Digital Commons Network^™

All The World's A Page: Towards A Definition Of 'Writer' In An Age Of Opportunity, Sue Norton

Articles

This article considers the status of the writer at a time when publication is no longer elusive, given the immediacy of online dissemination. For those who identify as writers, it looks at the implications of blogging, social media, entrepreneurial self-publishing, and scholarly open access journals, including so-called ‘predatory’ ones. It argues for a distinction between day-to-day writing and composition, and seeks to establish a category for the writer that takes account of deliberation, craft, and readership. It juxtaposes the creative activity of Jack Kerouac, Virginia Woolf, Truman Capote, and Mother Goose against the linguist John McWhorter’s convincing dismissal of the …

Foreword: “Irish History Is Not A Closed Shop”: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Ireland’S Discourses Of Otherness, Encarnación Hidalgo-Tenorio

Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Hvdc Systems Fault Analysis Using Various Signal Processing Techniques, Benish Paily

Doctoral

The detection and fast clearance of faults are important for the safe and optimal operation of HVDC systems. In HVDC systems, various types of AC faults (rectifier & inverter side) and DC faults can occur. It is therefore necessary to detect the faults and classify them for better protection and diagnostics purposes. Various techniques for fault detection and classification in HVDC systems using signal processing techniques are presented and investigated in this research work. In this research work, it is shown that the wavelet transformation can effectively detect abrupt changes in system signals which are indicative of a fault. This …

Multiculturalism In Secondary Schools – A Linguistic, Socio-Political & Pedagogic Perspective, Maria Kenneally

The ITB Journal

As a modern foreign language lecturer I am fascinated by issues of language, culture and identity. To an extent my interest is compounded by the belief that we Irish are bilingual, English and Gaeilge, - a rich language with a strong oral tradition that has been an integral part of Irish identity. In September 1996 I began work as a secondary teacher in an inner city London school with a high proportion of multilingual and multicultural students. My observations and interactions with pupils at Plumstead Manor proved part of a journey of selfanalysis and self-discovery, and fortified my belief that …

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

I am delighted to introduce the eight edition of the ITB Journal, the academic journal of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. The aim and purpose of the journal is to provide a forum whereby the members of ITB, visitors and guest contributors from other third level colleges can publish an article on their research in a multidisciplinary journal. The hope is that by offering the chance to bring their work out of their specialised area into a wider forum, they will share their work with the broader community at ITB and other academic institutions.

Reflexive And Reciprocal Constructions In Modern Irish, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

This paper examines reflexive (and reciprocal) constructions in modern Irish, a VSOX language for which the generative analysis using c-command is problematic. Reflexive and reciprocal constructions are best reflected in the inherent VSOX word order. The reflexive occurs in transitive constructions with the reflexive marker féin, which can also be used non-reflexively but emphatically. A continuum is observed with a human/animate participant as the subject argument at the reflexive pole and a nonhuman inanimate at the emphatic end. Motion is an ingredient in reflexivity. Fictive or nontranslational motion are both non-reflexive. Translational motion alone allows reflexivity. Reciprocals are complex in …

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

In this issue we again have papers treating a wide range of subjects. Stephen Sheridan looks at nondeterministic processing in neural networks while outlining the biological foundations and the massive parallelism of the brain, A linguistic analysis of the reflexive and reciprocal in modern Irish is undertaken by Brian Nolan. These are interesting because of the difficulties they provide for the generative tradition of linguistics. These difficulties do not present themselves within the functional approach presented here. Pauline Logue explores the treatment of rape in Christian theology. Patrick McGarty examines the area of ethics as they apply to the modern …

Lexical Semantics And Patterns Of Causation, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

In this paper we provide a brief account of patterns of causation in modern Irish that occur with lexically causative verbs. Three types of causation are found in modern Irish: lexical, periphrastic and morphological. In terms of the relative weightings of each type, the morphological causative is the least productive. Its use appears to be highly constrained to two very specific domains and it is signalled by particular morphological affixes. Lexical causatives are more productive than the morphological causative. By contrast, periphrastic or analytical causatives are highly productive and wide-ranging in their deployment. A claim of this paper is that …

Science Undergraduate Research Conference 2015 Booklet, Dublin Institute Of Technology, Institute Of Technology, Tallaght, Institute Of Technology, Blanchardstown

Group Reports

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown hosted the Science Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC 2015) on 13th November 2015 in DIT's Grangegorman Campus. 25 students from DIT, IT Tallaght and IT Blanchardstown who completed an undergraduate research project in a Scientific discipline in the academic year 2014-15 presented at this conference.

The aims of the conference were to:

1. Provide current students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the work which has been undertaken by recent graduates, and the career opportunities that exist for graduates in Scientific disciplines.
2. Provide recent graduates with an opportunity to gain …

A Brief Characterisation Of Morphological Causation In Irish, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

In this paper we attempt to characterise some elements of morphological causation as expressed in modern Irish. Three types of causation may be identified: lexical, periphrastic and morphological. In terms of the relative weightings of each type, the morphological causative is the least productive. Its use appears to be highly constrained to two very specific domains and it is signalled by particular morphological affixes. Lexical causatives are more productive than the morphological causative. By contrast, periphrastic or analytical causatives are highly productive and wide-ranging in their deployment. We concentrate in this analysis on some data on morphological causation.

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

I am delighted to introduce the fifth edition of the ITB Journal, the academic journal of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. The aim and purpose of the journal is to provide a forum whereby the members of ITB, visitors and guest contributors from other third level colleges can publish an article on their research in a multidisciplinary journal. The hope is that by offering the chance to bring their work out of their specialised area into a wider forum, they will share their work with the broader community at ITB and other academic institutions.

Mental Spaces: Processes For Establishing And Linking Spaces, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

This paper reviews the theory of mental spaces as expounded by Fauconnier (1994). In this work he posits a theory in which reference has a structural dimension. Within the theory, this structure is represented using spaces, connectors across the spaces and some general principles that are found to apply. The complexity lies in the interaction between the principles and in the contextual structures that feed into the principles for interpretation. Brugman, in her 1996 paper, makes use of insights from mental spaces theory to conduct an analysis of HAVE-constructions. She notes that Fauconnier has “elaborated a theory of partial possible …

One Island, One People, One Nation: Early Latin Evidence For This Motif In Ireland, Thomas O’Loughlin

The ITB Journal

That the island of Ireland is the home of the Irish, and consequently that ‘the nation’ and the territory of the island mutually define one another, has been one of the central assumptions of Irish nationalism. Just as an island is a single discrete entity -- the very icon for something well marked off from other things by ‘clear blue water’ -- so the people on it have been assumed to be a distinct group. More than just a collection of individuals or families, they have been assumed to form a ‘nation’ with a separate identity and destiny from their …

An Evaluation Of Can8 As A Computer Assisted Language Learning Tool In The Context Of Current Research, Ruth Harris

The ITB Journal

The CAN8 virtual language laboratory combines features of traditional language laboratory systems with typical CALL software and features of CBT to create a language learning environment which embraces many different theories of learning and more specifically of language learning.

Passive Voice Constructions In Modern Irish, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

This paper is about the passive construction, of which modern Irish (a VSO language) has two primary forms, the personal passive and its variants, and the impersonal. An empirical question is posed as to whether a third passive form exists within the language, that of a functionally defined GET-passive. To deliver a unified analysis of the various passive constructions, a perspective that takes account of the complete event is necessary.

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to this, the third edition of the ITB Journal, the academic journal of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. It uniquely offers the opportunity for the members of ITB, visitors and guest contributors to publish an article on their research in a multidisciplinary journal. The hope is that by offering the chance to bring their work out of their specialised area into a wider forum, they will share their work with the broader community at ITB and other academic institutions.

Narratology, Fr. P. Boyle

The ITB Journal

The following is a very brief summary of Narratology. Narratology is an evolving, multifaceted method of studying the various forms of narrative or storytelling from the earliest linguistic and literary forms

Towards A Study Of Situation Types Of Irish, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

In this paper we analyse the structure of situation types as found in Irish. We translate these situation types into a logical metalanguage, giving the logical structure of each type. We do this to differentiate, for Irish, the aktionsarten distinctions of state, activity, achievement and accomplishment as they are found within the language. The motivation of this paper is therefore to describe the aktionsart of modern Irish and to determine the logical structure that underpins these situation types.

Fuzzy Logic And Neural Networks - A Glimpse Of The Future, Raymond Manley

The ITB Journal

In 1965 Lofti Zadeh published his paper on fuzzy set theory , putting it forward as a way of more closely realising the human thought process. Many systems developed to aid human activities have been based on definitive , yes/no, type decision making processes. An example is the way all computers are based on the binary logic system where only two possible and separate logic levels are allowed, a logic 1 or logic 0. However, we know from everyday experience that humans think in terms of vague linguistic categories, for example, the weather is fairly good today. "Fairly good" represents …

Are Call Packages Disregarding The Research On Dealing With Authentic Materials?, Ruth Harris

The ITB Journal

Since the advent of the communicative method, authentic materials have been seen as an important source of input for second language acquisition. However they have been noticeably absent from CALL packages. This paper looks at the implications of the research on reading, and explores which areas of work on authentic materials can be successfully done using CALL, and areas which are best left to a classroom, groupwork or semi-autonomous environment. A model of an integrated approach proposes ways of maximising the potential of each, providing new challenges for the teacher and student alike.

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to this, the first edition of the ITB Journal, the academic journal of the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown. It uniquely offers the opportunity for the members of ITB, visitors and guest contributors to publish an article on their research in a multidisciplinary journal. The hope is that by offering the chance to bring their work out of their specialised area into a wider forum, they will share their work with the broader community at ITB and other academic institutions.

Conventional Wisdom In The Writing Classroom: A Short Defence Of Grammar Instruction, Sue Norton

Articles

This article considers whether instructors of writing in higher education ought prescriptively to involve students in the mechanics of standard written English or, rather, encourage them to prioritise ideas and content. Recognizing the reluctance of many practitioners to distract learner-writers with rules, and thereby alienate them from their creativity, it nevertheless recommends judicious delivery of lessons in conventional grammar, syntax, and punctuation. Taking standard written English as a variant that continues to hold sway in general, academic, and professional readerships, the article concludes with a selection of language components relevant to undergraduate writing and commonly addressed by readily available resource …

Emotional Facial Expressions In Synthesised Sign Language Avatars: A Manual Evaluation., Robert G Smith, Brian Nolan

Other Resources

This research explores and evaluates the contribution that facial expressions might have regarding improved comprehension and acceptability in sign language avatars. Focusing specifically on Irish sign language (ISL), the Deaf (the uppercase ‘‘D’’ in the word ‘‘Deaf’’ indicates Deaf as a culture as opposed to ‘‘deaf’’ as a medical condition) community’s responsiveness to sign language avatars is examined. The hypothesis of this is as follows: augmenting an existing avatar with the seven widely accepted universal emotions identified by Ekman (Basic emotions: handbook of cognition and emotion. Wiley, London, 2005) to achieve underlying facial expressions will make that avatar more human-like …

Congruent Visual Speech Enhances Entrainment To Continuous Auditory Speech In Noise-Free Conditions, Michael Crosse, John S. Butler, Edmumd Lalor

Articles

Congruent audiovisual speech enhances our ability to comprehend a speaker, even in noise-free conditions. When incongruent auditory and visual information is presented concurrently, it can hinder a listener’s perception and even cause him or her to perceive information that was not presented in either modality. Efforts to investigate the neural basis of these effects have often focused on the special case of discrete audiovisual syllables that are spatially and temporally congruent, with less work done on the case of natural, continuous speech. Recent electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that cortical response measures to continuous auditory speech can be easily obtained using …

A Novel And Domain-Specific Document Clustering And Topic Aggregation Toolset For A News Organisation, Claire Mcmahon

Dissertations

Large collections of documents are becoming increasingly common in the news gathering industry. A review of the literature shows there is a growing interest in datadriven journalism and specifically that the journalism profession needs better tools to understand and develop actionable knowledge from large document sets. On a daily basis, journalists are tasked with searching a diverse range of document sets including news gathering services, emails, freedom of information requests, court records, government reports, press releases and many other types of generally unstructured documents. Document clustering techniques can help address problems of understanding the ever expanding quantities of documents available …

Reformulation Strategies Of Repeated References In The Context Of Robot Perception Errors In Situated Dialogue, Niels Schütte, John D. Kelleher, Brian Mac Namee

Conference papers

We performed an experiment in which human participants interacted through a natural language dialogue interface with a simulated robot to fulfil a series of object manipulation tasks. We introduced errors into the robot’s perception, and observed the resulting problems in the dialogues and their resolutions. We then introduced different methods for the user to request information about the robot’s understanding of the environment. In this work, we describe the effects that the robot’s perceptual errors and the information request options available to the participant had on the reformulation of the referring expressions the participants used when resolving a unsuccessful reference.

Providing Objective Metrics Of Team Communication Skills Via Interpersonal Coordination Mechanisms, Celine De Looze, Brian Vaughan, Finnian Kelly, Alison Kay

Conference Papers

Being able to communicate efficiently has been acknowledged as a vital skill in many different domains. In particular, team communication skills are of key importance in the operation of complex machinery such as aircrafts, maritime vessels and such other, highly-specialized, civilian or military vehicles, as well as the performance of complex tasks in the medical domain. In this paper, we propose to use prosodic accommodation and turn- taking organisation to provide objective metrics of communica- tion skills. To do this, human-factors evaluations, via a coordi- nation Demand Analysis (CDA), were used in conjunction with a dynamic model of prosodic accommodation …

Mobisurround: An Auditory User Interface For Geo-Service Delivery, Keith Gardiner, Charlie Cullen, James Carswell

Conference Papers

This paper describes original research carried out in the area of Location-Based Services (LBS) with an emphasis on Auditory User Interfaces (AUI) for content delivery. Previous work in this area has focused on accurately determining spatial interactions and informing the user mainly by means of the visual modality. mobiSurround is new research that builds upon these principles with a focus on multimodal content delivery and navigation and in particular the development of an AUI. This AUI enables the delivery of rich media con- tent and natural directions using audio. This novel approach provides a hands free method for navigating a …

Analysing The Performance Of Economic Discourses, Joseph Fitzgerald, Brendan O'Rourke

Conference papers

We focus on the methods used in analyzing broadcast interviews with economists on Morning Ireland, a prominent Irish radio news programme. Few would doubt that economists have taken a prominent role as experts on policy issues (Carrick-Hagenbarth and Epstein 2012, p.45) and some contend that no other social science discipline has gained such prominence (Schneider and Kirchgassner 2009, p.324). This paper comes from a larger research project, which uses a tailored methodological approach, incorporating a number of analytical methods. Keller (2011, p.63) has argued that a tailored methodological approach is often required to give special consideration to the ‘knowledge side’ …

Mobisurround: An Auditory User Interface For Geo-Service Delivery, Keith Gardiner, Charlie Cullen, James Carswell

Conference papers

This paper describes original research carried out in the area of Location-Based Services (LBS) with an emphasis on Auditory User Interfaces (AUI) for content delivery. Previous work in this area has focused on accurately determining spatial interactions and informing the user mainly by means of the visual modality. mobiSurround is new research that builds upon these principles with a focus on multimodal content delivery and navigation and in particular the development of an AUI. This AUI enables the delivery of rich media content and natural directions using audio. This novel approach provides a hands free method for navigating a space …