This paper focuses on evaluation of web browsing layout engines used as a backbone in web browsing software. Study of commonly used web browsers and Web information system developing languages has been performed. The role of web browsing layout engine evaluation in web information system development process is identified as a critical matter for bringing business processes online in a form of usable and accessible information system. By analyzing web browsing layout engines as a tool that renders elements on a particular Web page of web information system, key tendencies and emphasis for web information system developers are revealed and discussed.

Family education as a support to families where children are with special needs is mentioned in family politics statements. Unfortunately, family education problems in rural areas characterise present day situation in Latvia. Professionals with less specific knowledge essential to deal with special needs satisfaction is a reality in rural areas in Latvia. It is vital to advance family autonomy, develop an opportunity to deal with consequences that disabilities cause and, improve environmental conditions for children with special needs. The aim of this article is to fortify necessity of family education as a partnership comprehension development to children with special needs in rural area. The investigation was carried out in National Rehabilitation centre ”Vaivari” in April 2012, by involving families with children with special needs. Analysis of scientific resources has been done; survey and statistical analysis of data were carried out, by using non-parametric method - Mann Whitney U test. During the research, the main family education comprehension aspects to families living in rural or city area and having children with special needs are identified. The advantages in special needs satisfaction context in rural areas and city environment are analysed. Measurements of respondent attitude to innovative family education e-solutions are made. Objectively and subjectively determined social isolation risk of families having children with special needs in rural area show the necessity to use family resources related to consequences that disabilities create. It is necessary to develop ways to use modern technological opportunities, provide appropriate family education and partnership with professionals.

Electronic circulation of documents and electronic services have become the most significant IT development trend in the public sector. During the last few years public sector institutions in all Europe have significantly improved the quality of the provided services. With the evolving options offered by the internet and the digital signature getting more widely used, citizens expect a more up-to-date approach to communications from governmental institutions. Successful operation of electronic services would not be possible without a proper circulation of electronic documents on the national level. This article briefly inspects the history of the electronic service development and analyses the conditions of the development, deals with the experience of different countries with the implementation of e-services. Particular attention has been paid to Latvia, its current situation and historical analysis of e-services. A special part is dedicated to Agricultural Ministry of the Republic of Latvia which is most closely related to national rural development, projects of transition towards electronic document circulation and provision of electronic services.

Rapid technology development has had an evident impact on the financial sector during the last eight years. The financial sector experiences changes and it is important for the contemporary financial organizations to set a sustainable business perspective through competency management to ensure competitiveness. The current paper additionally focusses on fintech. Information technology development and competency management are the basis of the research. Authors of this research performed literature review to clarify the technology management competency model proposed by Doggett, McGee and Scott (2013) with the purpose of customizing the model for finance and technology knowledge-intensive fintech companies.

Multiple information systems have been developed during the last decade to gain more from collaboration, knowledge management and ideas. One type of such tools is the idea management systems (IMS) – a manageable systematic tool to generate and evaluate ideas. However, there is a lack of research which explores what web-based IMS are, and how they materialize practically. To fill the gap, the paper aims to create classification and application description of web-based IMS by adapting the theoretical and empirical research approaches. To achieve this aim, first, scientific papers, book chapters, and proceedings focused on the idea management and IMS were analysed using a systematic literature review method and content analysis technique. Based on the analyses, several possible classifications of IMS criteria were found. Second, commercially available web-based IMS evaluation was conducted to verify the criteria and to add data-based classification criteria. Analysis of IMS has helped to characterize parities and disparities of web-based IMS. Results prove that IMS could be classified by their application focus – as ‘active’ and ‘passive’. Dominant type is the active IMS. IMS could also be classified by the sources involved in the idea management – internal, external or mixed IMS. The main structural features of the web-based IMS are idea generation, idea evaluation, and idea retention. Results prove that there are no important differences between theoretical and empirical research results. .

The changes taking place in economics, its internationalisation, development of information and progress of science and technique determine the necessity to raise the country's economic competitiveness, as the result of it the level of life will rise. It is relevant for Latvia to be aware of its advantages and potential competitiveness in order to carry out appropriate macroeconomic policy and favour the introduction of appropriate macroeconomic as well as social policy. The main advantage for providing more rapid development is the fact that Latvia is a small country, able to adopt flexibly, the demand of economic environment where it is easier to achieve a compromise with society. As well as the fact that it is characteristic for the population of Latvia to have a constant tendency towards better life. The way in which Latvia will be able to use its comparative advantages in context of EU market will determine the progress of the national economy including agriculture. At the moment, several problems, which are to be solved, have already appeared in agriculture. The more rapid introduction of technologies of information communication (ICT) in agriculture could be one of the ways to solve the problem. It would provide the development for both economic and social spheres motivating exchange of information, expanding of the market, increasing of production quality, improving work organisation in enterprises, and providing more possibilities for education. To carry out the questioning of students of the Latvia University of Agriculture in the course of study in order to find out the level of ICT application among students, as well as to obtain information about ICT application in the process of education.

Nowadays the industrial society changes over to the information society. The introduction of elements from distance education and e-studies is an effective means in updating traditional education system in higher educational establishments of Latvia. Due to the decrease of the amount of contact classes and increase of the share of independent work, the version of studies of a mixed-mode type (the introduction of separate elements from the distance education and e-studies in traditional subjects of studies) is the most appropriate types of education in higher educational establishments of Latvia. Hence new study materials elaborated exactly to cover the needs of independent active studies with feedback are required. The techniques type of study materials has to be acceptable for students of different age groups. The aims and tasks are to be clearly defined in the study materials for distance education and e-studies. Tests and examinations are carried out to state whether the aims and tasks are fulfilled. The objective of tests and exams is not a severe evaluation of student knowledge but the analysis of made mistakes. With the introduction the elements of distance education and e-studies in the process of teaching and learning of subjects in higher educational establishments, the students from towns and country will have greater possibilities to acquire knowledge at the speed, time and place most suitable for them.

Analysis of statistical reports provided by the Statistical Department of Lithuania shows that a rapidly increasing number of agricultural enterprises are using computers for the preparation of documents and processing of accounts, and the internet for sourcing information and sending correspondence to business partners and other institutions. There is also a steady increase in the number of a-services, such as transference of payments, which are available via the internet. To identify the needs of agricultural specialists and rural citizens for e-services, a survey of available on-line services and potentially necessary e-services was carried out in August 2004. On the basis of these responses, the e-services of most importance to agricultural institutions and rural citizens now and in the near future were identified. These results also could be useful for other newly-joined EU countries of central and Eastern Europe.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the information literacy of people as essential competencies required for the generation of social capital and use of social capital in sharing and obtaining information, which in its turn, is considered to be an important resource in the community’s development. The paper analyses the terms: social capital, information literacy and their mutual influence, as well as describes the research where informational literacy of the population of Latvia, its levels and the determined groups of knowledge and skills, which need to be improved in order to contribute to the generation and use of the social capital, through various methods (population surveys, focus group discussions, information literacy knowledge assessment questionnaires and performing practical tasks) were assessed. The research is based on the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Competency Matrix and UNESCO MIL Assessment Framework. The main conclusions of research are the following: information literacy is an important competence for developing social capital; but based on the completed research there are skills of information literacy – processing of information, critical assessment of information resources, legally correct use of information sources, as well as effective use of information technologies – which should be improved. The research was conducted within the framework of the European Social Fund project ‘Development of Innovative Diagnostic Instruments for Regional Growth’ (No.2013/0057/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/13/APIA/VIAA/065).

With this issue of 2009, we bring 52 proceedings of the 98, which started life as presentations at the Annual 15th International Scientific Conference Research for Rural Development 2009 held at the Latvia University of Agriculture, in Jelgava, on 20 to 22 May 2009. In the retrospect of four months later, we can count the Conference as a great success. The theme - Research for Rural Development - attracted participation of 321 researchers with very different backgrounds. There were 4 presentations from Ukraine, 3 from Sweden, 2 from Belarus, 3 from Estonia, 1 from Belgium, 1 from India, 1 from Turkey, 10 from Lithuania and 64 from Latvia. Four independent reviewers estimated each report. The proceedings of the Annual 15th International Scientific Conference Research for Rural Development 2009 is intended for academics, students and professionals researching in the area of crop production, animal breeding, agricultural engineering, agrarian and regional economics, food sciences, veterinary medicine, forestry, wood processing, water management. The proceedings will also be useful for researchers in educational sciences.