Smith, S D; Beausang, P; Moriarty, D and Campbell, J M (2008) Subjectivity in data extraction: A study based on construction hazard identification. In: Dainty, A (ed.) Proceedings of 24th Annual ARCOM Conference, 1-3 September 2008, Cardiff, UK.
Abstract
The importance of effective mitigation of construction safety risks can be readily appreciated. However, the methods that are available that can optimise this process are not obvious and no standard procedure is laid down in the construction industry. An IT tool has been developed that allows mitigation measures to be identified for new risks. These measures are based on historically successful measures from a range of projects. Where more than one suitable mitigation technique is available the tool uses Case Based Reasoning to suggest the most appropriate. The data for this tool is based upon that contained in Method Statements, the industry standard format for task and safety planning and one of the more difficult aspects of the research is how to effectively extract the relevant data from these statements. Unfortunately the problem is compounded by the fact that the person extracting the data may be doing so in a subjective manner thus leading to issues with consistency and accuracy. A brief overview of the research work up to the present time will be presented, including an overview of the source of data used in this study, namely Method Statements. A discussion of the problem of subjectivity in data extraction will be provided. The paper will then present a subjectivity filter developed as a partial solution to this problem, together with initial results and findings when applying this filter to a real data extraction problem. These initial results have shown that it is possible to normalise data extraction when this exercise is carried out by multiple extractors.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | health and safety; information management; information technology; knowledge-based systems; risk |
| Index terms: | accuracy, hazard identification, knowledge-based system, subjectivity, case-based reasoning, health and safety, exercise, information technology, construction industry, construction safety, mitigation |
| Subjects: | environmental health, industry analysis, cognitive psychology, financial risk, professional development, health safety and environment, artificial intelligence, human factors and perception, health behaviours and lifestyles, computing systems |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Health and Safety, Cost Management, Information Management, Research Practice, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here