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In data engineering, view formalisms are used to provide flexibility to users and user applications by allowing them to extract and elaborate data from the stored data sources. Conversely, since the introduction of EXtensible Markup Language (XML), it is fast emerging as the dominant standard for storing, describing, and interchanging data among various web and heterogeneous data sources. In combination with XML Schema, XML provides rich facilities for defining and constraining user‐defined data semantics and properties, a feature that is unique to XML. In this context, it is interesting to investigate traditional database features, such as view models and view design techniques for XML. However, traditional view formalisms are strongly coupled to the data language and its syntax, thus it proves to be a difficult task to support views in the case of semi‐structured data models. Therefore, in this paper we propose a Layered View Model (LVM) for XML with conceptual and schemata extensions. Here our work is three‐fold; first we propose an approach to separate the implementation and conceptual aspects of the views that provides a clear separation of concerns, thus, allowing analysis and design of views to be separated from their implementation. Secondly, we define representations to express and construct these views at the conceptual level. Thirdly, we define a view transformation methodology for XML views in the LVM, which carries out automated transformation to a view schema and a view query expression in an appropriate query language. Also, to validate and apply the LVM concepts, methods and transformations developed, we propose a viewdriven application development framework with the flexibility to develop web and database applications for XML, at varying levels of abstraction.

Today, eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is fast emerging as the dominant standard for storing, describing, representing and interchanging data among various enterprises systems and databases in the context of complex web enterprises information systems (EIS). Conversely, for web EIS (such as ecommerce and portals) to be successful, it is important to apply a high level, model driven solutions and meta‐data vocabularies to design and implementation techniques that are capable of handling heterogonous schemas and documents. For this, we need a methodology that provides a higher level of abstraction of the domain in question with rigorously defined standards that are to be more widely understood by all stakeholders of the system. To‐date, UML has proven itself as the language of choice for modeling EIS using OO techniques. With the introduction of XML Schema, which provides rich facilities for constraining and defining enterprise XML content, the combination of UML and XML technologies provide a good platform (and the flexibility) for modeling, designing and representing complex enterprise contents for building successful EIS. In this paper, we show how a layered view model coupled with a proven user interface analysis framework (WUiAM) is utilized in providing architectural construct and abstract website model (called eXtensible Web, xWeb), to model, design and implement simple, usercentred, collaborative websites at varying levels of abstraction. The uniqueness xWeb is that the model data (web user interface definitions, website data descriptions and constraints) and the web content are captured and represented at the conceptual level using views (one model) and can be deployed (multiple platform specific models) using one or more implementation models.

Decision support systems (DSS) like individual DSS, group DSS, or organization DSS, have traditionally been developed separately. Attempts to integrate their separate development into a unified framework. Specifies the relationship between the decisions supported by different DSS in organization, thereby making it necessary to have an integrated approach; along with an outline of the problems in the existing DSS environment towards proper integration. The ANSI/X3/SPARC database framework is utilized to develop a three‐level integrated DSS framework, that enables the integration of different types of DSS in organization. Suggests a knowledge‐based approach for implementing the proposed framework.

XML Schema Definition (XSD) is in the logical level of XML model and is used in most web applications. At present, there is no standard format for the conceptual level of XML model. Therefore, we introduce an XML Tree Model as an XML conceptual schema for representing and confirming the data semantics according to the user requirements in a diagram. The XML Tree Model consists of nodes representing all elements within the XSD. We apply reverse engineering from an XSD to an XML Tree Model to assist end users in applying an XML database for information highway on the Internet. The data semantics recovered for visualization include root element, weak elements, participation, cardinality, aggregation, generalization, categorization, and n‐ary association, and which can be derived by analyzing the structural constraints of XSD based on its key features such as key, keyref, minOccurs, maxOccurs, Choice, Sequence and extension. We use the Eclipse user interface for generating a graphical view for XML conceptual schema.

Conceptual integration of existing information systems provides an alternative way of approaching a kind of metasystem, namely, meta‐information systems. Since various external views can be generated from the same set of information systems for different information needs, a DBMS (database management systems) metaphor is a useful approach.

This study examines the conceptual domain of international marketing following substantial growth in its development. With the objective to investigate recent patterns and development in the literature this study evaluates 1,816 research articles on international marketing published between 1990 and 2012. The classification of conceptual domain has yielded 57 configurational contents under seven prime research streams. Simple meta-analysis on international marketing literature created a clear depiction of attention of contributors toward research streams and the number of contributors, and worthy sources of literature. Several directions for advancement of knowledge in international marketing, identified fields, and their implications for future research are discussed.

This paper seeks to draw attention to the importance of appreciating and using ever‐present diversity to achieve increased legitimacy for entrepreneurship education. As such, it aims to draw the reader into a reflective process of discovery as to why entrepreneurship education is important and how such importance can be prolonged.

The paper revisits Gartner's 1985 conceptual framework for understanding the complexity of entrepreneurship. The paper proposes an alternative framework based on the logic of Gartner's framework to advance the understanding of entrepreneurship education. The authors discuss the dimensions of the proposed framework and explain the nature of the dialogic relations contained within.

It is argued that the proposed conceptual framework provides a new way to understand ever‐present heterogeneity related to the development and delivery of entrepreneurship education.

The paper extends an invitation to the reader to audit their own involvement and proximity to entrepreneurship education. It argues that increased awareness of the value that heterogeneity plays in student learning outcomes and programme branding is directly related to the presence of heterogeneity across the dimensions of the conceptual framework.

The paper introduces a simple yet powerful means of understanding what factors contribute to the success or otherwise of developing and delivering entrepreneurship education. The simplicity of the approach suggested provides all entrepreneurship educators with the means to audit all facets of their programme.

This paper aims to clarify some of the representations regarding philosophy of science and statistical methods, which are contained in Cadogan and Lee (this issue).

This paper uses logical argument and a review of literature.

Rigdon’s (2012) approach to construct validation is entirely consistent with scientific realism, while the “realist variable framework” revives the empiricist reification of common factors found in Bagozzi’s (1984) Holistic Construal and throughout the early literature of structural equation modeling. Factor indeterminacy is a phenomenon that makes it impossible to equate common factors with conceptual variables. The future of marketing measurement is not in the historical error-centric framework but in a measurement framework centered around uncertainty.

Researchers should avoid reification of common factors and recognize the validity gap between conceptual variables and empirical proxies, consistent with Rigdon (2012) and should move toward an uncertainty-centric approach to measurement.

Decision-makers need to acknowledge the difference between data and the underlying reality. Success or failure will be shaped by the reality, not by the data.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper seeking to clarify representations in Cadogan and Lee (this issue). This paper aims to save journal readers from being misled.