions are self-contained, and properly backed up by relevant references.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"A long list of acronyms, as used in the field, is listed, presented, and used throughout the text. Readers are invited to look up such table when an acronym is difficult to grasp or it is presented by the first time.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is well-modularized, however, some chapters lack proper numbering of sections and subsections, which may complicate distributing their content as reading assignments to students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well-organized, the contents are presented in a logical fashion, suitable for college students as well as specialists in industry.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some figures/photos are presented out of context, and are not related to the text contained within the same page. Perhaps a re-organization and/or adding extended captions to the figures would alleviate this problem. Tables are also poorly-formatted, which complicates their understanding.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors, a.k.a., typos, were detected in the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Given the fact that drones are one of the most attractive, emerging technologies nowadays, the cultural relevance of this text is high. No offensive materials or contents were found, and a variety of projects depicting drones, with many different domain applications, are presented. However, no clear, explicit examples targeted for diversity and/or inclusion were identified within the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is authored not only by academic specialists but also by industry and government leaders. The amount of information is quite relevant and there seems to be an effort to keep the book up to date. Readers should be pending for newer editions of the book as the field of UAVs (drones) keeps changing every few years.","created_at":"2022-10-21T17:03:35.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-10-21T17:03:35.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/unmanned-aircraft-systems-in-the-cyber-domain-second-edition-nichols?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:09:57.000-05:00"},{"id":67,"title":"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2011,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781453321966","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems integrates key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications. Recognizing that many potential GIS users are nonspecialists or may only need a few maps, this book is designed to be accessible, pragmatic, and concise. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems also illustrates how GIS is used to ask questions, inform choices, and guide policy. From the melting of the polar ice caps to privacy issues associated with mapping, this book provides a gentle, yet substantive, introduction to the use and application of digital maps, mapping, and GIS. In today's world, learning involves knowing how and where to search for information. In some respects, knowing where to look for answers and information is arguably just as important as the knowledge itself. Because Essentials of Geographic Information Systems is concise, focused, and directed, readers are encouraged to search for supplementary information and to follow up on specific topics of interest on their own when necessary. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems provides the foundations for learning GIS, but readers are encouraged to construct their own individual frameworks of GIS knowledge. The benefits of this approach are two-fold. First, it promotes active learning through research. Second, it facilitates flexible and selective learning—that is, what is learned is a function of individual needs and interest. Since GIS and related geospatial and navigation technology change so rapidly, a flexible and dynamic text is necessary in order to stay current and relevant. Though essential concepts in GIS tend to remain constant, the situations, applications, and examples of GIS are fluid and dynamic. Though this book is intended for use in introductory GIS courses, Essentials of Geographic Information Systems will also appeal to the large number of certificate, professional, extension, and online programs in GIS that are available today. In addition to providing readers with the tools necessary to carry out spatial analyses, Essentials of Geographic Information Systems outlines valuable cartographic guidelines for maximizing the visual impact of your maps. The book also describes effective GIS project management solutions that commonly arise in the modern workplace.","contributors":[{"id":3708,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Jonathan","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Campbell","location":"UCLA","background_text":"Jonathan E. Campbell is a GIS analyst and biologist based in the Los Angeles office of ENVIRON. ENVIRON is an international environmental and health sciences consultancy that works with its clients to manage their most challenging environmental, health, and safety issues and attain their sustainability goals. Dr. Campbell has twelve years of experience in the application of GIS and biological services in conjunction with the implementation of environmental policies and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. He has extensive experience collecting, mapping, and analyzing geospatial data on projects throughout the United States. He holds a PhD in geography from UCLA, an MS in plant biology from Southern Illinois University—Carbondale and a BS in environmental biology from Taylor University. He has been an adjunct professor of GIS and physical geography courses at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Santa Monica College,"},{"id":3709,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"MIchael","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Shin","location":"UCLA","background_text":"Michael Shin is an associate professor of geography at UCLA. He is also the director of UCLA’s professional certificate program in Geospatial Information Systems and Technology (GIST) and cochair of the Spatial Demography Group at the California Center for Population Research (CCPR). Michael earned his PhD in geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) and also holds an MA in geography and a BA in international affairs from CU as well. Michael teaches Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, Intermediate GIS, Advanced GIS, and related courses in digital cartography, spatial analysis, and geographic data visualization and analysis. He was also recently nominated to receive UCLA’s Copenhaver Award, which recognizes faculty for their innovative use of technology in the classroom. Much of Michael’s teaching materials draw directly from his research interests that span a range of topics from globalization and democracy to the social impacts of geospatial technology. He has also worked with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and USAID to explore and examine food insecurity around the world with GIS."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":44,"name":"Earth Sciences","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QE1","visible_textbooks_count":54,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geology?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":41,"name":"Geography","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"G128","visible_textbooks_count":20,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/geography?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":66,"url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Essentials%20of%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems.pdf","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:36.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:36.000-05:00","name":"Saylor Foundation"}],"formats":[{"id":248,"type":"PDF","url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Essentials%20of%20Geographic%20Information%20Systems.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":249,"type":"Online","url":"https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_essentials-of-geographic-information-systems/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":16,"reviews":[{"id":154,"first_name":"Jeffrey","last_name":"Widener","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"The University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"A new textbook covering fundamentals of geographic information systems (GIS) may cost a buyer between $25 and $150. Geographers Dr. Jonathan Campbell and Dr. Michael Shin have delivered an open textbook alternative to students and professionals. Compared to the paid for versions I am familiar with, their version is comprehensive with no sacrifice of content.\r\n\r\nThe authors begin with a chapter on spatial thinking. They describe geographic questions before moving into a discussion in Chapter 2 on “Map Anatomy.” In this chapter, on page 24, is the actual definition of GIS—perhaps a bit too far into the text to adequately explain GIS. \r\n\r\nChapters 3 through 8 pry deeper into the world of GIS. Chapter 3 covers the way data and information from various sources coalesce to move us from analog to digital maps. Chapter 4 covers the basic data models—vector and raster (order of the two models is not consistent in the text)—used in GIS, while chapters 5 and 6 detail how we manage information and work the data to make it visually accessible. Chapters 7 and 8 explain some basic analysis capabilities within information systems for vector and raster data models. Chapter 9 diverges from the discussion of GIS and introduces readers to basic cartographic principles. Campbell and Shin conclude their textbook with Chapter 10 and a discussion on management of GIS projects. \r\n\r\nThe PDF version lacks an index and a glossary, which would benefit readers, particularly since GIS is such a jargon-filled tool. \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Campbell and Shin took care in making general statements about the application and use of GIS, which will help sustain this book. Some of the website links the authors placed in the text, on the other hand, have already broken (see pgs. 19 and 101, for example). Adoptees and readers, of course, will want to supplement the text with short articles on advancements in geospatial technologies, as the authors advise in Chapter 1. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This textbook is easy to follow and the inherent technical jargon of GIS is explained well. Repetitive sentences and unnecessary phrasing, however, abound, and a few of the context examples the authors provide are too in-depth for an introductory textbook. Such examples are more suitable for a GIS module/lab book. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terms used in the text and the framework stay consistent for the most part. \r\n\r\nThere is a noticeable variance in the ordering of discussions about the two types of basic data models in the textbook. In Chapter 4, the subsections are 4.1 Raster, 4.2 Vector, and 4.3 Satellite Imagery and Aerial Photography. But in the data model analysis chapters (7 and 8), vector appears first in Chapter 7. \r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The authors did an excellent job of partitioning the text. Not only do chapters contain subheadings to guide the reader, but each chapter is broken up into three to four subsections—5.1, 5.2, 5.3, for example. The length of these subsections will serve well the needs of instructors as they assign course readings or of professionals looking to brush up on their GIS terminology. The chapters can easily be rearranged to meet the needs of the user. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Aside from the raster/vector order discrepancy already mentioned, the general flow and organization within the chapters is fine. However, the chapter flow is interrupted with Chapter 9’s placement. The information in Chapter 9 would fit better after Chapter 2 or as the conclusion to the book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, the text is satisfactory. Some images and tables, however, have awkward breaks between the pages, such as the Exercise Table on pages 119 to 120. \r\n\r\nThe PDF document I downloaded from the Open Textbook Library at the University of Minnesota lacked the table of contents and the list of figures and tables, and the blue links (or at least that is what I thought they were) on certain captions, endnotes, and figures for navigating the PDF did not work. \r\n\r\nIn Chapter 2, the authors placed a box at the end of the chapter called a “Waypoint,” which contained an intriguing dialogue on satellite images. The authors could place more of these boxes throughout the text to showcase the power of geospatial technologies.\r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were minimal, but several words and sentences could be removed to make the book more concise.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant and not offensive. Branching out and discussing what other countries and unions are doing with geospatial technology, particularly regarding satellite data collection, would add to the overall picture the authors present on GIS. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":282,"first_name":"Stephen ","last_name":"Leisz","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all the essentials of GIS as its title says, and more so.  The most comprehensive parts of the book are chapters 2 through 8 which cover Maps and Cartography, the differences between Data and Information, where to find data, Data models, Geospatial Data Management, Data descriptions and summaries, and Geospatial vector and raster analysis.  These points are well presented, clear and easy to follow.  The information is also general enough (and fundamental) and will not need to be updated soon.  The last two chapters on Cartographic principles and GIS Project Management, are not always as thoroughly covered as they could be in basic GIS classes that I have reviewed and these two chapters are a welcome addition to the basic GIS coverage of the book.\r\n\r\nThe first chapter where information related to the background of GIS is covered is adequate, but not as well organized as I had expected, especially on reflection after having read and reviewed the whole book.  The first chapter doesn't introduce a definition of GIS until the third section. I found this slightly annoying as I felt that a first time reader would be slightly lost, not having a definition of the subject that the textbook is covering.  When the definition of GIS is discussed it is discussed through an overview of the 'three approaches to GIS'. For my class when I teach it I prefer to augment this type of discussion with an explanation of my preference for what 'GIS' is.\r\n\r\nThe second chapter does a nice job of overviewing maps and cartography and is useful as presented. In this chapter I would have also liked to see a more thorough discussion of moving from 3-D space to 2-D space and at least a mention of the the geoid, eillipsoid and more discussion of datums.  A list of datums used worldwide would be a nice addition as an appendix.\r\n\r\nAnother weakness to the book, but one that the authors cannot fix, is the way that the textbook is presented thorough umn.edu as it is without a title page, author page, or table of contents. This is a weakness to the presentation of the book and to the use of the book.  It makes it more complicated for the user to assign specific chapters to students (as I like to do).\r\n\r\nOverall I would recommend this book for use in an intro GIS class or as a basic reference for the casual user (and have already done so).  All the essentials are there and if the lecturer mixes and matches the chapters to their specific classroom flow, it will be a good complement to a class on GIS.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any inaccuracies in the book. Concepts are clearly and accurately explained. The examples to the vector and raster analysis, and data models are very nicely laid out.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is general enough that it will not be outdated quickly as a basic text. However some of the online links are no longer up / available. That is a minor annoyance if one wants to click through to the book's linked examples.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"From chapters 2 through 9 I found the explanations offered in the book very clear and concise and easily understood.  Chapter 1 could be reorganized to provide a clearer introduction to the subject.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Except for the reversal of the order that vector and raster data and analysis are talked about from chapter to chapter I found the book consistent in its presentation.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter covers one subject.  It would be easy to use the chapters as stand alone additions to a lecture course on GIS.  However, the lack of a table of contents makes it harder to gain an overview of the modules and harder to direct the students to the specific chapter of interest.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The books organization is logical and consistent (expect for chapter 1).  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It is easy to navigate through the book, although a table of contents and index would help with this aspect.  The images and charts are easy to look at, expect for figure 1.6 which seems to run off of the page.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The book is well written with few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural problems jumped out at me as I was reading it.  Examples are drawn from all over the world and overall culture is discussed neutrally in the book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this book covers the basics of GIS and can be easily and usefully adopted into an introductory GIS course. It is a very good alternative to the more expensive GIS texts which are otherwise available.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":559,"first_name":"Kathleen","last_name":"Nuckolls","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Kansas","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is comparable in scope to many GIS texts on the market, and would provide students with a level of detail appropriate for an introductory course. Its straight-forward explanations and emphasis on cartographic literacy make it a particularly strong choice for non-geography majors. In addition, the text covers some topics that are often excluded or glossed-over by other authors. I particularly appreciated the last two chapters on cartographic principles and project management. Although many introductory texts mention cartography, I have found that few explain it in sufficient detail to allow students to make consistent, informed choices when designing map products. The last chapter is similarly important for students wishing to pursue a career in GIS, who will be happy to have a basic knowledge of project management before landing their first GIS job. This text provides a solid introduction for students of many disciplines, as well as for working professionals who need to understand the strengths and limitations of GIS. Unfortunately, its usefulness as a potential reference resource is hampered by the book’s lack of a glossary or index.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any errors or evidence of bias.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text explains the fundamental concepts of GIS, with a few references to emerging trends and technologies. It should remain relevant over the long-term, with a few judicious updates. However, the book includes many URL’s which would need to be checked and updated regularly.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book does not assume any prior knowledge of the topic, beyond the basic map skills familiar to any adult. The writing is clear and understandable, without either talking down to the reader or using unnecessary jargon.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book’s framework is consistent and useful. Every chapter includes an introduction and three of four subsections, each of which begins with one or more learning objectives, followed by topic headings, “key takeaways,” and exercises. Terminology is used consistently throughout.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text does a nice job of using pop-ups associated with keywords to orient readers to definitions that have been covered in other chapters. For more in-depth coverage of concepts, the reader is referred to the appropriate chapter and section. These references are generally useful, but some of them seem unnecessary and might prove annoying if the chapters were assigned in a different order.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics within each chapter are organized in a logical order, as are the chapters themselves, with the possible exception of chapter nine. I would have preferred to keep the cartographic principles covered in chapter nine together with the information on “map anatomy,” which is located it the second chapter.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The pdf version of the book lacks a table of contents, which would make navigation much easier. However, the html version of the text begins with a hyperlinked table of contents, which includes separate links for each chapter and subsection. Furthermore, each portion of the book contains links to the previous section, next section, and back to the table of contents, making navigation easy and intuitive. Unfortunately, the in-text references to other chapters do not work as hyperlinks, as they were apparently intended to. The html version also includes bolded key terms that provide pop-up definitions for each term.\nThere is also a Word version of the book available from http://www.saylor.org/books/. Although this version does not currently contain a table of contents, the text is organized under appropriate section headers, which would allow instructors to easily rearrange contents and construct a custom, hyperlinked table of contents. The word version also includes references in footnotes, rather than including them in the body of the text, improving the flow (references are cited in the body of the pdf and html versions). Unfortunately, the word version does not highlight keywords, which would likely be a problem for some students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is written in an inclusive and inoffensive manner.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":788,"first_name":"Mary","last_name":"Hall-Brown","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of North Carolina Greensboro","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"\"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" truly does cover the essentials of an introductory level GIS textbook. Campbell and Shin's discourse on the basics of GIS is exceptional while still maintaining a very \"readable\" text.   Examples are relatable and presented in a down to earth manner.  From \"What is GIS?\" to basic spatial analysis, the GIS component is nicely covered. I appreciate the chapters on Cartography and Project Management. While Cartography is occasionally included in introductory GIS textbooks, the depth of the information is usually lacking. Everything is for naught if your intended audience cannot understand your final product.  I also especially appreciated the chapter on Project Management. The information provided within this chapter offers the student an insight into how a project moves from inception to completion. With the costs of GIS textbooks climbing to well over $100, I am grateful that there is an online option.  \"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" is a comprehensive and well written book... (minus some editing issues).  \n\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the book is accurate. I did not find any errors of content within this book. I appreciate that the authors did not highlight one GIS program or company over another. The book focused on GIS basics that transcend individual GIS companies. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"\"Essentials of Geographic Information\" will be able to stay relevant for quite some time as the concepts presented within this book (What is GIS?, Map Anatomy, Vector vs Raster datasets, Cartographic principles) are general and basic enough to ultimately be timeless. Even the technical explanations are presented in such a way that they too will not become obsolete quickly. The URL links are the only things that may become questionable, and as such, will need to be checked and updated.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is written very well. The headings, examples and figures provided in the first chapter are lighthearted keeping the tone of the book friendly and fun. The discussion of each chapter's topic is both clear and concise. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book makes it easy to assign any GIS topic in any order. The understanding of the material in one chapter does not depend on previous chapters. There are places, however, where the reader is referred to previous chapters where a definition and/or discussion of a term is located. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the book make sense. Chapters cover one topic and are broken down into subsections. Each subsection is preceded by bulleted \"Learning Objectives\" with \"Key Takeaways\" provided at the end. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw only two instances of where images had gone awry; pages 248 and 256. The information is not lost but the image is too large for the page. The bookmark navigation within the pdf is correct. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I saw no grammatical errors. However, there were several references within chapters 9 and 10 (citations and figures) that were omitted. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I don't believe \"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" to be offensive to anyone. The examples used in the cartography chapter, 9, are relevant to US elections.     ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I will use this book next year for my introduction graduate level course, Understanding Geographic Information Systems.  It would be nice if the citations and figures within the last two chapters are corrected before then. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1235,"first_name":"Darlette","last_name":"Meekins","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Virignia State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is too convoluted for my students to follow alone.  For my beginners GIS course, the book neglects to introduce the basic principles.  It lacks practical exercises that allow the students to work directly in the ArcGIS workspace. Thus familiarizing them with the software.  The basic components of GIS are  not covered in-depth.  Students need to know how to create spatial features as well as to use them as representation.  It does not explain GIS and its concepts to the novice student.  The pdf lacks a glossary, Index or table of contents.\nAs the Instructor, however, there are some chapters that I would use in my course during the mid portion of my term.\n\nOverall, the book is quite thought provoking and will provide a challenge and offer additional critical thinking to the concept of GIS.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The concepts were clearly explained.  The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the text content is written in a way that updates will not be necessary in the near future.  The content is up to date, but several of the resource links were broken.  If this PDF is used in my course, I will have to supplement it with additional exercises, references, and expand upon the applications from a more basic perspective.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Some of the content in the chapters are advanced for my general education students taking GIS for the first time.  The text is clear and comprehendible for me but I will have to supplement each chapter, maybe use  PowerPoint.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent with the chapter headings and subtitles","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Great job was done in partitioning the chapters,subheading and sections.  The lack of a table of contents made it difficult to navigate through the book; when searching for a specific topic","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization and structure order appear to flow rather well, accept for The Cartography Chapter.\nThis chapter should have been presented earlier in the book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is satisfactory; the broken links are causing some navigation problems.  The display features were necessary and relevant.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally relevant and not offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, the book is Good and I will recommend it to my colleagues and eventually to my students.  It covers principles related to GIS but not the actual principles involved in GIS for the Novice.  I would gladly use the book as a reference.  I hope to incorporate portions of this book into my course with some adjustments and more hands on activities in ArcGIS Desktop.  My students need to the fundamentals; i.e. the components of ESRI ArcGIS: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox. In addition to how to create spatial features and data within the attribute tables.\n\nI do appreciate the efforts put forward in writing this Publication.\n\nRespectfully.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1320,"first_name":"Thomas","last_name":"Allen","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Old Dominion University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The authors cover a wide range of GIScience that would allow for a core foundation combining geographic abstraction and \"spatial thinking,\" data models and structures, cartographic representation, and importantly, a variety of data sources (e.g., GPS and remote sensing.)  Some included content is rather surprising, yet also welcomed, such as the strong coverage given to \"map anatomy\" and GIS project management.  Oftentimes other \"cookbook\" approaches to introductory GIS will omit the vital issues of cartographic principles (color, symbology, and design).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Fundamental GIS data and analytical techniques are presented very accurately. The conceptual basis of GIS is rooted in geographic and spatial abstraction, which provides for a sound mix of \"spatial thinking\" applied to actual GIS data. Terminology is introduced and referred later unambiguously.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Currency is an enormous challenge for any textbook in GIScience and Technology. GPS technology is presented rather lightly and historically, with accurate but limited currency, for instance on international GNSS constellations (GNSS includes Galileo, GLONASS, for instance, as well as regional satellites for positionining such as BeiDou-2 and WAAS.) Overall, however, the material presented at a fundamental learning level balances rigour and relevance with longevity. Map essentials or \"anatomy\" are critical and timeless in this sense.  Raster and vector data models are also time invariant. As compared to some texts, the book focuses on essentials and not the rabbit hole of arcane historic structures (e.g., GBF DIME files).  The revolutionary development of LiDAR, however, is something that may merit introduction at this level, and it blends vector and raster data structures (LAS files, point clouds, and derivative DSM and DEMs.)  Unfortunately, LiDAR is not introduced.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Spatial data and analytical techniques are quite clearly presented in the text. Illustrative figures are well chosen and augment the textual content. A few additional graphics might further improve students comprehension of new, abstract spatial structures. For instance, TINs are introduced and only one graphic of a TIN surface model is given. This rather limits the fundamental notion of TINs as vector structures with attributes, as well as their intrinsic relationship to topography and surface modeling.  TINs are not mentioned in the vector GIS data structure section nor the single-layer vector analysis section.  \n\nThough there are moderate gaps in some of the individual sections, overall the content presented is clearly conveyed. The written explanations are easily followed. White space and interspersed figures supporting concepts are replete. The style and length of subsections allow for one to easily and non-fatiguingly read through chapters.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The layout and presentation are quite consistently organized among sections.  Learning objectives, key concepts, and after-chapter mental exercises are very integrative as well as keeping the learner on track within chapters/modules.  Between sections, key terms are also unambiguously mentioned.  One COULD see a bit more synthesis or even repetition fruitfully employed, however. For instance, TINs not presented again after a cursory introduction in data structures, yet they could be reviewed or mentioned again usefully in the vector structures, spatial interpolation, or terrain mapping sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter organization balances content and length very well.  Ten chapters would conform very well to applications in weekly readings in a course that supplemented the text with other exercises, yet allowing for emphasis or de-emphasis as an instructor chose.  No chapters too lengthy or conceptually overburdened.  Some modules could be dropped in actual instructional use if, for instance, an instructor wished to use another source for greater detail.  There is very little burden of self-referencing, almost to a fault, as some re-enforcement or application of data concepts might be useful.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"A logical and cumulative structure of content is used that makes great sense and jives with most other GIS texts and authoritative pedagogical references (e.g., GIS Body of Knowledge and other related \"core curricula\".)","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Available as a PDF and online, both formats are stylistically easy to navigate, cogent, and appropriately supported with embedded graphical content. The online format is easy to page and refer or jump to alternative sections.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is free from grammatic errors and would be easy to read and follow from a very wide range of readers.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural biases are evident in the book, and there are no national or unusual localized biases toward data structures or sources or terms as sometimes can be found in GIS texts.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"\"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems\" is exactly what it is entitled, providing introductory concepts that are importantly rooted in spatial thinking, mapping and related geographic concepts. Although a few concepts tend toward a light or cursory nature, these are easily augmented by an instructor with other resources.  The book is to be prized for its accessibility, pragmatism, and provision of a rigorous yet easy to follow framework for GIS concepts, spatial analysis, and future learning.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1386,"first_name":"Joanne","last_name":"Logan","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Tennessee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was thoroughly impressed by the comprehensiveness of this book. It covered most of the important aspects needed for an Introductory GIS class - from GIS and mapping basics all the way to project management. The book does not currently have a glossary nor an index, which would make it even more useful for instruction. Therefore, I highly recommend that the authors include a glossary and index in the next edition.  There are several new areas of GIS that were not covered in this book, due to the fact that it was published in 2011, more than 6 years ago. Since that time, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) has become an invaluable addition to the GIS data inventory, and entire chapter could easily be devoted to this topic. Also, online mapping tools and mashups deserve more coverage in this book. However, I very much appreciated the generality of the book, i.e. it did not often mention specific formats or programs or data sources, which  of course, are moving targets and would require continual and frequent updates.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book was very accurate and error-free. The only misspelling I found was under the Table of Contents/Licesning Information instead of Licensing Information. Other than that silly error, the text was spot on with terminology and concepts. I have used mostly ESRI books in the past, which of course are biased toward their software platform and data formats. I believe the authors did a good job or presenting the wide array of GIS options, including open-source. Much of their information was generalized enough that it could be applied across a wide array of GIS platforms.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Because the author's did a good job of keeping the text as general as possible, the relevance of this 2011 book was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be quite out of date, but not so. Of course, several of the links provided in the text were broken and need to be updated. Also, some of the images were pretty old and newer ones could be inserted. I think the authors could perhaps review some of the text that refers to specific sources of data, satellites, etc. and try to generalize even more. Also, some of the proposed exercises were perhaps a little too specific and might become outdated with new technologies and websites.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Due to the nature of the book, a certain level of jargon/technical terminology is to be expected. That is why a glossary would have been oh-so helpful. However, I felt that the terminology was appropriate for an entry level GIS book. Most of the book is very readable and easy to understand, even for a newbie. Perhaps several of the sections could be lightened up a bit, such as the vector data model topic.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The authors were very consist in terms of terminology and framework. I liked the way they often linked back to previous concepts to show the relevance of the newly presented information. The framework was also very consistent - learning objectives, materials in a digestible chunk (not too much, not too little for the most part), basic concepts learned, and further practice with exercises.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the modularity to be on of the best  aspects of this book. Some GIS books have very long and complex chapters, and students get lost or distracted. Their chapters and sections are very concise, with clearly stated objectives. Many of the sections are stand alone and not highly dependent on other sections, which is excellent for those of us wishing to daisy chain elements from several books.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are so many different ways that GIS instruction can be presented, but I thought their flow was as good as any of the other books I have used. The authors did jump around a bit between raster and vector, so perhaps those two aspects could be presented more cohesively.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I thought the interface was fine. The pdf file worked great in IBook and was easy to navigate. However, it could be improved by having a linkable table of contents (like it is in the html format), and a linkable glossary and/or index. I thought the figures and tables were very helpful, but some of them could use more descriptive captions.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"My only suggestion for improvement would be too keep the same grammatical tone as much as possible throughout the book. In some parts, it's very light and readable, in other parts, it gets quite complex and deep.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. They included some diverse examples of GIS applications, but even more diversity would be appreciated.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would use this book for sure, in the GIS class that I teach. I was pleasantly surprised by the rigor, breadth, and content.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1511,"first_name":"Joe","last_name":"Gordon","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Campbell and Shin’s “Essentials of Geographic Information Systems” provides a comprehensive overview of GIS.  They begin with a general introduction to geographic and spatial concepts (and the role of GIS within geography), and proceed to lay out the fundamental conceptual components of GIS in Chapters 2 through 5, including common elements of maps, common data types and metadata, challenges of researching, identifying, and finding relevant data, GIS data models (raster/vector), and database management.  Chapters 6 through 9 are dedicated to visualization and analysis, including selecting, searching and querying data, classifying data, common single- or multiple-layer analyses, raster and surface analysis, and basic cartography (color, symbology, map design).  Chapter 10 concludes with an important, albeit often overlooked, discussion about the challenges of effective project management, both in general and as specifically relates to the particularities of GIS projects.\n\nSubjects that could perhaps use greater exploration in Campbell and Shin’s book, include (a) geodesy (e.g., geoids, datums), (b) coordinate transformation, (c) global navigation satellite systems, (d) photogrammetry, (e) development of various satellite sensors, (f) lidar, (g) network analysis, and (h) types of geospatial models (e.g., weighted, spatio-temporal, agent-based).\n\nThe concepts in Campbell and Shin’s book that are particularly unique for an introductory GIS textbook include (a) spatial thinking (e.g., mental maps), (b) map abstraction (e.g., what is a forest?), (c) the challenges of acquiring accurate and relevant data, (d) the challenges of implementing effective database management, and (e) the practice of good project management.\n\nAlthough aiming toward providing a broad overview of GIS, Campbell and Shin also elaborate on a fair amount of subfield specifics, but not so much as to obscure or distract from the central points of interest.  The strength of the book is the emphasis on GIS practice and the actual decisions that lead from conceptualization and project planning to an effective deliverable with useful information.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Both in terms of broader GIS concepts as well as domain-specific and technical skills, Campbell and Shin’s book accurately provides the “essentials” of GIS.  I found no glaring conceptual errors or omissions.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is generally relevant and up-to-date, as relates to the current ecosystem of common GIS software, hardware, workflows, and functions.  That said, technology, data, methods quickly evolve, and the book will need to be updated as-needed.  The structure of the book, especially in the online version, allows for flexible inclusion of new material or elaboration upon specific components of existing material.\n\nI was a little surprised that Python was not mentioned regarding development in GIS, especially related to its current role in Esri tool development and general rise in data science.  That said, for an \"essentials\" book that is not focused on Esri software specifically, this omission does not seem that important.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is clear, and it is evident that the authors write from experience.  Throughout the different sections, a good balance exists between detail and conciseness.  Where detail is omitted, it seems that the authors implicitly suggest that some of the onus is on the student for a deeper understanding of the specific subfields, such as the case of transformations between projections, where the authors simply state that although “most GISs include functions to assist in map projections[...]an awareness of the potential and pitfalls that surround map projections is essential.”","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in structure (e.g., primary learning objectives at the beginning and key takeaways and exercises at the end of each section), tone (e.g., a guidebook of “essentials” for working with and understanding GIS), and GIS-specific content (e.g., lists of relevant GIS definitions and geography-specific jargon are laid out prior to exploration of subject).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book lends itself well to modular assignment of sections, as needed in coordination with lecture or lab topics.  There are internal cross-referencing when topics intersect or overlap, but the references do not break the modular cohesiveness of the sections being read, especially in the online version where links are provided and use of the web browser enables easy navigation between sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization and structure of the subjects in the book are appropriate, beginning broadly with a discussion of geography and spatial thinking, moving on to GIS and maps (the most prominent or identifiable aspect of GIS), and finally the complex decision-making processes involved with data management, analysis, cartography, and project management.  The balance that Campbell and Shin strike regarding detail and conciseness on specific topics also plays out well in the overall structure of the book, whereby chapters are split into a few manageable sections each.  Compared with, hypothetically, on one extreme, a book with a few long chapters or (on the other extreme) many short chapters, Campbell and Shin have designed their “essentials” such that each chapter is suitable for about a week’s worth of reading and exercises, both in terms of required reading time as well as conceptual modularity.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Overall, the online interface is seamless.  Navigation via linear links (i.e., next/previous section) and nonlinear links (i.e., table of contents) are available, as well as subject-specific links within the text.  The charts are simple, appropriate to the subject, and intuitive.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Noticed one or two spelling or grammar errors, but overall the writing is professional and enjoyable.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"In Chapter 1 and 2, the book contextualizes GIS in terms of the ongoing development of social technologies and the related democratization of GIS, which is important for introductory students to understand in terms of the moving ground upon which GIS is evolving.  Additionally, the authors explore the ideas of bias and generalization, and the responsibility of GIS practitioners in the communication of information through maps.\n\nAlso, occasionally, the book provides examples of the incorporation of social data into GIS workflows, primarily by providing brief references to data sources for social or demographic data (e.g., census data) or types of data in potential analyses (e.g., income data in mall suitability analysis).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"No other comments other than I really like this book.  Our current textbook is good, as well, but perhaps too detailed for an introductory class of students using ArcGIS for the first time.  This book will be a good conceptual accompaniment to our Esri-based labs.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1683,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Ramos","position":"Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Comprehensive information about data formats, data operations, and analysis. Less coverage of fundamental concepts, applications, and cartography.\n\nThe chapters about GIS data formats and data management are thorough and well-organized, though they too would read better if they included more narratives and concrete examples from the field. The information here is dense and thoughtfully explained, and diagrams support the concepts well. These chapters form the heart of the book, and represent the book’s greatest value.\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"No errors stand out; the book shows a certain level of generalization, appropriate for an introductory text.\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book takes an ecumenical approach to the choice of software; the authors wisely observe that GIS software changes quickly, and that students and instructors might choose any number of tools. This approach is welcome, in a world that too often teaches the details of one piece of software rather than the longer-lived principles that underly that software. Some more discussion of the ideas that programs embody, though, would help introduce in students a useful skepticism.\n","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written.\n\nThe quality of the graphics varies considerably, an issue in a book that leans heavily on diagrams, example data, and model maps. Some sections would be clearer with more skillfully-drawn graphics. The explanation of projections, particularly, suffers. Other sections, like the chapters on searches and queries, and on vector operations, are accompanied by excellent graphics. \n\n\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"A quite internally consistent book, in terms of perspective and use of language.\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are self-contained and would read well in more than one order.\n","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"More case studies and narratives would help readers, particularly novices. The book offers a handful of examples—a glimpse at deforestation in the Amazon, or a hypothetical database query and its effects on returned data—but they are rare and abbreviated. More stories, and more real-world data, would help turn abstract concepts into concrete ones. \n","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The design of the book deserves a note. I read the PDF-formatted book. Whether for screen viewing or for printing, the book would be far more readable if lines were shorter. \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatically, fine.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Generally neutral; appropriate awareness of the cultural frameworks that surround our use of maps.\n","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1901,"first_name":"Donna","last_name":"Dambrosio","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is an excellent resource as an introductory GIS course for undergraduate and graduate students in a computer technology curriculum who have not had any prior experience with GIS. As the introduction states it “is designed to be accessible, pragmatic and concise.” (pg.2).There are ten chapters in the text which review GIS in a logical flow beginning with chapter 1 explaining GIS and why it is used. Within this chapter there is a discussion of spatial thinking and how we use special thinking every day. Chapter 1 also provides an overview of geographic concepts which define GIS and how GIS is currently used and how it may be used in the future; in addition, there is a discussion on the geospatial web. All of this affords a good foundation for the remaining chapters. An important component of this online text is the student’s ability to click on the external links to additional information. The remaining chapters present understandable lessons on cartography and cartographic principles, maps, map types, data and information, data files and formats, GIS data models, satellite imaging, data visualization, geospatial analysis and GIS project management. Each chapter begins with learning objectives and ends with a review of concepts learned and topical exercises. In addition, the charts and illustrations provide good visual learning support. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content seems accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content seems relevant and up-to-date since the authors provide link to pertinent websites. It seems that any updates can be added to the chapters if needed. An important component of this online text is the student’s ability to click on the external links to review additional information. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written and there are explanations of technical terminology.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It seems internally consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"A chapter or portions of a chapter could be assigned for each week of the semester.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are ten chapters in the text which review GIS in a logical flow beginning with chapter 1 explaining GIS and why it is used. Within this chapter there is a discussion of spatial thinking and how we use special thinking every day. Chapter 1 also provides an overview of geographic concepts which define GIS and how GIS is currently used and how it may be used in the future; in addition, there is a discussion on the geospatial web. All of this affords a good foundation for the remaining chapters. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is accessible as are the external links.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were not found.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There was no evidence of insensitivity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall this text presents a well-balanced, clearly written and informative introduction to Geographic Information Systems. I enjoyed reading this text and will use it for the GIS course.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2220,"first_name":"Elia","last_name":"Machado","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Lehman College, City University of New York (CUNY)","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"“Essentials of Geographic Information Systems” provides an accessible foundation of GIS and mapping at the undergraduate level, suitable for readers without previous experience with GIS, mapping, or spatial thinking. \n\nThe book is not very concise, but it is well written, engaging, and promotes the critical thinking of the reader by interspersing several questions and comments to encourage the critical examination of the content presented (e.g., what is included in mental maps, section 1.1). I also appreciate that it helps developing a sense of the type of questions that can be examined using a GIS and spatial thinking skills.  \n\nEach unit starts with a clearly laid out set of objectives and concludes with a summary of the main takeaways and a set of exercises. Altogether the units provide a broad foundation of GIS and mapping. Some of the main topics covered include: Spatial Thinking and GIS definition, map types (mental, reference, thematic, dynamic), map elements and scale representation, GIS data models and associated file formats (vector vs. raster), coordinate systems (only GCS) and projections, remote sensing and remote sensing data resolutions (very basic introduction), data quality (accuracy vs. precision), descriptive statistics and histograms, attribute and spatial queries, data classification methods, vector and raster data operations (including local, neighborhood, and zonal operations, and interpolation), cartographic principles and map design, and project management. \n\nOverall, the level of depth is adequate for an introductory textbook, but there are few potential weaknesses: i) the unit on coordinate systems and projections did not seem to offer the necessary depth, and did not include a discussion on planar coordinate systems, omitting two widely used coordinate systems in the U.S. (UTM and State plane), ii) the textbook does not cover how to read and specify coordinates from paper maps or USGS digital topo maps, iii) the unit on remote sensing is also quite brief and defines spectral resolution using the term wavelength without defining it first, some additional links would be helpful in this regard, iv) there is no coverage of the different types of thematic maps (choropleth, dot density, graduated symbols, flow maps, etc) and the data suitable to be represented by each type. Choropleth maps are briefly defined in unit 6, but the definition omits an important characteristic of them: the data represented in choropleth maps are aggregated by area (e.g., administrative areas). In addition, the authors use a choropleth map of population by county in the U.S. to illustrate the effect of different classification methods on the spatial patterns of the same dataset. Choropleth maps are ideal to identify spatial patterns, but their use with absolute numbers is discouraged because in many cases the aggregation units differ in size. Since it is difficult to make comparisons across units of varying sizes, transforming the data to percentages and rates is recommended when using choropleth maps. \n\nA table of contents is provided in the description of the textbook, but not in the version of the .pdf that I have downloaded. There is no glossary or index of terms, which would be very useful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the content of the book seems accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the book focuses on the fundamentals of GIS, is up-to-date, and will remain relevant over the long term. Some references to GIS applications, external links, and software will need to be checked and updated on a regular basis.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is well written at an introductory level. Most of the concepts included are defined in a clear, accessible manner, with a few exceptions (e.g., wavelength).","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology used throughout the book is consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is subdivided in a logical manner and can be read/assigned as separate chapters. There are internal references to other chapters in the book. It would be very useful to have a table of contents in the .pdf version with page ranges for easier navigation, reference, and identification of the length of each section.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The sequence of topics and chapters progresses logically, but personally I would have preferred having Chapter 9 (cartographic principles) after Chapter 6 (data characteristics and visualization).","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"A table of contents is included in the description of the book, but there is not a table of contents included in the .pdf of the book I downloaded from the Open Textbook library. This hinders navigating through the text and having a sense of the extent and structure of the book. It is also more difficult to refer to specific chapters for assignment. The online version starts with a hyperlinked table of contents and each chapter has links to the table of contents, as well as the previous and next chapter. The internal links to other chapters included in the text do not seem to work, this is also true for the .pdf version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found major grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. The authors promote a critical examination of what information is presented in map and the implications of how it is presented (e.g., mental maps, section1.1; map abstraction, section 2.3). These discussions are not typically included in “traditional”  introductory level GIS textbooks.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2579,"first_name":"Edward","last_name":"Davis","position":"Professor, Depat. of Geography \u0026 Earth \u0026 Environmental Sciences","institution_name":"Emory and Henry College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Campbell has covered GIS in a very complete way - the text may not include every possible element of the subject, but I think all the GIS essentials are given very complete explanations.  I particularly like the excellent coverage of data structures and statistics. These are areas sometimes given inadequate coverage, but Campbell gives them very good attention.  The latter chapters on cartography and project management are often neglected in GIS textbooks, but Campbell provides solid chapters that should really benefit students. One area that could have more coverage is remote sensing, which is a closely related field, but that is seldom taught within a GIS course - it is best taught separately.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is quite accurate, in my opinion.  I am a stickler for accuracy, but I found just a few errors - fewer than in most textbooks.  One small error will be discovered by students in Figure 4.11, where the topology table is missing a few values. But other than that, and a few typos, I am impressed with the writing, editing, and overall attention to the subject.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is designed to be relevant for years. Published in 2011, it is now 8 years old, and it seems quite up-to-date.  Yes, some of the references may seem outdated, but Campbell has written the book in such a way that the essentials are not hidden by a fascination with rapidly shifting technology.  For example, the data structures and the computer languages being used in relation to GIS now are mostly the same or simply derivative of those the author describes.  It would be impossible to keep up with all the computer language options in this kind of text - any professor will have to supplement the text with updates on that. This is not a flaw in Campbell's book.   The same is true for examples.  Campbell tries to avoid using examples that would be easily outdated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and easy to follow.  I think students should have no trouble reading and even being fascinated by the field as presented here.  I do think three improvements could be made:   A. The text could have more structural highlighting, such as bold terms, headings or colored guides, so that as a student reads she/he finds the important terms and concepts easily.     B. Many of the diagrams could be better designed.  I find quite a few of them to be overly simplistic, to the point where the reality being modeled is too hard to imagine.     C. More examples from the real world should be included, particularly when talking about the most difficult subjects, such as data structures and project management.  Students will easily follow the examples already shown, but in some sections, the author seems to have forgotten to maintain his good style.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in its presentation of the subject.  Campbell shows he is a good writer and organizer.  We should also credit the editor(s).  The quality shows.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapters are logically structured and not too long.   But sometimes the author goes on too long without subheadings, which can allow the reader to be distracted.  Our modern culture creates short attention spans, unfortunately.  The book should work to reflect the typical student reader's ability to focus.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Most teachers will find the book to be logically organized and each chapter properly connected to the others.  One complaint I have is the decision to place cartography at the end of the book.  In my experience, students enjoy knowing these design principles earlier, so they can apply them in the middle of the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I encountered no interface problems other than a few defunct links, which is inevitable. The simplicity of design helps in this regard.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I am a careful reader, yet I found no grammar problems.  This is impressive.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is US-centric, but as far as I could see it is not insensitive to culturally diverse groups. Perhaps more examples from other cultures could be included.  In act, as I think about it, it seems the book could use more examples, so if there is to be a second edition, the best choice would be examples from outside the US.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I like the book so much that I may adopt it for my course next year. Where it is flawed, I can make up the difference with a few adjustments (additional examples and diagrams).","created_at":"2019-02-23T10:07:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-02-23T10:07:40.000-06:00"},{"id":3964,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Kelly","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is where I feel the text struggled the most. Some of the basic and very important topics, such as projections, data classification, and visual hierarchy, were mentioned in such brevity that the reader is left without proper instruction on these topics. The text tries to cover so much that it often seems rushed and lacks comprehensiveness in many areas. No index or glossary is included.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I was pleasantly surprised to find the text mostly free of errors. However, with the text having been published 8 years ago some of the links provided were no longer active or incorrect. I did find some areas in which the terms or explanations used did not fit standard conventions. Additionally, in a portion of Chapter 9 the figures are not referenced to in the text, only empty parentheses are included.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"With a technology like GIS, changes happen very quickly and with a major software revision to one of the most widely used commercial products occurring in 2015 updates would be needed to portions of the text to increase relevance. While some of the information may at first glance seem dated, the historical information presented provides the reader with background as to where GIS has been. On the converse, the text is not forward looking which is needed for a text based on computer technology.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book was designed as an introductory text for individuals that are not familiar with GIS. It introduces “key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications”. There are a lot of terms to learn with each indicate in bold text and well explained, but no index or glossary is provided. If a term/concept is discussed in multiple sections of the text they are indicated as such so the reader can switch between sections to gain full understanding of the concept. Many practical examples are used throughout the text which helps the reader understand the application of the concepts presented.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found no issues with internal consistency. The framework used - a chapter introduction, and learning objectives at the beginning and key takeaways at the end of each section lends to a well thought out text.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text can be readily broken down into smaller sections, not only by chapter, but within each chapter there are multiple sections that are clearly divided by topic. However, there are multiple incidences in the text where the author refers to other sections/chapters of the text that could make some divisions more difficult than others.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I found the text topics did not flow well between a few of the chapters (3-5 and 6-9) with some rearrangement recommended. Furthermore, some of the chapter and section titles did not accurately represent the content or in one incidence repeated similar information. What did work was the use of an introductory section at the beginning of each chapter along with basic exercises provided at the end of each section within a chapter.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"In the PDF form there are quite a few images that run off the page, but when viewing the text online these issues do not exist. Otherwise, the graphics and interface work well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written with no grammatical errors found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"All information presented is done so in a culturally sensitive manner.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:19:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:19:48.000-05:00"},{"id":4023,"first_name":"Patrick","last_name":"Kennelly","position":"GIS Program Director","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Essentials of Geographic Information Systems is designed to be a book for an introductory book in GIS. It is comprised of ten chapters which include introduction, map anatomy, data/information and where to find them, data models for GIS, geospatial data management, data characteristics and visualization, geospatial analysis (vector), geospatial analysis (raster), cartographic principles, and GIS project management. I would say the first and final chapter of this book are relatively unique when comparing it to other introductory GIS textbooks. The first chapter focuses on mental maps, which could be part of a more basic course typically called something like “spatial thinking”. The final chapter is a summary of elements of project management. It doesn’t hurt to introduce GIS students to PM in an introductory textbook, but many might find this the most surprising chapter to include.\r\n\r\nEach chapter begins with learning objectives and then gets into the main portion of the chapter. The authors include images that are generally informative and colorful. They end each chapter with key takeaways and exercises. The exercises are typically reflective (e.g. compare and contrast), or task oriented (e.g. find your home). This textbook does not include GIS exercises or labs, so instructors using this book would need to have another source of these. Finally, the authors end with a few references that are designed as overviews of the ideas such as Monmonier’s How to Lie with Maps.\r\n\r\nThis book covers the main basics of GIS, but is not a deep dive into the technology and what it can do at the introductory class level. It was originally published with Flatworld as an OER, then when Flatworld was purchased only available at a cost for a while, and now it is available again as an OER. I reviewed some of the original chapters in 2011 when they were first written, and like the style and writing.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I would describe the content as accurate, error-free and unbiased. Each author is going to have specific ideas about how to present content, but I think book does so in a fair and balanced manner. It focuses more on the concepts of GIS as opposed to how it works, which I think is appropriate for this type of introductory text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content covered tends to be the fundamentals of GIS, so I would say that the longevity is good by design. The big ideas in GIS covered in an introductory class are not evolving rapidly, but of course the software and applications are. This only means that this book would have to be coupled with other lab or exercises resources if the instructor wants to include hands-on GIS work in his/her class.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and concise. It doesn’t go too deep into the jargon, and clearly explains the terminology that it does use.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The materials in this book are consistent in terms of terminology. I am unsure what is meant by framework, but I would say at times the internal arrangement of materials was not always the most intuitive to me. For example, the final chapter on project management includes sections on working with CAD data, applications development, map series and grid-to-ground transformations.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This seems like a very modular textbook to me. However, since it only has ten chapters, I don’t think it could be used for more than an introductory course, and the materials here might not be enough to cover every topic in that course in sufficient detail, depending on the instructor’s curriculum.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are organized in a logical manner, and probably follow the typical organizational structure of many GIS instructors when teaching an introductory course. There is always room for potential reorganization depending on how topics are covered, and the sections would help the instructor assign specific readings from chapters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The book is available in both a pdf and online format. The online format is nice, and has a table of contents with links to all chapters and sections within the chapters. In summary, it’s very easy to navigate. I wasn’t as impressed with the pdf, as it doesn’t include a table of contents or links to specific chapters/sections. Moreover, only page numbers appear on each page, there is no indication of what chapter you are in unless there is a figure number or section heading. I’d suggest sticking to the online version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t notice any grammatical errors. I also know that the original material was reviewed by external reviewers, so I hope that such edits were made during this process.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This material is not culturally insensitive in any way. The authors also try so show some maps related to social justice when appropriate, such as deforestation, worldwide life expectancy, GDP and literacy disparities, etc.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Good as an introductory textbook, but will need accompanying exercise/lab materials.","created_at":"2020-06-20T19:51:59.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-20T19:51:59.000-05:00"},{"id":4130,"first_name":"Ashok","last_name":"Pandey","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Maritime Academy","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"As an introductory book on GIS, the authors have done a commendable piece of work. The book has a constant flow connecting all the ten chapters succinctly. Each chapter starts with a ‘learning objective’ and ends with a take –away summary and some simple exercises for the reader. The associated graphics and illustrations in the chapters are well conceived and literally say a thousand words! A good piece of work for the uninitiated as it tells a simple story of a complex subject.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"'Essentials of Geographic Information Systems' covers almost all a beginner would like to know about GIS. It makes an interesting read and I found the contents precise and accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The authors have written the book skillfully and retained its relevance although the world of GIS is transforming so rapidly with evolving technology and multi-disciplinary applications. The examples cited in the chapters are aptly put and retain their logical connection even though the book was first published in 2011.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The authors have demystified the complexity of GIS with a clarity of thought and purpose in this book. As an introductory book, the chapters give a peripheral knowledge that the student must possess. Connecting the chapters to practical to-do lab exercises may have made each chapter more interesting.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in its style and presentation. Complex and intricate terminologies have been avoided as far as practicable especially in the first five chapters to engage the reader and make the subject matter engrossing.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"A requirement for modularity is to clearly define the interfaces between modules and enable the modules to work together. The steps involved in the transfer of the flow of control between the author(s) and reader seems well defined through the organization of chapters and dissemination of introductory information. Small chapters keep the readers’ focus better that the book clearly displays.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized for the teacher and well- balanced for the taught. The structure, flow and organization of the various sections is tidy, well-kept and straight.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I do not see a Table of contents in the .pdf version. The online format looks better. I suggest a modification of the .pdf format for people to read and save offline. All the associated web links work well in the .pdf format. The Kindle file format may increase readership particularly among students with PDA's/mobile phones.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book has been through multiple reviews to date. I did not notice any grammatical errors as such. The book has a lucid syntax and makes splendid reading.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The subject matter of the book is largely technical interspersed with management techniques.  The examples and illustrations cited in the chapters could be drawn from multiple regions and industries, however. The world of GIS encapsulates almost every activity and it may interest readers and instructors far and wide.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I shall recommend  this book to any reader who wants to understand the world of GIS. If a book can tell a complex subject and reads like a storybook, the authors have succeeded in making an impact on the uninitiated as well as the seasoned GIS practitioner.","created_at":"2020-06-29T12:15:29.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-29T12:15:29.000-05:00"},{"id":35824,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Weidhuner","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southern Illinois University Carbondale","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook gives enough context and broad enough examples to understand all the basics needed to utilize GIS appropriately across a wide array of fields. There isn’t an index or glossary, but as a digital resource, searching the document proves helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content remains accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is still relevant despite significant changes within ArcGIS software in the last few years. If further updates are needed as the science advances the text is written to maintain updates easily.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of this text is phenomenal. Without getting into very specific details only relevant to one area of study or another, it challenges students to think about examples from everyday life for applicability. Additionally the language throughout the text is very approachable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are arranged into subsections, beginning with learning objectives and ending with key takeaways and reflective exercises for students to begin to think critically about and apply what they just learned about. This is a great resource for subdividing into sections, but also to help organize this text with other class materials, supplementary or not.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very well organized.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"All images, charts, text, and links, including hyperlinks are working and up to date. However, a Table of Contents with internal links would be helpful for navigating from one section to another.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Excellent grammar throughout the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Text and geographic examples are globally representative and inclusive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this is an excellent textbook that delivers exactly what it promises: the essentials of GIS in an interactive and clear manner. It is well-suited for both undergraduate and graduate-level introductions to GIS, and provides a strong foundation for more specialized study or software applications.","created_at":"2026-03-16T20:01:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2026-03-16T20:01:58.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/essentials-of-geographic-information-systems?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:09:29.000-05:00"},{"id":189,"title":"Information Systems for Business and Beyond","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"","description":"This book is written as an introductory text, meant for those with little or no experience with computers or information systems. While sometimes the descriptions can get a little bit technical, every effort has been made to convey the information essential to understanding a topic while not getting bogged down in detailed terminology or esoteric discussions. Information Systems for Business and Beyond was written by Dr. David Bourgeois and originally published in 2014 as part of the Open Textbook Challenge at the Saylor Foundation. Since then, it has been accessed thousands of time and used in many courses worldwide. This 2019 update to the textbook brings it up to date and adds many new topics. True to its open textbook roots, many of the updates have come from the community of instructors and practitioners who are passionate about information systems. Please note that the XML and MS Word links go to an earlier version.","contributors":[{"id":3683,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"David","middle_name":"T.","last_name":"Bourgeois","location":"Biola University","background_text":"David T. Bourgeois worked as an information technology professional for 15 years for companies such as Southern California Edison and Texas Instruments before coming to Biola in 2002 to lead the information systems program. He received his master's degree in management science from Cal State Fullerton in 1994 and his doctorate degree in information systems and technology from Claremont Graduate University in 2006. Bourgeois currently serves as the undergraduate department chair and as the director of innovation with a focus on ensuring that all undergraduates are fully skilled in the digital technologies they need in their business careers."},{"id":5396,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"James","middle_name":"L.","last_name":"Smith","location":null,"background_text":"James L. Smith"},{"id":5397,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Shouhong","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Wang","location":null,"background_text":"Shouhong Wang"},{"id":5398,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Joseph","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Mortati","location":null,"background_text":"Joseph Mortati"}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":80,"url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Information%20Systems%20for%20Business%20and%20Beyond.pdf","year":2019,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-01T17:00:20.000-05:00","name":"Saylor Foundation"}],"formats":[{"id":424,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.39516295","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":425,"type":"eBook","url":"https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/open-textbooks/1/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":426,"type":"Online","url":"https://opentextbook.site/informationsystems2019/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2218,"type":"MS Word","url":"https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/textbooks/Information%20Systems%20for%20Business%20and%20Beyond.docx","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2219,"type":"XML","url":"https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/textbooks/Information%20Systems%20for%20Business%20and%20Beyond.xml","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":19,"reviews":[{"id":101,"first_name":"Henry","last_name":"Danielson","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"California Polytechnic State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook was executed with current knowledge and well versed. Since this is a introductory textbook the novice will gain many facets and learn about many topics. I was impressed with the learning objectives and the exercises. The in depth experience the text explores is relevant and helpful. The amount of material that is reviewed is awesome and useful. The index and other main components a textbook covers was accurate and meaningful. The text covers cutting edge technologies and legacy systems to educate the reader on the broad scope technology covers.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found that the textbook supports the latest information and is accurate, error-free and unbiased. Introduction to information systems for business and beyond is a wonderful title and provides exactly the reader expects. The images are current and the words are engaging and professional language is addressed. The diagrams and supplemental resources i.e. study questions and exercises are phenomenal. All materials in the textbook are relevant and well edited to boot. The content is uses Wikipedia and other modern sources, which is right on target. The cited resources are current and presented well. The history of the technology is portrayed in an easy to digest format and the reader can test the accuracy on the web.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Looking forward to changes in this text one would be able to update minimal sections. So in my opinion the author did a wonderful job on this open textbook. Most introductory courses may not change rapidly and this textbook has relevance and promotes the understanding of all concepts discussed. Emergent strategies are discussed in this book and can be easily updated for the next iteration of the book. Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. I concur that the book will be a useful in the future and I will try and use in my course.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clear and concise and quite educational and the data displays well. During my reading of the textbook I learned new information and I was impressed with the authors knowledge. The business/tech jargon are presented in an openly easy to read paragraphs. The clarity the author presents on the history and the current structures is well versed and I enjoyed it. The exercises have useful links and are useful. The textbook is a fun read and captures the interest of the reader quickly.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistency and ideas presented in the textbook are clear and well written. I would venture to state that each chapter has themes that are presented with knowledge and framework. Each chapter builds and builds taking the reader to new heights and comprehension.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook covers 13 chapters and is broken into segments that describe the chapter. The summaries are well written and the study questions are on target. There are exercises that compliment each chapter and they are stellar and are thought provoking. Instructors can choose chapters and are able to use this as supplemental materials as well. The text is not overly self-referential in fact it is relevant and powerful. The chapters are consistent in length and laid out well.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The flow of the textbook is appropriate for an introductory textbook. The author presents the material in an organized fashion and the flow is very easily understood. I am looking forward to using this for my class. The structure can be modified and used as need be by each instructor. Each chapter contains learning objectives that are helpful and have been well planned out. Homework is easily contained in the exercises and they are good! The flow of the textbook is manageable and you can reference other parts to build on other key concepts throughout the entire textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is current and devoid of navigation issues. The . Most images were clear and high quality, even on smaller e-reading devices like an iPhone. The text was a readable font, and it is clear the author had others involved and possibly did a usability study to enhance the text and links. I particularly enjoyed how easy the textbook was to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammar errors or broken links at this time.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The examples and exercises are well aware of cultural bias. The text is well done and is not offensive in any way shape or form.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I was impressed overall with this textbook. I would recommend anyone with basic knowledge of tech to have a look. Well done and FREE...","created_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2014-07-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":813,"first_name":"Diane","last_name":"Miller","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is great for a beginning class for Computer Information Systems. Each chapter hits the highlights of that area, explains it in very concrete understandable manner. It is organized in a way that allows me to set up my class in a similar information flow. \n\nThe book is comprehensive in topic areas of Computer Information Systems. Each topic area is introduced and gives a base of knowledge about the topic. It gives me a nice structure to fill with up-to-the-minute information to emphasize what is happening RIGHT NOW.\n\nThe students and I appreciate that it is very succinct and to-the-point.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book to be accurate with the included information. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Even though the book is already two and a half years old, I think that it will stand the test of time because of its ability to handle the basics. I suspect the only thing that will happen is more and more current topics will be added and/or fleshed out. \n\nFor example: a network is a network is a network but current topics on new network technology may be added in the future as it becomes widely adopted. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written with good clarity. It defines and calls out any of the words that may be new to the reader. That is one reason it is good for beginning and non-CIS students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There are not any inconsistencies that were obvious.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I have taught a class both by following the book through from front to back and by cherry-picking the chapters as they fit into my original class organization. The students were able to understand the information in the chapters in both instances. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I appreciated the organization and flow of the book so much, that I reorganized my class to more closely follow the book and add the salient issues of current events with newspapers, articles, blogs, etc. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The PDF interface works fine. I was able to break up the chapters and upload them to the LMS so the students could have them right in their course modules.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not notice any culturally insensitive areas in this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I asked the students how they liked the book. Some of their comments:\n- I like that it is so readily available right in Canvas (LMS).\n- Price is right.\n- Has the information and background for what we are studying.\n- It could use more pictures.\n- It gets right to the point without a lot of extra reading.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":992,"first_name":"Patricia","last_name":"Elliott","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA.  ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all areas of basic information technology including a very  comprehensive history of technology and its evolution.  In some cases it goes beyond standard information such as an explanation of the different types of writing source code.  I have not found this in other textbooks that I have used.  It does not have an index and/or glossary but does have a good introduction to chapters and the three sections of the book.   ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook's accuracy is very well documented and attention to detail is good.  \n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Technology is a fast moving subject and this book references 2012 and 2013 so it some ways it is already out of date..  The business section is based on ideas based in the 1990s even though they are true today.  The advantage plays an even bigger role today as business are much more competitive than in the 1990s competing for every dollar and advantage.   The format of the book is set up  so  chapters can be updated without changing the structure.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook was very well written and easily understandable.  I found when I worked in the business world that often times the language used by books and technicians was too esoteric and not easily understood.  This textbook did not leave me with that feeling.  As an introduction to technology, this textbook provides usable and understandable information to the students in a readable and comprehensive manner.    The graphics were very helpful and easy to understand.  The definitions of the different players in the technology world would be key in knowing the appropriate person to contact in a business.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook flowed well and the technology was update to date and consistent.  The links were well placed and helpful.  Author did not interchange words for the same function or idea, therefore making it easy to go from one chapter to the next.  ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"This textbook could be reorganized into smaller sections and moved around but think that the organization and subject matter are in the most effective order.  Chapter 8 and Chapter 11 could be placed in same section.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook was well organized and easy to follow.  The only thing I might have changed was to move the security section closer to the definitions of the different kinds of technology.  i..e. Security around using wireless internet.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The information contained in this textbook did not have any interface problems.   I thought that the information melded  well together.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar in this book in fine.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find that anything in this book was culturally insensitive or offensive.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I  teach technology in the law office to paralegals and found  information in this book that I can use to expand my teaching in connection with the the book I am currently using.    The explanations for some functions or ideas were  written in more understandable language.  One of these is the cloud.    ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1046,"first_name":"Ross","last_name":"Lamberth","position":"School of Business Administration Instructor","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text does an excellent job of covering the broad range of topics essential to a beginning class in Information Systems. Ranging from concrete topics like Hardware, Software, Data, and Networking to softer topics like Business Processes, People in a typical organization, Globalization, and the Digital Divide. This book dares to ask the question, “Does IT Matter”, then does an excellent job answering that question. The is well book organized using plenty of relevant pictures, charts, and tables to help make its points clear. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I could tell, this book ui accurate, error-free, and reasonably unbiased as of this review, late 2016. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"All written books age with time but this text seems relevant and up-to-date. I do not believe the content is presented in a way that will make it obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written, illustrated, and uses examples that should make it easy to update as technology changes in our world as it always has. The only exception to this may be the links embedded in many places in the text. While all links that were clicked by this reviewer worked correctly at this time, it seems likely that some of these links will eventually become broken links. Having said this, I would rather have modern textbook with links than without. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in clear, easy-to-understand terms that should be accessible to most all readers. Because this is a book about technology it is required to include relevant jargon and technical terminology but the text does a good job describing and explaining the jargon and terms as needed to remain understandable by the average reader. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Even though the textbook is lengthy and covers a broad range of topics, it remains internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework throughout.\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text was clearly written with modularity in mind. There are consistent divisions within each chapter including learning objectives, introductions, well formatted section headings, active links to websites, sidebars, well captioned charts and graphs, summaries, study questions, and exercises. It should be straightforward for most instructors to pick and choose which portions to highlight or use for class lessons or homework assignments. The book flows seamlessly through relevant subunits without being distracting to the reader. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Even though the subject matter is broad and extensive, this text does an excellent job organizing the subtopics and subunits into an organized flow that does not overwhelm the reader or lose them in a complicated structure. The text presents the many topics involved in an overview of Information Systems in a clear and logical way. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"While the book does an excellent job of including relevant charts, graphs, table, and illustrations, some of the formatting of these visual aids seems inconsistent chapter to chapter. For example, chart titles and axis labels are not always the same font and size from chart to chart or chapter to chapter. Although this was not overly distracting, it might be an issue for some people to read some of the smaller text included in some of the charts and illustrations. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in this text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"To this reviewer, this textbook was not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. This textbook seemed to use a wide variety of examples that were not exclusive or ethnocentric. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent textbook for the beginning Information Systems student. With the quality of open textbooks being this high, it is unclear why instructors and students would continue to pay for other texts. ","created_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1161,"first_name":"Efrem","last_name":"Mallach","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Rhode Island College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book's comprehensiveness is variable, presumably reflecting the interests of its author. I find that a plus in many ways. I like a book that reflects its author's personality and preferences, rather than being designed by a committee of reviewers who will collectively make sure that it covers everything that any instructor could possibly want and is also twice as thick as any student can possibly stand. That also makes it easier to decide if a book suits me or not: either its coverage matches my personal biases or it doesn't.\n\nThis book gives job descriptions and career paths a chapter of their own, but gives CRM (Customer Relationship Management) a bit over four lines. For me, that's backwards, especially when 90 percent of the students who use this book won't be MIS majors, but for other instructors it may be just fine. It gives business processes a chapter of their own, but gives agile development ten lines. You'll have to decide if its balance is right for you.\n\nI feel the book falls down in this regard when it comes to hardware. It has a generally-good discussion of the kinds of hardware students are already familiar with: desktops, laptops, tablets and so on. (It doesn't recognize that students are already familiar with this content, but that's a style issue rather than a comprehensiveness issue.) However, it spends no time at all on kinds of computers that students don't already know about but should as entry-level professionals: from servers to supercomputers, other than a couple of references to mainframes in passing as something outdated. (Ask any user of IBM's z series how true that is.) The book also doesn't even mention the most common enterprise storage systems, RAID, NAS and SAN, which again students will not generally have seen before. To my mind, it's more important to tell students something they don't already know than to confirm what they do know.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I noticed only two real inaccuracies:\n\n1. Processor speed is equated with clock rate. This ignores the effect of micro-architecture on how many clock cycles it takes to execute a typical instruction. More importantly, it effectively ignores multi-core, multi-threaded processors. Cores get two lines (p. 16), threads get nary a mention. They are a key element of 2017 processor architecture.\n\n2. Parallel conversion is mentioned (p. 116-117) as if it were still viable in 2017, assuming its cost is acceptable. This is not the case for online systems, where timing differences can affect results and where it is not practical to get customers to enter their transactions twice. This conventional wisdom has propagated from textbook to textbook without a reality check ever since online systems became the norm. I am disappointed that it is still doing that today. (There are a few situations where parallel conversion is viable. They involve internal systems such as financial accounting, where all users are internal and the sequence of activities can be controlled.\n\nI also felt that the software split into OS and applications is too simplistic. Applications are defined (p. 26) as programs that do something useful for the user. Later, compilers are grouped with applications, as are DBMS - even though both of these exist simply to develop or facilitate \"real\" applications. I would vote for the traditional split into systems and application software here, with the OS considered a type of systems software but not the only type. Others may disagree with me, of course.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It's certainly relevant. As for longevity: parts of the information systems field move so rapidly that no book can hope to remain current for more than a few years, even if it is up to the minute when first published. \"Longevity\" is too much to ask for in an MIS text! That said, its chapters on business processes, ethics and so on should stand the test of time fairly well.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This is a strength. I like the writer's style.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I didn't notice any problems in consistency of content, except for the trivial one that mainframes are described as being from the 1950s-1960s in one place and from the 1970s in a table right afterwards. Either way, they're described as being from when a reader's parents were in kindergarten. The point is the same whichever decade one picks.\n\nThere is an issue, though, in consistency of approach. Much of the content is written for the non-MIS major. For example, there's no need to go into database normalization for MIS majors; they'll take a full course on database management and will study it there. Other parts are written only for MIS majors, such as the section on MIS career paths. I would prefer to see the author take a position, one way or the other, on who his audience consists of and then write for that audience.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"It is divided into modular chapters, with each chapter divided into major and minor sections. The section structure is difficult to follow, though: sections are not numbered in outline fashion, and section heading type size differences are not always obvious enough to serve that purpose.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The order is traditional for MIS books: start with an introductory chapter or two, continue with technology in the order hardware-software-database-telecoms, then talk about how systems are used and how they're developed, and wrap up with ethics and perhaps a look to the future. Most MIS instructors are used to this organization and will feel comfortable with this book in that regard.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There are no navigation issues, as the text doesn't really have navigation other than the standard PDF sidebar with chapter headings. However, the reader interface is flawed by random jumps in type size (sometimes within a paragraph; e.g., bottom of page 7, line spacing, and other errors such as the SQL examples on page 45 running off the page. This is distracting. The book needs a thorough, careful going-over by  an expert in Microsoft Word or whatever other package this book was created in. In addition, since type size changes are the only clue to section/subsection organization, they should be made more obvious (or, better, number at least the top-level sections within a chapter).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems here. Either the author knows how to write coherent English or he had a good copy editor. I can't tell which, but the end result is fine in this regard.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It has few if any examples that involve people, so opportunities for cultural insensitivity aren't there. The thorough attention it pays to ethical considerations is in its favor as regards cultural relevance.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"It's a short book, almost \"Information Systems in a Nutshell.' The content starts on page 5 and ends on page 149, including questions and all. Part of the reason is that it doesn't spend much (if any) time on topics the author doesn't care much (if anything) about. If your choice of topics matches those of this book, take a careful look at it. If you're teaching a quarter or two-credit course, take a look at it also: it's short enough for those without having to skip chapters or cover them too lightly. If neither or those is you, it may not be a good choice.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1313,"first_name":"Simon","last_name":"Jin","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Considering this is a textbook for introductory class for Information Systems, this book well addressed all the necessary basics required for new learners of IS/MIS/CIS. It starts with an effort of understanding the information systems by addressing different components of IS such as Hardware, Software, Database, Networking and Communication, and IS Security. Then, it not only addresses how IS can be used to achieve strategic advantage but also important issues like digital divide, ethical \u0026amp; legal issues, and the future trend.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In general, the textbook is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This textbook is certainly relevant. However, due to the nature of the content (i.e., fast evolving nature of IS world), updates will be required. Most of the references are 2012’s and 2013’s. Effort of adding some current articles in order to stay up to date would be appreciated especially for the additional reading assigmnets.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook is clearly written, and easy to follow.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"No inconsistency issues found in the textbook. The terminology was consistent and relevant to the subject matter. The chapter ware consistent in length. \nIn terms of format, however, there are some rooms to be improved (e.g., Font size, Line spacing, side-bar format, and so on).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is broken into 3 segment (6, 4, and 3 chapters each). Due to the comprehensiveness \u0026amp; modularity of each chapter, each chapter can be used as a single source of class material without referencing other chapters. \nAlso, instructor can either choose to deliver all 3 segments in the same course, or pick \u0026amp; focus on specific segment.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization/structure/flow of this textbook is good. With consistent structure of chapter (i.e., Learning objectives, Introduction, Content, Summary, Study Questions, Exercise), it is very easy to follow. Learning objective and Exercise questions are especially valuable for discussion.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"No navigation issues found. Adding glossary and index, however, would help readers locate important concepts more easily.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No culturally offensive issues found.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"In sum, this textbook is a good resource for new learners in Information Systems area.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1672,"first_name":"Joseph","last_name":"Mortati","position":"Executive-in-Residence","institution_name":"American University, Kogod School of Business","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is a comprehensive primer on Information Systems. It covers a range of essential technical topics including software, hardware, databases, networking, and security as well as business topics including people, processes, competitive advantage, globalization, and ethics. It ends with a compelling look at what the future trends will likely be.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, well-sourced, and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As you might expect, information systems texts can age out quickly, so the publication date of 2014 means some of the content needs to be updated, including some cases. However, the foundation is very solid and much of the material is unaffected (e.g., Chapter 4: Data and Databases, which explains basics of data and how they are stored, needs only minor updating). Likewise, some topics (such as Big Data and Business Analytics) have made great strides in technology and adoption since 2014 and would need refreshing in any new version.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Designed for the non-technical business student, the book flows well and clearly explains all acronyms and technical jargon in easy-to-understand terms. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"A well-structured framework leads to consistency of concepts. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapter subsections have appropriate lengths and breakpoints, making it easy-to-read. A very minor point but since this is an ebook, having the chapter name and title in the header of each page makes for easier navigation; as-is, headers alternate between book title and chapter title. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is divided into two, logical sections: technical aspects (Chapters 1-6) and business aspects (Chapters 7-13). The transition from the first to the second (in Chapter 7) is clear.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The only consistent area for improvement is in some text formatting (which is inconsistent in font type or size) and many of the images (which should be higher-resolution and have better placement, such as centering on the page). ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Both the concepts and case studies use good examples from a variety of fields.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, \"Information Systems and Beyond\" is relevant, logical, and well-written, making it a good candidate for an introductory MIS textbook for undergraduate business students who do not necessarily have a technical background. If the book also had accompanying slides, I could see this giving some paid textbooks a run for their money!","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1895,"first_name":"Barbara","last_name":"Warner","position":"Instructor and MS BAIS Admissions Director and Graduate Advisor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers many standard topics of information technology.  The chapters were well organized with a clear table of contents but no index of terms, topics. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate for 2014.  However, technology changes so quickly that some of the information was quite dated. ","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"As mentioned above - the content is a bit dated, since it was written in 2014.  I'm not sure how a information technology text can stay relevant unless it is updated regularly. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book was clear, a little dry but easily understandable. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent.  And might be a good resource if it was updated. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, this could be divided and presented in modules.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are the standard topics presented in an introductory information technology book and are presented clearly, however, the information is dated. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Old images, some text is in a different font than surrounding text.  Needs some editing.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"In my review I didn't find any glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This text on computers / information systems is not culturally insensitive, it is culturally neutral.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"It was a good open source book in 2014, I could not assign it to students in 2018. ","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2417,"first_name":"Roger","last_name":"Finnegan","position":"Community Faculty","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook does cover the basic aspects of MIS that the commercial textbooks cover. Subjects such as hardware, software, databases, security, ethics and etc. One strength or weakness depending on your point of view is that the chapters are short. Unless our course is short or low credit you would need to supplement with other sources. The text is also from 2014 so it is showing its age. Blockchain and data science for example aren't covered. But the textbook that we currently use from a major publisher also does not cover them in much depth. So this textbook is not really that different from an expensive alternative. But again it is a quick read.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book does seem to be accurate. But the things covered are usually pretty short. Just a paragraph or two are spent on a lot of subject. Again that could be an advantage or a drawback depending on how you want to use the book. The author does introduce the more widely read ideas from MIS, He discusses Porter's five forces model and value chain. There is a short discussion on Nicholas Carr's IT Doesn't Matter article and some its critics. The author also mentions one of Brynjolfsson and McAfee's articles.  While the author does represent them correctly the information is quite succinct.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is from 2014 so it is showing its age. Many things could be added to it. If you wanted to use a short textbook with the basics of databases and networking and then supplement it with new information and ideas I think that you could easily do that with this text. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is brief but the author does present the information in a way that should be very accessible for students.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The fonts used and the paragraph spacing seem to change which I found a bit odd. But the layout of the chapters is consistent throughout the book.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"You could easily use just certain chapters of this book. There is a chapter on hardware, one on software and another on security. So you could just assign those if you just needed something short on those aspects of IT.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics covered and how they are presented are pretty standard. It follows many of the same design considerations of a commercial textbook on MIS.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The textbook is well organized. One thing that I found disconcerting was that the font and the spacing seemed to change a lot. One paragraph would be single spaced and then the next is more widely spaced and in a different font. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar used seemed to be fine.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not anything that would be considered offensive or insensitive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"If you need a short basic text for your course this is a book that you could consider for use.","created_at":"2018-11-28T20:50:31.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-28T20:50:31.000-06:00"},{"id":2754,"first_name":"Ted","last_name":"Beers","position":"Faculty Instructor at Western Oregon University","institution_name":"Open Oregon Educational Resources","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Part 1 covers Information Systems (IS) broadly, touching on all the major aspects.  Part 2 gets more into IS practices.  Part 3 tackles the changing landscape of IS while re-emphasizing the timeless importance of certain principles such as ethics and legal considerations.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Keeping up with changing terminology is tough in tech fields such as IS, but this book does an admirable job of it without sacrificing accurate with uncertain, emerging tech.  For example, the book uses established modern examples such as \"flash drives\".  And a \"modern laptop\" illustration shows a recent-model Apple MacBook.\r\n\r\nThe treatment on security describes well the modern approaches of RSA, firewall intrusion detection, and even mobile security, with citations from recent studies on same, such as a 2013 SANS study.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As a teacher of IS, I find this material highly relevant for any denizen of our tech society, regardless of their field of study or profession.\r\n\r\nBecause of its separation of major topics (\"What is\", \"Strategic Advantage\", \"Beyond the Org\") and its natural categorization within (\"Hardware\", \"Software\", \"Globalization\", etc.), the book properly and effectively follows  the organization in other IS treatments.  This also makes it more readily updated as detail points develop further, e.g. in software concerns.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book seems targeted at the lower-division college student—perfect for its presumed application as an introductory textbook for IS majors or those in related tech and business pursuits.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found no evidence of inconsistent phrasing, coverage, literacy, terminology, etc.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As discussed previously, the book's division into major topics and natural categories makes modularity a breeze!","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book's flow of topics and categories is natural for IS, starting with computer system fundamentals and culminating in large-scale ethical and global considerations.  Part 3 could use more framing of the relationships among these \"beyond\" topics.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have no difficulty finding material from the book, and all text and illustrations are clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"IS doesn't lend itself to culture-specific examples, and the book makes no overt references.  Relatively light in photographs (only one with people!), the book make no error of cultural omission or commission.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I've adopted this book as a free alternative edition in the class \"Introduction to IS\", which to date has required an expensive conventional printed textbook.  This book compares very favorably, and I expect to drop required printed textbook in future terms.","created_at":"2019-04-09T16:33:11.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-09T16:33:11.000-05:00"},{"id":3091,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Magro","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Shenandoah University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Cons:\r\n\r\nCoverage of E-Commerce is a bit light, consisting of a few mentions and a definition.\r\n\r\nNot much emphasis on categorizing/classifying information systems. DSS and ERP are mentioned, but not knowledge systems or expert systems or transaction processing systems. \r\n\r\nNo index or glossary. Just a bibliography and answers to study questions.\r\n\r\nPros:\r\n\r\nAuthor does a good job of explaining the difference between data and information, one of the primary reasons for information systems to exist.\r\n\r\nThe security section is well done and comprehensive.\r\n\r\nAs a former developer, I thought the section on IS development was especially good, with clearer definitions and concepts than some commercial texts I have.\r\n\r\nIt is great that it covers patent trolls when discussing intellectual property. This is a significant hurdle for any new technology entrepreneur.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I've been involved in IS for over 30 years, and the treatment of the topics were accurate.\r\n\r\nThere was one use of Wikipedia as a source for the definition of an information system, yet it was used as one of several definitions from different sources to compare. Still, I would probably de-emphasize that in class.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For textbook as old as this (because technology moves very fast, an IS text just a few years old can be considered dated), it is surprisingly comprehensive, and prescient in a few places. An instructor can still use this with minimal supplementation of current events and case studies in 2019/20.\r\n\r\nSome examples, both positive and negative:\r\n\r\nCloud computing doesn't include much about modern cloud providers (i.e.Amazon), yet it treats the topic accurately. This chapter would need to be supplemented by current cloud usage and trends.\r\n\r\nCovers IPv6 which will be a hot topic in the near future, as well as IoT and driverless cars.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found it very easy to read and follow.\r\n\r\nThere was the use of first person narrative in a couple of places early in the book, i.e. \"I spend the first day of my IS class discussing exactly what the term means.\" Not necessarily bad, but generally not found in most of the rest of the text. Not a major criticism - the meaning is clear.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Formatting - sometimes the font size is reduced for a part of the page, maybe to make a paragraph fit on a page, but sometimes for no discernable reason. It means some segments of a paragraph may be harder to read than other parts. Not a major criticism, but it affects the perception of quality.\r\n\r\nFormatting - in the database chapter, there's some SQL code given that appears to be cut off due to the font/formatting used. An instructor can supply the missing pieces if they know SQL.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is very readable with reasonably short paragraphs and sidebars that are easy to digest. The subheadings are descriptive and helpful.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The sections and chapters follow a common pattern and topic layout of similar information systems texts.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Embedded links: Use of hyperlinks in the text that take you to websites. I found at least one link that no longer works. I attempted to click on most all of them and most all of them worked fine. The risk is these links change or get removed at a future date, reducing the perceived quality of the text. However, I don't see this as a major detriment to the text, since the links just enhance the information -- they are not required to be clicked on. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I am a pretty sharp proofreader, and did not notice any significant grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I noticed no issues with cultural insensitivity. Cultural differences were cited as potential issues to overcome when using information systems for global business.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The end of chapter summaries and study questions are as a whole thoughtful and useful as a help to students to review key points of the chapter.\r\n\r\nUtilizes academic research well, and includes important publications (like Carr's and Brynjolfsson's work).\r\n\r\nI like the chapter dedicated to human roles in computing and information systems. I think it will help students map out goals toward a career in technology.\r\n","created_at":"2019-07-11T16:24:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-11T16:24:05.000-05:00"},{"id":3651,"first_name":"Amita","last_name":"Chin","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Topics are not covered in great depth, however, this is acceptable since this textbook is geared to an introductory MIS course. The book lacks an index and a glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This book has done a good job with defining IT terminology.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and the topics have a good introductory treatment. In-depth coverage has to be limited given the scope of the textbook. Coverage of topics is provided at an appropriate level for an introductory MIS course.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think the students will find that this book is easy to read and understand.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not find inconsistencies in terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into logical modules/chapters. This breakdown is typical for introductory MIS textbooks. Within each chapter, subheadings are descriptive and appropriate.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters and sections within chapters are logical and easy to follow. They follow the common structure of MIS textbooks.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Embedded links are very helpful, however, these may need to be updated frequently. It will be frustrating to students to follow a broken link. The included illustrations are clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors in the textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no cultural insensitivity issues.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book is a good competitor in the pool of introductory MIS course textbooks.","created_at":"2020-03-12T13:17:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-12T13:17:40.000-05:00"},{"id":3700,"first_name":"Leonard","last_name":"Diliberto","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Raritan Valley Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is written at an introductory level which covers many basic and standard topics associated in information systems in the business space. The chapters are short, well organized, and clearly targeted for a student seeking to gain a general understanding of the basic concepts and terminology associated with technology in business.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content does appear to be accurate and as expected from an introductory book, details on the subject matter are very much limited but it does give the reader a basic understanding of the material.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Although some of the information presented in the book is dated, the basic underlying foundation of information systems is presented in a clear and concise manner.  As is the case with technology changing so quickly, that as soon as it comes out in print, it is almost outdated.  Unfortunately, this is inherent in this industry.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The presentation of the material lends itself for a student to easily gain an understanding of the terminology and basic concepts of information systems.  Overall, the information is written in a way that is clear and concise and should be an easy read for the students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The manner and layout in which the text and images is presented was consistent throughout the book.  I did not find any distractors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is presented in a clear and well organized manner.  The chapters build upon each other in a way that is appropriate and easily understood for an entry level book on information systems in business.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are well organized and presented in a standard way which is typical of many textbooks are on information systems.  Although some of the information is dated, it is presented in a clear and concise manner.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"As previously mentioned regarding dated information, some of the images are also dated.  This is an inherent problem in the information systems space since the information is constantly changing and in many cases, becomes almost obsolete just as soon as it becomes available for public consumption.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors during my review.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find anything that could be considered offensive or culturally insensitive. The book is culturally neutral which I have found is the case for most books on information systems and technology in general.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a great introductory book in information systems for students who are looking for an understanding of the basic premises and terminology of technology and how it is used in business.  Highly recommended.","created_at":"2020-04-01T08:43:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-01T08:43:54.000-05:00"},{"id":3716,"first_name":"Barbara","last_name":"Smith","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Raritan Valley Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers a broad introductory view of management information systems relevant to business majors. This text covers the basics found in other texts used but keeps to a high level view that works for an introductory audience that does not require an in-depth understanding for their area of study.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy of the text is relevant to the time in which it was published. This book will need updates to certain chapters to keep in line as technologies change.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The historical parts of the text work but it will need necessary updates which should not be difficult to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in adequate context for the intended audience which is not highly technical. The concepts are explained appropriately. The less technical approach will assist in keeping the attention of those needing this overview of technology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent and clear and well organized.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily divisible into sections that can easily be separately assigned as a supplement to different topics throughout the course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is presented clearly and in a logical fashion making the text easy to comprehend.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and includes additional sidebars which are helpful to the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any culturally insensitivity in this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would use this text for the supplementary topics presented.","created_at":"2020-04-13T14:09:29.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-13T14:09:29.000-05:00"},{"id":5139,"first_name":"Judith","last_name":"Shea","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Bay Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text contained a variety of topics that are very useful in a computer literacy course. More information on using the Internet and Web resources would cover the topics that are being used in my current courses.  Additional information on communicating and collaborating using the Web as well as how businesses interact using the Web would be a great addition.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the text to be very accurate and unbiased","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since this is a text that deals with computer information and equipment, I’m sure it is difficult to keep the information up-to-date.  The authors seem to be doing a nice job of this. The current edition has been updated in the summer of 2020 to meet accessibility guidelines.\r\nThe division of the topics within the text lends itself to easy updating and the addition of supplemental materials. As long as the authors keep up with the changes in the computer environment this text will remain usable in the classroom.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors have explained the concepts and information in the easy-to-understand text. It flows and the division of topics makes it easy to follow. The technical terms are explained thoroughly and included in the Index for reference.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text was consistent and easy to follow. The Table of Contents and the Index added to the ease of reading.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are divided into units that can be presented separately or together.  The chapters can be read independently of each other so that they are easily assimilated into the course curriculum.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are organized into units and are easy to follow.  If the information on a specific topic is needed, it is easy to find using the Index.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is available in a downloadable full-text PDF format as well as a Flipbook.  It was not clear if the text could be downloaded to a mobile device or cell phone.\r\n\r\nNavigating through the downloads was easy and the display of graphics was clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"As far as I could tell, the text did not contain any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The exercises and examples used in the text seemed to be neutral in regard to race, ethnicity, and background. I did not find anything that was culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the book easily adaptable for my course and plan to use it in the future.","created_at":"2021-06-23T14:47:18.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-23T14:47:18.000-05:00"},{"id":33495,"first_name":"Tracy","last_name":"Christofero","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Marshall University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This entry-level information systems textbook touches on relevant topics for non-technical undergraduate business students. The chapter learning objectives, sidebars, summaries, study questions, and exercises are especially appreciated whether using as a stand-alone text or as the foundation upon which to add up-to-date supplemental course materials. Including an index and glossary would have been helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears accurate, error-free and unbiased. It can additionally be easily built upon with supplemental content and detail.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content appears relevant and can be easily updated as times and technologies change. Included historic content is timeless; there just becomes more of it.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Content is written in a clear and concise manner. The text is easy-to-read and comprehend even for those with limited or no prior information systems knowledge.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Content appears consistent, however, format is not. It is a bit disconcerting that paragraph fonts and line spacing are inconsistent which is not a good example for students required to carefully format and proofread their work before submitting.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters and topics can easily be stand-alone, so course content can be arranged and supplemented to fit instructor needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Content is presented in a logical, clear fashion and are well scaffolded. The hyperlinked Table of Contents assures content is easy to access. Chapters and content can be rearranged, if preferred.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate without distraction or confusion.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Content, exercises, and examples, etc. appear culturally neutral.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Good overview textbook for non-technical undergraduate business students that can easily be supplemented with current information and materials. This is a good solution to relieve students from paying for current high-cost commercial textbooks that also become quickly outdated and require supplements. It would have been helpful, however, to include an index and have presentation slides available.","created_at":"2021-11-30T14:00:34.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-11-30T14:00:34.000-06:00"},{"id":33983,"first_name":"Naga","last_name":"Vemprala","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Portland","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book goes into great detail on a broad range of topics including software, hardware, databases, the cloud, the internet, networking, and the most recent developments in information systems. As a result, both undergraduate and graduate courses can use it. Additionally, the database chapter covers important subjects like business intelligence and decision-making. The authors began with an introduction about organizing data in Excel sheets (storing raw data), producing useful information for organizational decision-making, and finally extracting knowledge from the processed data (organizational information) using Business Intelligence systems. This logical flow of explanation is quite fascinating. One chapter covers all of the course material in detail. In other Pearson textbooks, I typically see these topics divided into databases and Business Intelligence. The logical flow of this combined version, however, makes it much better in my opinion.\r\n\r\nThe chapters on software and hardware cover additional topics in an interesting and thorough manner. A brief introduction to virtualization, virtual machines, and eventually their use in blockchain technology are also included in the Software chapter. The logical progression is excellent. Similar circumstances apply to hardware, where the authors first described recent advancements in hardware while taking into account the drawbacks and difficulties the hardware electronics industry faced in the previous decade while taking into account the constant growth in data size and processing complexity. IoT devices are introduced in detail, and at the end, there are some intriguing case study-related questions.\r\nThe internet is discussed briefly in the networking chapters. The only thing I believe is missing is a discussion of RFID and Bluetooth wireless communication protocols. Network technologies such as LAN, WAN, and PAN are introduced at an introductory level while more details are indeed required. There has been no discussion of net neutrality. If the instructors intend to include discussions about technology management, more information about these topics should be included. \r\n\r\nOverall, the book goes into great detail about the most important introductory topics of Information Systems.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There is no bias in the text content. The references provided for each chapter are up to date and relevant. The information is presented precisely.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The use of information systems to improve efficiency is an ongoing process. However, new technology is constantly being developed, which may render current content relatively old but not completely obsolete in a few years. The current version covers a wide range of current topics, including Blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, IoT, and Business Intelligence.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is quite easy to follow with a lot of real-time examples provided for many critical concepts discussed throughout the text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With more than 10 chapters created to present Information Systems for Business, the key concepts are appropriately covered in small chunks with a lot of detailed explanations and examples. The connection between the chapters are mentioned as and when it is deemed.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall textbook topics cover all of the fundamentals of understanding Information Systems. Many chapters are independent concepts in and of themselves, but the sub-topics within the chapters follow a good logical flow.\r\n\r\nThe chapter on business processes is a prime example of how important concepts are organized in a logical chronological order. The business process is introduced first, followed by an explanation of the importance of having a strong business model. This is followed by business process reengineering and the introduction of SAP enterprise systems. The creation of a suite of software applications designed to meet the needs of an enterprise, as well as the foundations of these systems, are detailed. This is an excellent method of organizing the subtopics or the concepts within a chapter.  \r\nHowever, I think the order of some of the chapters is not properly justified or at least the explanation should have been provided in the beginning.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The most recent edition is available in PDF, epub, and online formats. The online version includes color images. The online version's navigation is quite simple. The PDF version has a reasonable font size that is not cluttered.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"As far as I can tell, there are no grammatical errors. The textbook has gone through several revisions and is now ready to be used in class.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I teach \"Introduction to Operations and Technology Management\" at the University of Portland's Pamplin School of Business. I introduce Information Systems to Business students as part of the Technology Management course content. The current textbook, \"Information Systems for Business and Beyond,\" covers all of the chapters/topics covered in class and is up to date. I went over the textbook using the rubrics provided. I think the textbook is extremely relevant and well-written. The lack of exercises at the end of each chapter and the fact that the current exercises are largely theoretical are my only objections to using this textbook in my class in its as-is form. But with additional use cases created, I am planning to propose the textbook for the class I am teaching.","created_at":"2022-08-15T02:14:47.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-08-15T02:14:47.000-05:00"},{"id":34213,"first_name":"Xuan","last_name":"Wang","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book has mentioned many topics in the field of information systems, the topics have spread a wide range of helping beginners to understand information systems and the components of information systems. Additionally, there are many changes with the 2019 updates. I think the updates are very important for the book with the students in the field of information systems. Now many departments have the bachelor of business analytics major under the department of information systems because we are moving into the era of big data, it will be better to introduce more popular software and attractive topics that is also helping students to know the use of being a student with major in information systems. I think the book provides us with comprehensive topics, but may be more popular or hot topics can be added with further changes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The authors deliver quality materials for beginners to understand the area of information systems. I think it will be better to illustrate the differences between computer science and information systems in some of the chapters, such as the two chapters on hardware and software. I think it will be better to emphasize what kind of knowledge or what kind of skills the industry requires for people with an information systems background. Also, security is a big issue and hot topic in nowadays, I might consider two chapters introducing the security issue in the field of information systems.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content appears relevant in the setting of information systems. I would suggest adding more popular or hot topics to make the contents or materials updated with the current needs.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors have explained the terminologies and new concepts in a way that is easy to understand. For example, it has listed real case examples to show how things are working in the real world. The way of explanation is very friendly for a reader who is new to the world of information systems.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The content is consistent, and it is easy to follow and understand it.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are logically divided, and the breakdowns are easy to follow. It also provides the summary and questions for each chapter.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I think the order of each chapter also can be modified. It will be better if there is an order in the first chapter \"what is information systems\", and then the rest chapter can follow the order to do the explanations. It contains the common structure of IS textbooks.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I download the pdf version to read through the book, I think it will be better to provide a table of contents, which will be easier to provide the navigation for the readers.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"After I read through the book, there are no grammatical errors. And this book also has gone through several revisions and updates. it is ready to adopt in the classroom.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is open to everybody, I do not think there is any culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. This book fits all the people who would like to understand the information systems world.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I appreciate the authors spending time and making this book an open resource.","created_at":"2022-11-30T17:31:26.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-30T17:31:26.000-06:00"},{"id":35013,"first_name":"Gregg","last_name":"Tennefoss","position":"Department Chair, IT","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Due to not being edited for 11 years the book is out of date. It would take a strong effort to bring it up to date and would need update minimally every 3 years.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate for it's last update in 2019.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This book's last edit was 2019 which makes in obsolete in some areas and in need of new material in others. 11 years is a long time in area of IT.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The clarity exists for time it was written, however, updates are needed to adjust to existing technology along with added content.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistency seems in order.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"More graphics are needed to break things up. Labs are outdated.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are in a logical order for the 2019 edits.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The low number of visuals is an issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The books seems inline with DEI based on my read through.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Book was well done but just needs some help.","created_at":"2024-04-20T14:25:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-20T14:25:12.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/information-systems-for-business-and-beyond?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T12:03:49.000-05:00"},{"id":428,"title":"Nature of Geographic Information Systems","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2014,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"The purpose of this text is to promote understanding of the Geographic Information Science and Technology enterprise (GIS\u0026T, also known as “geospatial”).","contributors":[{"id":4108,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"David","middle_name":null,"last_name":"DiBiase","location":"Pennsylvania State University","background_text":"David DiBiase, Senior Lecturer, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute, and Director of Education, Industry Solutions, Esri. Instructors and contributors: Jim Sloan, Research Assistant, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute; and Ryan Baxter, Senior Research Assistant, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":342,"url":"https://opentextbc.ca/natureofgeographicinformation/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"BCcampus"}],"formats":[{"id":554,"type":"Online","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/natureofgeographicinformation/front-matter/about-this-book/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":555,"type":"PDF","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/natureofgeographicinformation/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1704,"type":"eBook","url":"https://opentextbc.ca/natureofgeographicinformation/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":2,"reviews":[{"id":4207,"first_name":"Jay","last_name":"Hazra","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The depth of the material is extensively covered in such an array of geographical topics that perhaps overwhelms the novice. The book appears to cover both the breadth and depth of the field. That might be all together appropriate to the scope and requirements of the course within a program such as a GIS certificate. Perhaps a choice can be made to focus on the general survey with the practical applications and then direct in-depth study to a second course. Having an index and a glossary is a helpful addition.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Well researched, documented, with an extensive bibliography for each chapter.  The nature of the environment means that hyperlinks will break. Is there a tool that will survey the book and test the links? Perhaps use another provision to handle the issue such a the go-back machine or do the hyper jump to add within the book imbuing the appropriate annotation. Then also to take into account the static/dynamic nature of the linked material such as the Census that might have pointed to an older timeframe.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevant source material and real world applications are presented to give the reader a perspective of applied professional methodology, operation and innovation. The application of Census data to demographic social factors is an example of this as is the topographical mappings of Mars.\r\nIt is relevant to personal cognition shown in the human proclivity to discerning geographical information. An example was using certain means such line scales and colors in contrast to pie forms and grids. It is generally easier to assess geographic environment  vertically than horizontally.\r\n\r\nIn the time of the Census 2020, Corona 2 virus implications, and a rapidly changing world scene makes this field relevant to the upmost. So many of us have tracked the data related to GIS spheres and comparisons of divergent landscapes and demographic overlays. The book addresses these studies in aforementioned Census illustrations, global studies in the work of organizations charged with studying international affairs. This involves the co-dependent bond of health, economics, human interaction, and  the changing physical environment coupled with cultural dynamics.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The author brings in the details step by step for complex concepts involving mathematics, geographical science, and physics. The work was started in 1997 and can be upgraded with the power of online facility. Interactive graphical material, layered graphics make for a dynamic progression extending beyond just having the text. Upgrade the interface to match the technology available to us.\r\n\r\nUse more hyperlinks in the text for cross reference and to connect the topics, concepts and applications. For example there’s a throwback to Vectors and Rasters in 7.4, thus have a hyperlink to that section.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Most consistent in layout and structure. The chapters begin with overview, objectives, checklist and then the topic sections are introduced. There are Practice Quizzes and “Try this” practical assignments interspersed through chapter. A summary, invitation to comments and questions, and bibliography conclude each chapter.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I appreciated how the first chapter introduces the basics of Data and Information building on Database basics then delving into geographic information science and technology which are later developed. The subsequent chapters explore the concepts and then the practical applications in topology, land surveying, GPS, and national data infrastructure. If the concepts can be tied to the specific applications and case studies in a section such as an appendix.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Chapters are navigated by scrolling down using the mouse or scroll bar. It’s difficult to get a perspective on the length of chapter and hard to rapidly move through the chapter. Can there be a pop-up menu or some other means with hyperlinks to direct to each section? It was also mentioned to have access to each chapter/section and a glossary.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"While reading the chapter, the link list to the other chapters is missed. It is accessible at the beginning of the chapter and then disappears. It would be a valued add-in to have such access to other chapters with their respective sections. Having a glossary that can open with a right-click or a side bar would be helpful. To enliven the text, use online enhancements that extend the book beyond seeming like a hard-copy text book with multimedia that is current and other facilities that the online form enables.\r\nThere are interesting and insightful graphic figures that are small and would benefit with a link to enlarge.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There is a trend of systemic errors of a preposition preceding a bolded reference term such as in 1.10 \" ofgradient \" Perhaps there are Open Resource tools to supplement the word processing.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Text covers the span of geographic implications on a global and local level such as Census, and wide ranging government resources.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The Edge browser did give certificate errors on occasion. \r\n\r\nThe last chapter 9 has fascinating potential to be a section in-flux to bring in the most up to date applications that illustrate the current edge of analytics, illustrations for outcomes in map polygon overlay, smart systems in regional screenings, local disqualifications and exceptions. AI in GIS can help us understand the current world, the forecasting of changes, and the proactive transition and measured adaption to improve our quality of life.","created_at":"2020-06-30T21:23:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-30T21:23:14.000-05:00"},{"id":4735,"first_name":"Ruopu","last_name":"Li","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Southern Illinois University Carbondale","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this book well covers essential knowledge about GIS and related data. I am impressed with very comprehensive contents and detailed information on a few aspects of GIS. For example, I enjoyed reading the chapter on land surveying and GPS. I really like \"Try this\" that allows students to pause and think.  However, it missed in-depth discussion on a few important things such as data model/structure and GIS data analysis. I definitely will give its comprehensiveness a 4-star rating if the title is like Nature of GIS Data.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the descriptions of most concepts looks accurate. But, some definitions in Chapter 1 could be more rigorous. For example, the definitions of information and information system tend to be in a narrower scope. I suggest providing comparative definitions for important concepts. Citing definitions from ESRI or other geographers may be helpful.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook provides contents with relevance to the most essential knowledge. So, I don't think the text will become obsolete within a short period of time. But, I would like to point out that most of references are quite old. Rarely the references published after 2010 were cited across the textbook. So, it misses the opportunities of discussing many 'hot' topics like geospatial big data and VGIS.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text mainly uses plain language to explain complex concepts. So it does not read like the lengthy scholastic work with full of jargon. Some important concepts like 'scale' were explained quite well.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is overall consistent in the use of terminology. But in Chapter 1, I did find a few places where terminology like GIS were not explained consistently.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Quite a few subsections (e.g., 1.19) may be merged or simply removed.  Some lengthy quotes could be totally avoided.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I feel the organization of this textbook should be much improved. The current organization makes the reading flow a bit difficult. I find imbalanced contents occurring to many subsections. For example, Sec 1.14 should have much more weight than Sec. 1.12 given the significance of the topic.  Some parts involve lengthy quotes from people's words (such as Chapter 5).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are a few issues that could be fixed. For some reason, many spaces were missing in lines. The figures could be labeled. Some video links are broken (why not use YouTube?). In the PDF version of the book, I found most of figures are way too small to be legible.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Overall, the text is fine. There are a few places with minor grammatical imperfection. Some sentences could be written in a more rigorous manner.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any apparent problem here.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"As there are many paragraphs with verbal explanation, more figures could be added to support the contents. Dr. Tomlinson's work may be described as part of GIS history.","created_at":"2021-04-01T23:59:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-01T23:59:00.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/nature-of-geographic-information-systems?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:13.000-05:00"},{"id":46,"title":"Business Information Systems: Design an App for That","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2011,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781453311578","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"We set out to design an introductory course governed by four themes: Give students a good idea of what a career in MIS looks like by doing MIS. Enhance the professionalism of deliverables by teaching design and usability concepts. Promote creativity by assigning projects that demand it. Teach students about cloud computing by having them do cloud computing. Students in an introductory Management Information Systems (MIS) course often ask what a career in MIS looks like. Lacking a clear vision, they make their own assumptions. Often they assume the career involves programming with little human interaction. That MIS is a technical field could not be further from the truth. MIS job descriptions typically require candidates to be able to collaborate, communicate, analyze needs and gather requirements. They also list the need for excellent written and communication skills. In other words, MIS workers are constantly interacting with other people both inside and outside the organization. They are coming up with creative solutions to business problems. This course is designed to help students get a feel for what a career in MIS would be like. Our students report that they learn more about information systems from their internships than from their IS courses. Consequently, we designed a course that looks very much like an internship—an introduction to the field followed by a substantial project. Chapter 1 begins by introducing the information systems landscape. Here we discuss all the usual suspects: the information systems triangle, the systems development life cycle, transaction systems (ERP, SCM, CRM), collaboration systems, and business intelligence systems. Other aspects of the landscape such as usability, outsourcing, database concepts and so forth are introduced throughout chapter in Chapter 2 where they fit in naturally with the flow of the project. Chapter 2 is the substantial project which runs over a number of chapters. Over the course of the semester, students plan, build, and develop a proposal for an iPhone application. They develop a very realistic mockup. They also build a website to help market and support the app. Students are engaged because the project is fun and feels real. However, they are simultaneously learning business concepts and MIS skills. Prior to the existence of this course, we were only able to give such an interesting project at the senior level. Now, even as freshmen, students have a real experience of MIS in operation. A by product of creating an engaging course is increased enrollment in the MIS major. Even students who have never heard of MIS become excited about the major and either switch majors or add it as a double major or minor. Many other books have students study tools and then do a case. By contrast, most of this book is a case. Much like the real world, we introduce tools when needed, and only to the extent needed, to get at each part of the case.","contributors":[{"id":2813,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":"Dr","first_name":"Raymond","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Frost","location":"Ohio University","background_text":"Raymond D. Frost is a Professor of Management Information Systems department at Ohio University. He is also the Director of Studies for College of Business students in the Honors Tutorial College (HTC). Frost joined the College of Business in 1999. His primary research areas are instructional pedagogy, information design, and database design. He was named 2010 Computer Educator of the Year by the International Association for Computer Information Systems. He has also received multiple teaching awards at both the College and University level and holds the title of O’Bleness Teaching Chair. Frost earned a doctorate in business administration and an M.S. in computer science at the University of Miami (Florida), and received his B.A. in philosophy at Swarthmore College. He lives in Athens, Ohio with his wife, Tere, and two boys, Raymond and Luke."},{"id":2814,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":"Dr","first_name":"Jacqueline","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Pike","location":"Duquesne University","background_text":"Jacqueline C. Pike is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems Management in the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University. She earned her B.B.A. from the Honors Tutorial College and College of Business at Ohio University and her Ph.D. from the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests include behavior in public online communities and social computing environments, the utilization of public online communities by organizations, human-computer interaction, and the visual display of information in a systems context."},{"id":2815,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Lauren","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Kenyo","location":"Ohio University","background_text":"Lauren N. Kenyo is an instructor in the Management Information Systems at Ohio University. After graduating from Ohio University’s College of Business she went on to graduate from Ohio’s Masters of Business Administration Program. In 2004 Kenyo came back to join the faculty as in instructor in the Management Information Systems department. Kenyo currently resides in Streetsboro, Ohio with her husband, Eugene, and daughter, Katelyn."},{"id":2816,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Sarah","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Pels","location":"Ohio University","background_text":"Sarah E. Pels is an Honors Tutorial College student in the College of Business at Ohio University. Her research interests include creating diagrams to aid in software instruction."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":105,"url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Business%20Information%20Systems.pdf","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"Saylor Foundation"}],"formats":[{"id":238,"type":"PDF","url":"http://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Business%20Information%20Systems.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":239,"type":"Online","url":"https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_business-information-systems-design-an-app-for-that/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":7,"reviews":[{"id":202,"first_name":"Lori","last_name":"Rice","position":"Lecturer/Coordinator","institution_name":"The Ohio State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book was very thorough and covered MIS topics in a thoughtful and precise manner. The book did not have a glossary, or index, but that did not concern me in the least.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The material was presented accurately and objectively.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book focuses on the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) which has been recognized in business for years and will continue to be an important blue print for the process of meeting business requirements. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book was clear, concise, and easy to follow.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book flows from one chapter to the next, reinforcing previous concepts before introducing new ones.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book can easily be broken up into different modules. For instance, I used Chapter 12 to lecture on the best practices when developing power point presentations.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As stated previously, old concepts were reviewed  at the beginning of the chapter, and then the new concepts were covered making the book easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw no noticeable issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice any problems.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This book is ideal for an MIS major.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1712,"first_name":"Dr Trevor ","last_name":"Clohessy ","position":"Associate Professor ","institution_name":"National University of Ireland Galway ","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text book is suitably comprehensive. Each section commences with clear learning objectives. At the end of each section there is a summary of key takeaways which is also supplemented with questions and exercises to ensure that they learning objectives have been met by the reader. I would have liked if the book contained a glossary and an index. The index would allow for easy navigation and location of topics while the glossary would explain the multitude of topics covered in the book. A possible solution would be to include a glossary which would also serve as an index. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"While the chapters are presented clearly and error free, to substantiate the arguments posited I would have liked to have seen more intext referencing of theoretical/academic sources. I feel this would be important to engage students with the supplementary material which shaped the authors opinions and framing of the concepts. For instance, take the following example from section 1.2 and the following quote: “Information systems are designed using the systems development life cycle (SDLC)”. While this is accurate, there is no supporting reference which means that the student must take the authors claim at face value. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The SDLC information systems development methodology, business intelligence and mobile app development and databases are traditional stalwarts in companies as consequently will be in use for many years to come. I would have liked to have seen a greater juxtaposition of android v apple mobile app development (e.g. costs, pros and cons). I would have also liked to have seen more contemporary software development concepts referred to such as DevOps, Design Thinking etc. While chapter 8 is relevant, the advent of cloud computing development such as Bluemix means that the cost of developing an app is quite minimal and may negate the need for companies to require a loan. I think this book would be great for planning a mobile app use case, however another book would be required to demonstrate the actual development of the app (e.g. coding, developing platform, testing). Finally, the book makes a lot of use of intext hyperlinks for citing examples and arguments. Some of these links may come obsolete in a few years. It would be important to for any lecturer considering adopting this book to review these links or suggest better ones. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I found the book easy to read. The authors avoid using too much technical jargon and are on point with all of their descriptions. However, once again I would like to have seen the inclusion of a glossary as I am lecturing first years and this terminology would be brand new to them. I also found chapters 15 – 18 to be very basic and rudimentary. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book flowed freely from one chapter to the next. Each subsequent chapter built on the previous chapter’s learning objectives. I could see how my students would enjoy using this book as there is a clear and logical stricture. I was familiar with all the terminology and frameworks used such as Porter’s Five Forces. However, as mentioned earlier I would have like to have seen the inclusion of a glossary and labelling of the frameworks. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"If I adopted this book for my class, I could easily use the chapters for various learning objectives. For example, chapter 1 is a fantastic primer for my first years to highlight what potential MIS careers are on offer. Furthermore, I would use chapter 9 (e.g. SWOT analysis) for the assignment component of my class to demonstrate to the students how they could identify gaps in the market for their project. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"As stated previously, there book is structured perfectly for students who are lay people who have not come into contact with these concepts before. Additionally, the arguments and descriptions of the concepts are concise and easy to comprehend. I have read other books which cover the same materials and would not use them due the vagueness and complexity with which the authors describe these concepts. ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"I would have liked to have seen all the visuals used in the book both labelled (e.g. figure 1.2, table 1.4 etc.) and referenced in text (e.g. please refer to figure 1.3) This would improve navigation from text to visuals and vice versa and assist with backward and forward snowballing of literary sources when conducting supplementary research. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is grammatically correct, and I found no obvious errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":" The book is culturally neutral and uses content which is applicable to all. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I was really impressed with this book and I am seriously considering adopting specific sections for my modules next semester","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2173,"first_name":"Gregory","last_name":"Turcotte","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book contains a project that integrates Excel, Access and PowerPoint skills into the Mobile App creation process.  It seems to focus on creating a business case for the app being developed and communicating with stake holders, instead of actually programming an app.  I actually like this approach, and it looks to be relevant for a new course I’m looking to teach.\n\nI appreciate the appendix sections of the book.  Even without formal training, a student could use this to obtain the Excel, Access, and PowerPoint skills needed to complete the main project.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the book is very accurate.  However, I did find that several hyperlinks used in the projects are already out of date.  I can see this being an ongoing problem since this is a project-based style of book.  That said, the information surrounding the project seems like it will better stand the test of time.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As long as iPhone remains the dominant platform for application development, the book will remain relevant.  I can see updates needing to be made frequently, be with relative ease.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found this book to be very clear, and well written for entry-level business information students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent in it's use of terms.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Other than the appendixes at the end, the book indicates that is should be followed linearly.  Divisibility was not the intent.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book does a good job walking the student through the flow of application development.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I was immediately impressed by the book's layout and interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors were noted during my reading.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Thank you for all the work that went into making such a high-quality book!  I hope to use it soon!","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2282,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Scoville","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book does a good job of integrating a variety of “intro to MIS” concepts such as Business Process Modeling, SDLC, Porter’s 5 forces, SWOT Analysis, three generic strategies, business intelligence and so on in a project in which the students will design, “build,” market and sell an app. The students will then track sales of the app and make adjustments as necessary. While this book could be used as the sole text for an introductory college-level course in MIS, the lack of a table of contents, index, glossary, and instructor edition hold it back. Also, in this day of major publishers offering online companion sites to accompany a printed text or eBook, does make this book less attractive as a standalone option. That said, I think it would make an ideal companion text as the app project is quite good, and with a really savvy instructor to help “fill-in-the-blanks,” this book could well serve as a sole text. It would just take a good deal of prep on the part of the instructor.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I had no issues with the accuracy of the text other than a few out-of-date hyperlinks and some missing words here and there. But this is true of many texts from major publishers as well. As always, the instructor should verify the validity of hyperlinks, articles and references in any text at the start of each term and supplement relevant links when necessary. This book is probably no better or worse in this respect than the typical textbook from major publishers.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"So long as the iPhone remains a relevant platform, I think this book will remain as a viable option. Not sure if or how often a text like this is updated, but it does after all, rely pretty heavily on Apple’s iOS platform. At this point the book will likely remain relevant for at least the next few years and honestly, that's about all one can expect with any tech-related resource.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is very well written and easily understandable to anyone who’s first language is English. It is well-suited for early college-level or late high school level students. One thing I very much like is the book’s brevity. There are rarely, if ever, long-winded explanations when a simple one will suffice. Again, this relates back to having an IS-savvy instructor to expound on concepts or answer questions in class when necessary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Probably one of the strongest points of this text is its consistency in both content and organization. First, the authors never seem to contradict themselves nor deviate from traditional MIS, design or industry standards and best practices. Additionally, virtually every chapter (after the into chapters) begins with a check-in as to “where we are” in relation to the SDLC. Very nicely done in my opinion.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text does not lend itself well to jumping around in the chapters and a linear approach would likely be best. Some chapters could be skipped or supplemented with other/additional material based on the background and experience of the instructor. One thing I do like is that the actual app project could be used to supplement an existing course or textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well-organized and material is largely presented in the order I would expect. Again, the book is best approached by starting at the beginning and progressing through the chapters in the order in which they are presented. Certain chapters could be skipped without really interrupting the overall flow of the project-based approach.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"While the book’s organization is commendable, one irksome thing to me is how in many instances a heading will appear at the bottom of one page with the associated content appearing on the next page. Also, there are many references to pictures and illustrations which are simply missing. This is annoying and could be quite confusing for students. Also, some of the pictures, many of which are screen shots, are distorted or grainy.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noted few if any grammatical errors and in fact feel like it’s better in this respect than many texts I’ve used from the major publishers. Very well written.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no culturally offensive, politically incorrect or insensitive issues with this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I want to thank the authors for what I think is a very useful and usable textbook! For the experienced MIS instructor or one with a solid IS background I think this could suffice as a low- or no-cost option for the students. I would like to try and work it into my classes on a trial basis to replace the project I currently use. It may take a bit of alignment on my part and a bit of jumping between our existing text and this one, but the end result may well be worth a little inconvenience.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2788,"first_name":"Biswadip","last_name":"Ghosh","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book takes a practical approach to teach students the fundamentals  of business information systems and illustrates the SDLC approach to analyzing/planning/designing/building and deploying an information systems (an iPhone app).  The practical approach is good for getting the attention of students, who may be deciding on whether to choose information systems as their major.  The text does a great job in the analysis and design aspects - presenting and using concepts of BPR (business process re-engineering) and UI/UX design thinking approaches to create practical assignments for analysis/design of an app.  However, where it falls short is by not introducing the data collection and requirements collection/analysis methodology.  Also no mention of project management  and validation/verification and testing approaches for the iPhone app that they build.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book provides an summarized description of the concepts and methodology that the student will use to do the project phases in analysis/design/build of the iPhone app.  The methodologies provided and described are by no means exhaustive, but perhaps the chosen approach is a popular one.   This type of coverage of the topics supports the adoption of this book for an introductory level course, as it is makes it easy to apply to the practical problem.  For a more advanced course for higher division IS majors, the instructor would need to present the other alternative methodologies.  Some of the hyperlinks need to be rechecked to ensure they still work.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The concept of the app - a mobile application that works on a smartphone (e.g.. the iPhone) is here to stay.  Businesses and organizations are designing and building apps to support their various stakeholders - users, managers, customers, employees, ..  This trend will continue into the future and therefore, the primary \"medium\" used this book to illustrate and \"teach\" the topics covered in this book - analyze/design/build an iPhone app - will not go away.  So this book will remain relevant. and updates can be done easily keeping the same iPhone model.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language of the book is very easy to rad and follow.  The sections are presented in a logical sequence and the technical jargons are kept to a minimum and explained very well and succinctly.  This supports the notion of adopting the book for an introductory course for IS majors to teach them the concepts of designing/building apps to support business problems","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The sections and the style and way in which each chapter is presented is very consistent.  Each chapter begins with an introduction to outline the chapter  and then the theory is introduced and then exercises are provided to allow the student to apply the theory","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters in the text book do have modularity, so individual chapters can be adopted along with another text book.  The chapters are sufficiently independent of each other so that they can be taught in any order and in any combination.  The actual app project can also be used to supplement an existing course or different MIS textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well-organized.  It is a good sequence of chapters and topics that is presented  in a logical fashion.  And it allows the student to comprehend the flow of a app design/development project.  Each chapter has \"learning objectives\", \"Key takeaways\" and \"questions and exercises\".  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"It will be good to have a table of contents that is navigable (I refer to the PDF file - which is lacking this).  Otherwise the book is fairly easy to navigate and read.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems with grammar in the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is no cultural bias or problems in this text book.  There is nothing that would offend students of different backgrounds","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is a very useful body of work,  It can be used as a supplement to another book that has more comprehensive coverage of the theory.  This book can be used to assign the term project.  It goes good for a \"Introduction to problem Solving \" curse for IS majors.  The concepts in the book assay to follow and apply to project.  So it can be  a Project manual as well.","created_at":"2019-04-14T21:58:17.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-14T21:58:17.000-05:00"},{"id":35417,"first_name":"Biswadip","last_name":"Ghosh","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers a subset of topics that are typically included in an Introductory MIS course and describes these topics in a \"hands-on\" way with illustrations and assignments.  The notable missing topics include computer hardware, computer networking, computer security and enterprise applications/systems.   Even in the books paradigm of \"designing an app\", these additional topics seem important and very relevant to include.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy of the content that is covered in the textbook is excellent.  The topics are introduced with correct terminology and the illustrations match the descriptions accurately.  The exercises, assignments and activities posed at the end of the are a very good follow-on ideas to enhance student learning.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text covers important practical real-world systems, tools and techniques that continue to be heavily used by professionals.  The books provides details of usage of current, up-to-date systems/software such as google sites, databases, cloud based tools, business intelligence and excel functions","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in an accessible language and is easy to read.  The writing style is direct and in the form of a presentation with questions to promote student reflection of the ideas being covered.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The style and framework of the textbook is consistent throughout all its chapters.  Each chapter starts with a list of learning objectives, and an introduction to the concepts of the chapter.  The introduction poses interesting conjectures that motivate the reader to read through the chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is very modular in its design and chapters.  The chapters can be used independently and do not rely too much on each other.  The modularly is a strength of this textbook, as subsets of chapters can be selected and adopted into a course, without the need to use all chapters or use the author's sequence of chapters.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics in the textbook are presented in a logical fashion to a great extent.  This would be enhanced by presenting the topics such that they follow the sequence of the \"Life cycle\" framework that is used throughout the textbook.  Some of the topics like \"writing a business case\", and \"presenting the business case\", might be placed earlier in the book.  It is likely that  they would be performed logically before \"design\" activities like User interfaces and database design.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The PDF of the textbook has no interface issues, or navigational problems. All images and charts were displayed without any distortions.  The methods of the text and image presentations are not confusing to the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar and language are appropriate and have no issues.  There are no spelling errors and sentence lengths are appropriate.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook did not seem to have cultural issues or be considered offensive in any way,   Examples are inclusive and appropriate and are from typical scenarios that apply to a variety of people and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The text book is an excellent work that presents the topics within the framework of \"designing an app\" .  The chapters are modular, have good exercises, and practical assignments.  Subsets of these chapters can be selected and used in. a variety of IS courses - systems analysis and design, introduction to Information systems and also courses that cover IT/IS career skill-set development.","created_at":"2025-03-22T16:20:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-03-22T16:20:40.000-05:00"},{"id":35740,"first_name":"Brandon","last_name":"Bell","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides thorough coverage of essential concepts in Business Information Systems, addressing both foundational and applied topics. A detailed index and glossary further enhance usability by allowing readers to quickly locate information and clarify key terminology, supporting both learning and reference use.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text incorporates up-to-date concepts and practices that remain applicable to the evolving field of business information systems. Its clear writing style and well-chosen vocabulary support student comprehension while ensuring the material remains relevant for future use.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Topics presented align well with current practices and long-term trends in the field. The material is written in a way that supports sustained relevance, using language and examples that remain applicable beyond short-term technological changes.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The material is written in clear and accessible language, making complex ideas easier to understand. Technical terms are introduced with sufficient explanation and context, enabling readers with varying levels of prior knowledge to follow and engage with the content effectively.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text maintains consistent terminology, structure, and instructional approach throughout all chapters. This uniformity supports a logical progression of ideas and enhances overall readability.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The content is divided into well-defined sections and subsections that can be assigned independently across different stages of a course. This modular structure allows instructors to reorganize material as needed, supporting flexible lesson planning and alignment with diverse learning objectives.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Information is arranged logically, with smooth transitions between sections. The clear structure guides readers through the material efficiently and supports comprehension of key concepts.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface is user-friendly and free from major technical or design issues that could impede learning. Visual elements such as images, charts, and graphics are high quality and thoughtfully integrated to reinforce key concepts and improve overall engagement.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text demonstrates strong grammatical accuracy, with clear sentence structure, correct punctuation, and smooth flow. The polished writing contributes to readability and comprehension.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text demonstrates cultural awareness by incorporating inclusive examples, images, and perspectives from diverse backgrounds. This representation promotes inclusivity, encourages engagement from a broad audience, and reflects respect for varied cultural experiences.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2026-01-14T12:38:22.000-06:00","updated_at":"2026-01-14T12:38:22.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/business-information-systems-design-an-app-for-that?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:09:29.000-05:00"},{"id":913,"title":"The Discipline of Organizing: 4th Professional Edition","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2013,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9780999797013","license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"We organize things, we organize information, we organize information about things, and we organize information about information. But even though “organizing” is a fundamental and ubiquitous challenge, when we compare these activities their contrasts are more apparent than their commonalities. We propose to unify many perspectives about organizing with the concept of an Organizing System, defined as an intentionally arranged collection of resources and the interactions they support. Every Organizing System involves a collection of resources, a choice of properties or principles used to describe and arrange resources, and ways of supporting interactions with resources. By comparing and contrasting how these activities take place in different contexts and domains, we can identify patterns of organizing. We can create a discipline of organizing in a disciplined way. The 4th edition builds a bridge between organizing and data science. It reframes descriptive statistics as organizing techniques, expands the treatment of classification to include computational methods, and incorporates many new examples of data-driven resource selection, organization, maintenance, and personalization. It introduces a new “data science” category of discipline-specific content, both in the chapter text and in endnotes, marked with [DS] in editions that contain endnotes.","contributors":[{"id":5283,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":"J.","last_name":"Glushko","location":null,"background_text":"Bob Glushko is an Adjunct Full Professor at the University of California at Berkeley in the Cognitive Science Program, which he joined in 2017 after fifteen years at the School of Information. Before joining the Berkeley faculty in 2002, he had more than twenty years of R\u0026D, consulting, and entrepreneurial experience in information systems and service design, content management, electronic publishing, Internet commerce, and human factors in computing systems. He founded or co-founded four companies, including Veo Systems in 1997, which pioneered the use of XML for electronic business before its 1999 acquisition by Commerce One. Veo's innovations included the Common Business Library (CBL), the first native XML vocabulary for business-to-business transactions, and the Schema for Object-Oriented XML (SOX), the first object-oriented XML schema language. From 1999-2002 he headed Commerce One's XML architecture and technical standards activities and was named an \"Engineering Fellow\" in 2000. In 2008 he co-founded and for several years served as a Director for Document Engineering Services, an international consortium of expert consultants in standards for electronic business. From 2005-2010 he was a member of the Board of Directors for OASIS, an international consortium that drives the development, convergence, and adoption of \"open standards for the global information society,\" and and also served on the Board of Directors for the Open Data Foundation, dedicated to the adoption of global metadata standards for statistical data. He is the President of the Robert J. Glushko and Pamela Samuelson Foundation, which sponsors the annual Rumelhart Prize in Cognitive Science and the Glushko Dissertation Prizes for outstanding Cognitive Science Ph.Ds."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":61,"name":"Databases","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":6,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/databases?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":90,"name":"Library Science and Museum Studies","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"Z665-718.8","visible_textbooks_count":25,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/library-science-and-museum-studies?locale=es"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":892,"url":"https://berkeley.pressbooks.pub/","year":null,"created_at":"2020-09-23T23:27:31.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-09-23T23:27:31.000-05:00","name":"University of California, Berkeley"}],"formats":[{"id":1799,"type":"PDF","url":"https://berkeley.pressbooks.pub/tdo4p/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1800,"type":"eBook","url":"https://berkeley.pressbooks.pub/tdo4p/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1801,"type":"Online","url":"https://berkeley.pressbooks.pub/tdo4p/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":3,"reviews":[{"id":4927,"first_name":"Kristine","last_name":"Woods","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Emporia State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is comprehensive and the linked footnotes broaden its scope. Due to the reiterative manner the text introduces concepts, perhaps it would be good practice to only assign relevant sections to students for required reading.  Students may find the material kind of dense, so berry pick from the sections and encourage reading the whole thing for those who want more comprehensive coverage. Then they can use the links and key points to access the sections that expand the explanations as in an encyclopedia.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate but sometimes written with an assumed technical background and so is either too \r\nhigh level or too technical for those new to these ideas.  Unfortunately it could be deemed too basic \r\nfor those with technical backgrounds who could benefit from understanding the legacy processes inherent\r\nin memory institution practices which have stood the test of time.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"It is relevant and the interlinkages available throughout connect themes and topics.  Strives to expand the boundaries of the Discipline of Organizing and may seem too Information School for some and too Library Science for others.  For example, a basic explanation of the meaning of bibliographic control is unfortunately glossed over. From a traditional standpoint the abstract definition of resources to be organized, without enough corresponding attention to the more granular aspects of the discipline of organizing, renders it approachable but not foundational.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Although the Svenonius (2000) quotes provide a good framework, her ability to translate complex and philosophical themes into practical applications for examples is not achieved due to too much use of technical terms without sufficient explanation.  Parts such as the allegory of organizing a kitchen are helpful and useful.  Students may find it dense and conceptual: more theoretical and philosophical than practical and suited to a survey course in information science.  There are numerous real world examples, preferring principles over specific applications or implementation.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Style is inconsistent as it a compendium from different contributors without sufficient structure to smooth \r\nit out and fit together. Some topics are covered in-depth and others only in passing, especially tradition \r\naspects of bibliographic and other library centric practices.  This collaborative process used in creating the text is both a strength and weakness.  The scope is broader but the topics lack cohesion. The writing is uneven, with some sections very relatable and others abstruse.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This e-book version  has a lot of features that are not available in the print edition including the ability to link to and from the author’s notes, expanded illustrations, interactive self-checks of chapter content, case studies to help convey content, and the ability to add bookmarks and your own notes to the text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is entertaining with examples that will likely keep student interest, but may lead to following rabbit trails. Unfortunately classical foundations are obscured by the forward focus and this undermines the stability and structure.  Using other resources portraying more of the historical and traditional grounding would improve and contextualize the concepts and provide a scaffold for appreciating the long roots of the field and prepare for the future of this interdisciplinary field.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The e-book and online formats make the links more accessible than in the pdf version.\r\nThe tags are color coded with different fields to show connections and themes.\r\nThe companion website (https://www.ischools.org/Discipline-of-Organizing) and case studies (https://www.ischools.org/Discipline-of-Organizing-Case-Studies-Overview/) are helpful","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book is written with correct language and I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Seems good for a basic overview of the information science and theory, but does display a somewhat automated digital bias and fails to capture the appreciation for the important role and work of catalogers and metadata specialists in organizing and making resources accessible and doing so following informed judgment and ethical guidelines.  This is essential to honoring the important function of providing access as well as understanding bias and the need to keep a human in the loop to provide oversight and correction.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have used whole chapters and significant excerpts of the text for several years in an organization of information course.  I purchased a previous edition which I found valuable and worth the price, and still for sale on Amazon, so an open text version, especially an updated and expanded digital version would be beneficial to students and educators alike.  Overall, I enjoyed the book and find the new edition better integrated and evolving.  However, I do  not recommend this as a book to be read from cover to cover in a semester.","created_at":"2021-05-14T22:24:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-14T22:24:14.000-05:00"},{"id":33415,"first_name":"Bobbie","last_name":"Long","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Emporia State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Glushko provides excellent foundational information for any organization of information class. Using this resource as a supplemental textbook or as a spine with newer, supplemental readings will provide students with both an overview of the topic as well as a basic for further studies in cataloging, metadata, and similar coursework.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Glushko is only limited by the date in which the book was written.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Glushko does a great job of make organization relatable to everyday topics and situations.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This textbook uses introductory language that students can easily understand.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Instructors may find that some of Glushko's terms are not what is currently used in the field. However, to be fair, some terms are ambiguous among scholars, so the fault is not the author's.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Chapters are a good length for students and easily mesh with supplemental readers or another textbook as a spine.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Glushko begins with little assumed knowledge and walks the reader through the topics in a meaningful way.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Glushko is clear in presentation.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"None noticed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"None noted.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-10-18T06:20:17.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-10-18T06:20:17.000-05:00"},{"id":35188,"first_name":"Rebecca","last_name":"Kuske","position":"Digital Archivist","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Stout","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is comprehensive, and it would be a valuable foundational book for students in Library and Information Studies. Certain chapters, like Chapter 27: Organizing Resources, may also be useful for other professions and education programs. Chapter 27, for example, gives detailed context as to why things are organized the way they are. This can help students organize as well as locate resources as well. Each topic discussed in this book is fleshed out, and there are extensive examples of each topic.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate. Some examples are older, but the author is careful to keep concepts applicable to the evolving capabilities of organization.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book continues to be relevant, and it provides an effective base to organization topics. Topics and concepts discussed are still applicable in 2024, and the real-world examples are general enough that they can be applied or discussed by current students.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book discusses theoretical and philosophical concepts with real world, practical, and career specific examples. This is what originally attracted me to this book, and I have used the case studies, in particular, to build and inform course assignments. It speaks about organization at an introductory level, allowing all levels to use this book and follow along.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Style is consistent through the book. Organization as a concept and discipline is not only relevant to information professionals. This book uses more widely used terms for organization related concepts that could be applied to other fields and education programs. It also makes it easier to be used throughout time as standards, terminology, and technology evolves.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters were easy to navigate, and they were rightsized for students to digest. The organization of the book made the process for selecting and communicating what chapters/sections to read for my students simple.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics addressed were practical, and the book guides the reader through the topics thoroughly and logically. The book begins with more general concepts and narrows down all the way to specific organization related case studies. There is an entire chapter that goes into the organization of this book. This both gives insight and clarity to decisions made by the author and gives another real world example of applying organization effectively.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I utilized the e-book format. The e-book is accessible and usable.  The e-book version allows for more capabilities like linking to author notes, examples, illustrations, and other text. I found the placement and use of quotes and illustrations to be logical and helpful in understanding the topics being addressed in the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no issues of cultural insensitivity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I used specific chapters for an organization course in a MLIS program. I used the book's natural order, but I did skip chapters where necessary. The case studies were extremely useful for my students to understand how organization can be directly applied.  Overall, this book gave great context to organization techniques and helped answer the 'why' for standards in the information profession.","created_at":"2024-07-31T12:08:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-07-31T12:08:43.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-discipline-of-organizing-4th-professional-edition?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:14.000-05:00"},{"id":915,"title":"The Crystal Ball Instruction Manual","edition_statement":"version 1.1","volume":"Volume One: Introduction to Data Science","copyright_year":2020,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781715320041","license":"Attribution-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"A perfect introduction to the exploding field of Data Science for the curious, first-time student. The author brings his trademark conversational tone to the important pillars of the discipline: exploratory data analysis, choices for structuring data, causality, machine learning principles, and introductory Python programming using open-source Jupyter Notebooks. This engaging read will allow any dedicated learner to build the skills necessary to contribute to the Data Science revolution, regardless of background.","contributors":[{"id":5285,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Stephen","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Davies","location":"University of Mary Washington","background_text":"Stephen Davies, Associate Professor of Computer Science, earned a Ph.D. (2005) in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, after having received an M.S. (1995) in Electrical Engineering from Colorado and a B.S. (1992) in Electrical Engineering from Rice University. He joined the UMW faculty in 2006, and has taught courses in database schema theory, Web application development, computational science, data mining, and object-oriented analysis \u0026 design, among other topics."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":61,"name":"Databases","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":null,"visible_textbooks_count":6,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/databases?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":59,"name":"Programming Languages","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":26,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/programming-languages?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":894,"url":"https://libguides.umw.edu/c.php?g=424302\u0026p=7124772","year":null,"created_at":"2020-09-28T20:32:51.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-09-28T20:32:51.000-05:00","name":"University of Mary Washington"}],"formats":[{"id":1805,"type":"PDF","url":"http://stephendavies.org/crystal1.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1806,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.blurb.com/b/10649881-the-crystal-ball-instruction-manual-volume-one","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":3,"reviews":[{"id":4500,"first_name":"Patrick","last_name":"Earl","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Kutztown University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book provides a great introduction to the world of data science, using Python as the main driver. Python is a good choice as it has become the de facto programming language used in the field with its many libraries that fit the bill.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Book is accurate to current information in the field of data science.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant since it seemingly uses Python 3. Pandas (and NumPy) dropped support for Python 2 at the start of 2020.  Unless something more popular than pandas comes along, this book will be relevant for the foreseeable future. The text is organized in a way that appears to make it simple to update.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Concepts are introduced and explained as necessary. Readers with no experience should have no problem when starting at the beginning of the book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Book uses consistent terms and doesn't appear to blindside the user with any new information or undefined terms.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This book would be useful for people who are versed in Python programming, but the chapter structure feels a bit off. Concepts related to the programming side (like functions) are found in later chapters. The author has their reasons which are explained in the book, but to an outsider it may be off putting. This book still offers a modular view where certain sections can be extracted as needed.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Book is organized well and topics are introduced as needed. Only complaint was about the ordering of the chapters, which I commented on in the \"Modularity\" section.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Table of Contents works as expected in the PDF version. Images appear fine and the book is free of any distracting display issues. \r\nMy only gripe is that I couldn't find a table of contents that included the subsections found within the chapters.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no glaring grammatical errors while reviewing this text. I found the author's writing to be quite enjoyable at times.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn't see any issues with statements that could be seen as culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I've enjoyed this book and plan to use it as the main or supplemental textbook in one of my future courses.","created_at":"2020-12-31T14:40:08.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-31T14:40:08.000-06:00"},{"id":33685,"first_name":"Thomas","last_name":"Blamey","position":"Math Faculty","institution_name":"University of Hawaii Maui College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found the text to be complete and sufficient for an introduction to data science with python.  This was remarkable as there are OER textbook for python, but few on data science \"using\" python.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors in my readings.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As I mentioned above, this was a fabulous find for me as I have embarked upon a start up data science cert (and class with python) for our college.  Although there are a few publishers with this content (truly not many), this is actually the first OER text to specifically capture my content (data science \u0026 python).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text was a clear and easy read, as it should be for an introduction to this area of study.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the text to be consistent and had an easy structure to follow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text had many sections, which will make it easy to utilize only the sections I find important to cover in my specific class.  This is appreciated as modularity is so important for teachers who have unique courses that might not use all of the text book.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics flowed as I expected they should - building in a natural/logical way.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no issues with navigation or distortion in the etext.  It was a good read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors or technical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no issues with insensitive or offensive content.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Although I am so grateful for this OER text, it was writing from the lens of a computer scientist, which most are.  My course is from the lens of a non-computer scientist, more of \"user\" of python in the area of data science.  But, again...I am thankful for this remarkable resource.\r\nMahalo.","created_at":"2022-02-08T12:28:44.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-02-08T12:28:44.000-06:00"},{"id":34992,"first_name":"Xuan","last_name":"Wang","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The author has covered the basic information on how to use Python for data analysis, presenting a perspective beneficial for students interested in data science who lack a foundation in data analysis. Additionally, the author recommends Jupyter Notebook as the integrated development environment (IDE) for running Python code, which is one of the most popular tools for this purpose. Overall, this book is comprehensive for beginners with no coding background and those interested in the field of data science.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The author ensures that the content provided is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. For every concept or new material introduced, the author gives an example, making the content very easy to follow and understand.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date. Python is considered one of the most popular open-source tools for working with data analysis. It is very important for students to understand and know how to run Python code to execute data analysis. This book provides a great foundation and starting point for students interested in entering the field of data science.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible and easy to understand, perfectly suited for beginners. There are no difficult terms to understand in the textbook.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent, with all chapters relating to Python and providing examples of how to use Python for data analysis.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I think the author might consider adding more sections on machine learning since this concept has already been introduced. Machine learning encompasses many different methodologies, so I would suggest adding a couple of new chapters to the textbook. Alternatively, the author could consider writing a book dedicated solely to machine learning with Python.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall organization of the book is quite easy to follow and understand. The only concern is the absence of a conclusion chapter, appendix, and references for this book. The last chapter, which evaluates a classifier, leaves the impression that the book has not fully concluded.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is very easy to navigate. The examples, figures and tables are also easy to follow and understand.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find the grammatical issues in the textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is no insensitive or offensive way in this textbook.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"N/A","created_at":"2024-04-09T20:09:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-09T20:09:06.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/the-crystal-ball-instruction-manual-volume-one-introduction-to-data-science?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:07:02.000-05:00"},{"id":928,"title":"A Person-Centered Guide to Demystifying Technology: Working together to observe, question, design, prototype, and implement/reject technology in support of people's valued beings and doings","edition_statement":"2nd Edition","volume":null,"copyright_year":2023,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781946011138","license":"Attribution-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Digital technologies old and new are not objects that can be packed inside a box. They are a seamless, indivisible combination of people, organizations, policies, economies, histories, cultures, knowledge, and material things that are continuously shaped and reshaped. Every one of us innovates-in-use our everyday technologies; we just do not always know it. We are shaped by the networked information tools in our midst, and we shape them and thereby shape others. While many of the chapters in this book can be approached as standalone explorations, as many around the world have done, its full potential comes when collaboratively taken as a journey through twelve sessions. Each session in this second, revised edition includes two thematically linked chapters, one more socially oriented and one more technically oriented. Sessions are brought together into three larger generative themes that are built from three decades of participatory design in and with community, and from the teaching of these concepts and practices in courses and workshops. Approached within a community of practice, learning outcomes include discovering ways to advance power, both power within and power with others; advancing our technical skills, but also and even more, our progressive community engagement skills, our critical sociotechnical skills, and our cognitive, information, and social-emotional skills; and progressing our culturally competent collective leadership through social justice storytelling within a framing of reciprocity. In so doing, this textbook seeks to address the call placed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – to rapidly shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society.","contributors":[{"id":5302,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Martin","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Wolske","location":"University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign","background_text":"Martin Wolske is a teaching assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences. His teaching and research seek to foster a rapid shift from a ‘thing-orientation’ to a ‘person-orientation’ using problem-posing education, participatory research and community-led design justice approaches. All aspects of his work have sought to integrate critically-engaged forms of community-engaged activities and scholarship to foster co-creation of knowledge that is reciprocal and of mutual benefit. Since coming to the iSchool @ Illinois in 1995 to work on issues of digital access and equity, he has served a range of boundary spanning roles facilitating community inquiry through collective leadership, shepherding community informatics projects to advance individual agency in overcoming limit-situations, developing innovative technical resources, and advocating system change. Key roles have included serving as interim director of the Center for Digital Inclusion and director of Prairienet Community Network, and as principal investigator or co-principal on a number of grants related to digital inclusion and digital literacy that have received funding through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the American Library Association, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Community Informatics, a member of the Community Informatics Research Network conference committee, and is the recipient of numerous community awards for service; the Library Journal ’s 2011 Teacher of the Year award; the 2013 University of Illinois Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement; and the 2017 iSchool Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":907,"url":"https://www.library.illinois.edu/","year":2023,"created_at":"2020-11-14T22:01:41.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-10-31T23:54:44.000-05:00","name":"University of Illinois Library - Urbana"}],"formats":[{"id":1836,"type":"Online","url":"https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/books/windsor-downs/catalog/book/20","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1837,"type":"PDF","url":"https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/books/windsor-downs/catalog/book/20","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":1,"reviews":[{"id":35385,"first_name":"Brandon","last_name":"Bell","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides comprehensive explanations and relevant real-world examples, allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of how various components of technology interact and operate cohesively. Additionally, the resource features an extensive index and a glossary, which serve to facilitate easy navigation and foster a clearer understanding of key concepts and terminology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook offers a comprehensive collection of current and pertinent content that is essential for the reader. Each section has been developed to ensure an impartial viewpoint, enabling learners to interact with the material freely and without the impact of biased perspectives. This commitment to neutrality is particularly noticeable in the chapters that explore the complexities of social systems as they relate to various constructs, including economics, politics, and critical issues surrounding race, class, and gender.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The materials included are current and reflect the latest information accessible in the field. Considerable effort has been invested in maintaining the long-term significance of the content, ensuring that it remains applicable and useful for learners. The text materials are carefully aligned with the overarching learning outcome objectives for the text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is crafted in a manner that is both clear and accessible, ensuring that it can be easily understood by a diverse audience. The authors incorporate detailed explanations and relatable examples, the text effectively bridges the gap between technical language and everyday understanding, making it suitable for individuals with varying levels of familiarity with the subject matter.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The textbook demonstrates a high level of internal consistency regarding its terminology and the overall framework it employs. Its structured approach allows the reader to connect ideas seamlessly and enhances their learning experience by minimizing confusion related to varying terminologies or frameworks.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The textbook is crafted for flexibility, enabling educators to break it down into smaller, more manageable reading segments. Furthermore, the online version enriches the learning experience by including digital videos that act as supplementary materials. This blend of organized reading tasks and multimedia resources promotes a more engaging and interactive educational atmosphere.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is structured in a well-organized and coherent way, ensuring that each topic flows logically into the next. The arrangement of the text  allows readers to easily navigate through the material, facilitating a better understanding of complex concepts.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The material is offered in both physical and digital formats, making it accessible to all users. It is free from significant interface problems, providing a smooth navigation experience that enables readers to easily locate the information they seek without facing any barriers. All visual components are clear and effectively enhance the content.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text does not appear to have any obvious grammatical mistakes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The content is designed to be respectful and considerate, ensuring that it does not contain any culturally insensitive or offensive elements. It incorporates examples that reflect a diverse range of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds, promoting inclusivity and understanding among all individuals.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The text is well-structured and maintains clarity throughout its content. It effectively employs a diverse range of resources as supplemental materials, enhancing the overall understanding of the subject matter.","created_at":"2025-01-15T07:19:38.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-01-15T07:19:38.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/a-person-centered-guide-to-demystifying-technology-working-together-to-observe-question-design-prototype-and-implement-reject-technology-in-support-of-people-s-valued-beings-and-doings?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:10:03.000-05:00"},{"id":1008,"title":"Inventory Analytics","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2021,"ISBN10":null,"ISBN13":"9781800641778","license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":"unknown","description":"Inventory Analytics provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the theory and practice of inventory control – a significant research area central to supply chain planning. The book outlines the foundations of inventory systems and surveys prescriptive analytics models for deterministic inventory control. It further discusses predictive analytics techniques for demand forecasting in inventory control and also examines prescriptive analytics models for stochastic inventory control. Inventory Analytics is the first book of its kind to adopt a practicable, Python-driven approach to illustrating theories and concepts via computational examples, with each model covered in the book accompanied by its Python code. Originating as a collection of self-contained lectures, Inventory Analytics will be an indispensable resource for practitioners, researchers, teachers, and students alike.","contributors":[{"id":5429,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Roberto","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Rossi","location":"University of Edinburgh","background_text":"Roberto Rossi, Professor at the University of Edinburgh Business School holding the Chair in Uncertainty Modelling."}],"subjects":[{"id":3,"name":"Computer Science","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":137,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/computer-science-information-systems?locale=es"},{"id":23,"name":"Information Systems","parent_subject_id":3,"call_number":"QA76","visible_textbooks_count":27,"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems?locale=es"}],"publishers":[{"id":987,"url":"https://gwr3n.github.io/","year":null,"created_at":"2021-06-10T10:19:02.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-10T10:19:02.000-05:00","name":"Roberto Rossi"}],"formats":[{"id":2489,"type":"PDF","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/1399","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2490,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/1399","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"5","textbook_reviews_count":2,"reviews":[{"id":34098,"first_name":"Shouhong","last_name":"Wang","position":"Commonwealth Professor","institution_name":"University of Massachusetts Dartmouth","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This OER book is a comprehensive introduction to the theories and practices of inventory control.  Inventory management is a research area central to supply chain management.  The book provides an effective index and glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book provides the foundations of inventory systems and analytics models of inventory control.  The content has solid research base and is accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and will be sustainable in the foreseeable future.  Many inventory control models discussed in the book are classical.  The book is easy to arrange so that necessary updates (e.g., new inventory control models) can be easily added.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is easy to read, and is accessible for researchers and practitioners in inventory management.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book has a uniform structure.  The terminology and symbols are consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module (chapter or section) of the book addresses a specific inventory control theory or inventory control model.  The book is easy to resign to meet specific teaching/learning needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The presentation of the inventory theories or models is progressive.  The presentation flow is logical and easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The figures in the book are clear and well-explained.  They are informative.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is a genuine scientific book.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This OER book is a comprehensive introduction to the theories and practices of inventory control.  Inventory management is a research area central to supply chain management.  The book provides the foundations of inventory systems and analytics models of inventory control.   The book includes Python programs to illustrating inventory control theories and models via computational examples.   This book is an excellent textbook for graduate as well as undergraduate courses which dedicate to inventory management.  It is also an outstanding reference book for researchers and practitioners in the areas of supply chain management, industrial engineering, data sciences and analytics, and applications of Python programming.","created_at":"2022-11-02T07:46:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-02T07:46:20.000-05:00"},{"id":34411,"first_name":"Sangphil","last_name":"Kim","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It covers all the basic concepts in inventory control theory. It is amazing that the book covers almost everything in less than 200 pages without losing the depth.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I don’t see any incorrect content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The concepts the book covers are the fundamentals. And by providing python codes, the book keeps up with the current trend.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"In some part, the style of writing is very concise. Personally, I prefer this style but other may not like it.  However, it doesn’t skip any important information.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Pretty well.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Definitely, the book is divisible into smaller section. Depends on the instructor’s need, he or she can take only a couple of chapters, and the text still will serve its purpose.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is clear. It cannot be better.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Everything is clear and free of interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical error.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is book handles scientific contents. It cannot be culturally offensive or insensitive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"When I check the number of pages, I didn’t expect a comprehensive textbook for inventory theory. However, it didn’t take too long to find I was wrong. The text is very concise and covers almost every building blocks in inventory theory. I don’t recommend this book to general business undergraduate course due to the mathematical depth it covers. It would be good textbook for advanced undergraduate or graduate level course either in business or in industrial engineering.","created_at":"2023-02-16T20:45:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-02-16T20:45:35.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/inventory-analytics?locale=es","updated_at":"2026-05-18T02:08:46.000-05:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems.json?locale=es?page=1","total_pages":3,"total_count":29,"next":"https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/information-systems.json?locale=es?page=2"}}