The theoretical focus in this master is information retrieval (IR), and especially the part of IR that includes interactivity. This research is by some researchers called IIR. Our principal aim was to examine if search engines on the WWW are taking advantage of research results from IIR research. A way to do this is to look at the application of special features, in this case query expansion (QE) and relevance feedback (RF). Both these methods aim for a better matching of documents and the searchers information need.

This thesis examines information seeking and information needs at the Swedish Government Offices. The Government Offices comprise the Prime Ministers Office, the Government Ministries and the Office for Administrative Affairs. Approximately 4 500 members of staff are employed, of whom around 120 are political appointees. For this study, interviews have been conducted with 15 senior officials and political appointees at the Government Ministries and the Prime Ministers Office. The interviews have been supplemented with literature studies based on user studies research in library and information science.

This thesis examines history of the subject of mechatronics and innovation. The main reason tostudy mechatronics from a historical point of view is that it has never been done to a greater extent before. An overview is justified because various definitions have been used over the decades, but nowadays the subject has become more established. Focus in this thesis is mainly on development of the subject of mechatronics at Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Innovation is the other aspect of this thesis.

Villkoren i dagens samhälle förändras snabbt och miljön som beslutsfattare måste hantera blir allt mer komplex, detta samtidigt som tiden för att fatta beslut krymper. För att beslutsfattare ska klara detta kan de ta hjälp av verktyg. Vi har undersökt om geografiska informationssystem (GIS) är ett verktyg som effektiviserar framtagandet av ett beslutsunderlag när problemet är geografiskt relaterat. Undersökningen har genomförts som en fallstudie på fyra olika organisationer där vi jämfört processen vid skapandet av ett beslutsunderlag före och efter införandet av GIS i organisationen. Slutsatsen vi drar av vår undersökning är att geografiska informationssystem effektiviserar framtagandet av beslutsunderlag när problemet är geografiskt relaterat..

Today automatic milking systems (AMS) are growing in popularity. In these systems the cows are loose and have to get to the robot and the feed on their own. The cows ranking in this system affect their welfare. In this study data from seven years in an AMS was used and analysed. The aim was to investigate how ranking could affect the behaviour of the cows at milking and at feeding.

This thesis aims to identify the building integrated photovoltaic solutions available in the market with respect to general pros and cons of different systems and a technical description of there attachment system. Investigate and provide examples of various building integrated photovoltaic solutions in Sweden and describe the experiences and results of these projects.The methods used to obtain relevant information are interviews with individuals involved in significant projects and a thorough search of different solutions from solar suppliers.The conclusion is that solar energy is needed for a sustainable society. There are endless opportunities regarding BIPV, with many companies with different products and individual solutions. But so far it?s not so customary in Sweden.

Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att beskriva behov av information och stöd hos kvinnor med bröstcancer. Metoden som användes var en litteraturstudie och inkluderade både kvalitativa och kvantitativa artiklar. Tio studier inkluderades och resultatet presenterades i tre huvudkategorier: Information, stöd och sjuksköterskans uppfattning om behov av information och stöd, detta behov måste identifieras individuellt efter varje kvinna med bröstcancer. Dessa kvinnor uppskattade information om möjligheten att bli botad, behandlingsalternativ samt recidiv. Yngre kvinnor hade större behov av information om sexualitet än äldre.

According to the client, land survey of Sweden, there is no current information regarding other well developed property tax systems. This information is necessary in order to analyze the effectiveness and develop the Swedish system. The purpose of this study is to contribute with improvement proposals to the development of the Swedish property tax system through a survey of the English and Welsh property tax system.Methods used are: (1) a literature review where the English and Welsh valuation methodology and organization regarding property taxation is studied; (2) an interview with the client at the land survey of Sweden regarding existing problems with the Swedish property tax system; (3) An interview with a contact person of the Valuation Office Agency regarding the English and Welsh property tax system.In England and Wales there are two different property taxes for municipals, Council Tax and Rating. All domestic properties are included in Council Tax and commercial properties or part of commercial properties is included in Rating. Council Tax is based on the properties market value and Rating is based on the commercial property or part of the properties current rental value.

AbstractIn this thesis we aim to extend the current theories about a concept called persona. A persona is a model of a user, mostly based on qualitative research and made with such accuracy that it to some extent can be used as a replacement of a real user in a development process and as a communicative tool. We will present a way of constructing this persona without meeting the actual users and follow up with interviews from the organization using them. This will lead to a model over the process of introducing personas as a concept in an organization,previously not familiar with the concept. The model is adapted to also work for projects and organizations where the concept is already known..

The main purpose in this degree thesis is to investigate changes in performance when introducing a newly produced Real-Time database in one of CC Systems products, the Diagnostic Runtime Engine, DRE. The thesis is a collaboration between CC Systems, creator of DRE, and Mimer AB, developer of the Real-Time database.The result reveals that the time spent on database access is considerably lesscompared to the originally used database. The research has lead to several additional requirements on the real-time database and these are presented as part of the result in this thesis. The additional features will help making the product more suitable for DRE and similar applications.Additional research is required to be able to recommend the use of this product or not. Primarily the performance in another operating system, Windows CE, but also the introduction of additional features should be investigated.

Recent studies have reemphasized the importance of competition in democracy. An ideaoriginating from Weber: that demoeratic competition leads to more qualified leaders, has been resurrected. Research shows that democracies are more Iikely to elect leaders with a high leve l of education, and with in demoeratic states stronger competition correlates with elected politicians with higher education, more political experience and higher previous income. This study researehes whether the earrelation between greater competition and electedcandirlates with higher "Curriculum vitae-qualities" holds between electoral systems. Does a more competitive electoral system elect candirlates that score higher on such measures? Using education as a proxy forthese qualities the study traces different outcomes on education in a mixed electoral system, camparing the majoritarian (more competitive) part of the electoral system with the prop011ional (less competitive) part.

I denna designstudie överges dagens syn på e-postmedierad kommunikation som en linjär process. Bilden som linjära modeller ger av verkligheten är alldeles för generaliserad. Kommunikationsmodeller idag bortser från eller lägger minimal vikt på aspekter som är av betydande roll för hela kommunikationsprocessen. Syftet med denna designstudie är att utforma och evaluera en kommunikationsmodell som ska ligga till grund för analysering av e-postkommunikation. Modellen bygger på existerande teorier från kommunikationsvetenskapen och har modifierats med fenomen och aspekter som gör att den på ett realistiskt sätt speglar en verklig kommunikationsprocess.

Organisation and market orientation of elderly careThis comparative literature study is intended to describe how elderly care is organised and financed in Germany and Sweden. Furthermore, it analyses the degree of competition and market orientation in both countries' care systems. Important aspects in this context are the kinds of measurements which are used on the two markets and the question if there are quasimarkets.The theoretical backgrounds of the study are Esping-Andersen's "Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism" and Harold Wilensky's convergence theory. Esping-Andersen's theory describes Sweden as a social democratic and Germany as a conservative welfare regime which means that there are different conditions for the development of welfare. The use of Wilensky's theory shows that both welfare systems are converging since the end of the 20th century.

This study was conducted at VikingGenetics' bull breeding station in Falkenberg, Sweden. The bulls waiting for the results of their progeny testing at this station are either kept in group housing or individual housing. Since both of these housing systems have advantages and disadvantages, it was in the interest of VikingGenetics to know which of these housing systems is the best. The aim of this study was to investigate the welfare of the bulls in these two housing systems through behavioural observations and the use of activity monitors. In the preparations for the study 16 bulls, 8 in each housing system, were chosen.

A large amount of our time is spent indoors in an artificial climate. To make the experience pleasant there are requirements on the ventilation and the heating system. At the present time the most common form of heating is a radiator system complemented with a ventilation system. A ceiling heating system with combined heating and ventilation can replace the two separated systems. The benefit with a ceiling heating solution is that it saves space since the radiator system is no longer needed.