This pioneering book develops definitions and concepts related to Quality of Experience in the context of multimedia- and telecommunications-related applications, systems and services and applies these to various fields of communication and media technologies. The editors bring together numerous key-protagonists of the new discipline “Quality of Experience” and combine the state-of-the-art knowledge in one single volume.

This SpringerBrief discusses the most recent research in the field of multimedia QoE evaluation, with a focus on how to evaluate subjective multimedia QoE problems from objective techniques. Specifically, this SpringerBrief starts from a comprehensive overview of multimedia QoE definition, its influencing factors, traditional modeling and prediction methods. Subsequently, the authors introduce the procedure of multimedia service data collection, preprocessing and feature extractions. Then, describe several proposed multimedia QoE modeling and prediction techniques in details. Finally, the authors illustrate how to implement and demonstrate multimedia QoE evaluation in the big data platform. This SpringerBrief provides readers with a clear picture on how to make full use of multimedia service data to realize multimedia QoE evaluation. With the exponential growth of the Internet technologies, multimedia services become immensely popular. Users can enjoy multimedia services from operators or content providers by TV, computers and mobile devices. User experience is important for network operators and multimedia content providers. Traditional QoS (quality of service) can not entirely and accurately describe user experience. It is natural to research the quality of multimedia service from the users’ perspective, defined as multimedia quality of experience (QoE). However, multimedia QoE evaluation is difficult, because user experience is abstract and subjective, hard to quantify and measure. Moreover, the explosion of multimedia service and emergence of big data, all call for a new and better understanding of multimedia QoE. This SpringerBrief targets advanced-level students, professors and researchers studying and working in the fields of multimedia communications and information processing. Professionals, industry managers, and government research employees working in these same fields will also benefit from this SpringerBrief.

This book shows how networking research and quality engineering can be combined to successfully manage the transmission quality when speech and video telephony is delivered in heterogeneous wireless networks. Nomadic use of services requires intelligent management of ongoing transmission, and to make the best of available resources many fundamental trade-offs must be considered. Network coverage versus throughput and reliability of a connection is one key aspect, efficiency versus robustness of signal compression is another. However, to successfully manage services, user-perceived Quality of Experience (QoE) in heterogeneous networks must be known, and the perception of quality changes must be understood. These issues are addressed in this book, in particular focusing on the perception of quality changes due to switching between diverse networks, speech and video codecs, and encoding bit rates during active calls.

This book gathers papers that are centered on the theory and practice of a wide variety of advanced technologies. They cover the latest developments in computing, networking, information technology, robotics, complex systems, communications, energy, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, geodesy, and other subjects. These papers were selected for presentation at the 12th annual conference Days of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS), which was scheduled to be held in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina in June 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, in light of the high quality of the submissions, BHAAAS’ technical and natural sciences division decided to create this special book despite the postponement. The editors would like to extend their special thanks to all the chairs of the planned symposia for their dedicated work in the production of this book: Jasmin Kevrić, Zerina Mašetić, Dželila Mehanović (Computer Science); Anes Kazagić, Hajrudin Džafo, Izet Smajević (Mechanical Engineering); Tarik Uzunović, Asif Šabanović, Jasmin Kevrić (Mechatronics, Robotics and Embedded Systems); Mirza Šarić, Tarik Hubana, Maja Muftić Dedović (Advanced Electrical Power Systems); Mirza Pozder, Naida Ademović, Medžida Mulić (Civil Engineering and Geodesy); Adnan Mujezinović, Muris Torlak (Computer Modeling and Simulations for Engineering Applications); and Aljo Mujčić, Edin Mujčić (Information and Communication Technologies).

Communication research is evolving and changing in a world of online journals, open-access, and new ways of obtaining data and conducting experiments via the Internet. Although there are generic encyclopedias describing basic social science research methodologies in general, until now there has been no comprehensive A-to-Z reference work exploring methods specific to communication and media studies. Our entries, authored by key figures in the field, focus on special considerations when applied specifically to communication research, accompanied by engaging examples from the literature of communication, journalism, and media studies. Entries cover every step of the research process, from the creative development of research topics and questions to literature reviews, selection of best methods (whether quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) for analyzing research results and publishing research findings, whether in traditional media or via new media outlets. In addition to expected entries covering the basics of theories and methods traditionally used in communication research, other entries discuss important trends influencing the future of that research, including contemporary practical issues students will face in communication professions, the influences of globalization on research, use of new recording technologies in fieldwork, and the challenges and opportunities related to studying online multi-media environments. Email, texting, cellphone video, and blogging are shown not only as topics of research but also as means of collecting and analyzing data. Still other entries delve into considerations of accountability, copyright, confidentiality, data ownership and security, privacy, and other aspects of conducting an ethical research program. Features: 652 signed entries are contained in an authoritative work spanning four volumes available in choice of electronic or print formats. Although organized A-to-Z, front matter includes a Reader’s Guide grouping entries thematically to help students interested in a specific aspect of communication research to more easily locate directly related entries. Back matter includes a Chronology of the development of the field of communication research; a Resource Guide to classic books, journals, and associations; a Glossary introducing the terminology of the field; and a detailed Index. Entries conclude with References/Further Readings and Cross-References to related entries to guide students further in their research journeys. The Index, Reader’s Guide themes, and Cross-References combine to provide robust search-and-browse in the e-version.

The OECD Communications Outlook 2009 presents the most recent comparable data on the performance of the communication sector in OECD countries and on their policy frameworks.