Abstract
Sistemas de suporte à decisão, tecnologias de colaboração, integração, business process management (BPM) e reconstrução do processo de decisão são domínios do conhecimento que se interligam e assumem cada vez maior relevância no contexto organizacional. Tendo como objeto de análise um processo de negócio - gestão do ciclo de vida da rede de mediadores - crítico para uma organização, tentámos perceber qual o nível de suporte atual do mesmo em sistemas de informação (SI) e qual o impacto da adoção de um sistema de suporte à decisão em grupo nesse processo de negócio. A investigação consistiu na decomposição do processo atual, através de análise documental, realização de entrevistas e observação participativa aos seus principais atores, identificando as principais entropias que o afetam: dificuldade de materialização dos modelos de decisão; incapacidade de reconstrução do processo de decisão; elevado peso documental; carências de suporte em SI. Isto permitiu concluir que a adoção de uma plataforma de suporte à decisão em grupo teria um impacto positivo ao suportar a totalidade de um processo de negócio que hoje o está apenas parcialmente, potenciando a integração da informação, o envolvimento dos intervenientes e reduzindo o peso documental associado.

Abstract
O Grupo da Qualidade da Secção de Gestão (DCSG - UAb) iniciou funções no ano letivo 2011-2012. Apresenta-se aqui um resumo da atuação do grupo na analise dos resultados dos inquéritos de satisfação aos estudantes dos cursos de gestão (1 licenciatura e 2 mestrados) nos anos letivos 2011-2012 e 2012-2013. São igualmente apresentadas as ações levadas a cabo pelo grupo, com o objetivo de aumentar a qualidade dos cursos ministrados nesta secção, e algumas linhas de orientação para os docentes.

Abstract
While Cluster-Tree network topologies look promising for WSN applications with timeliness and energy-efficiency requirements, we are yet to witness its adoption in commercial and academic solutions. One of the arguments that hinder the use of these topologies concerns the lack of flexibility in adapting to changes in the network, such as in traffic flows. This paper presents a solution to provide these networks with the ability to self-adapt to different bandwidth and latency requirements, imposed by traffic flows, by changing the cluster's duty-cycle and scheduling. Importantly, our approach enables a network to change its cluster scheduling without requiring long inaccessibility times or the re-association of the nodes. We show how to apply our methodology to the case of IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee cluster-tree WSNs without significant changes to the protocol. Finally, we analyze and demonstrate the validity of our methodology through a comprehensive simulation and experimental validation using commercially available technology on a Structural Health Monitoring application scenario.

Abstract
Our research in progress project aims the design of a method for the development of Dublin Core Application Profiles (Me4DCAP). This paper describes Me4DCAP V0.2, an early version of a method for the development of DCAP. The development of Me4DCAP was based on a Design Science Research methodological approach and has as starting points the Singapore framework for DCAP and the Rational Unified Process; integrates knowledge from: (i) the practices of the metadata community concerning DCAP development, and (ii) software development processes and techniques, focusing on the early stages of the processes that deal with data modeling. Me4DCAP establishes a way for the development of a DCAP. It establishes which are the activities, when they should take place, how they interconnect, and which deliverables they will bring about; it also suggests which techniques should be used to build these deliverables. © DCMI 2013.

Abstract
Recent studies show that there is no method to develop a Dublin Core Application Profile (DCAP). A DCAP is a very important construct to implement interoperability, therefore it is essential to have a method to be able to develop such a construct, in order to give DCAP developers a common ground of work. This paper presents the first version of a method to develop Dublin Core Application Profiles (Me4DACP V0.1) that has been developed in a PhD project with a Design Science Research (DSR) approach. Me4DCAP was built having as starting point the Singapore Framework for DCAP and shows the way through the DCAP development. It encompasses a group of pre-defined interconnected activities, explicitly states when they should take place, what techniques could be used to execute them and what artifacts should result from their execution. © 2013 The authors and IOS Press.

Abstract
This paper presents the state of the art on methods for the development of a metadata application profile (AP). For this purpose we perform searches in scientific online databases and made other efforts such as global searches on the web and calls on the mailing lists of the metadata communities to find information about AP development and metadata best practices or methods for the development of AP. These searches produced 21 items of which nine have information on how the AP is developed. As a result of this analysis, we came up with small formulas or specific recipes for very particular phases of the process, but none is described in detail. We have also come up with guidelines that were too global and not sufficiently detailed for the AP development. As far as we could determine, there is no comprehensive methodological support for a metadata application profile development. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.