Elevating the Discipline: Creating Pathways for Geographers as Public Scholars

Arabidopsis thaliana is the most widely-studied plant today. The concerted efforts of over 11 000 researchers and 4000 organizations around the world are generating a rich diversity and quantity of information and materials. This information is made available through a comprehensive on-line resource called the Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR) (http://arabidopsis.org), which is accessible via commonly used web browsers and can be searched and downloaded in a number of ways. In the last two years, efforts have been focused on increasing data content and diversity, functionally annotating genes and gene products with controlled vocabularies, and improving data retrieval, analysis and visualization tools. New information include sequence polymorphisms including alleles, germplasms and phenotypes, Gene Ontology annotations, gene families, protein information, metabolic pathways, gene expression data from microarray experiments and seed and DNA stocks. New data visualization and analysis tools include SeqViewer, which interactively displays the genome from the whole chromosome down to 10 kb of nucleotide sequence and AraCyc, a metabolic pathway database and map tool that allows overlaying expression data onto the pathway diagrams. Finally, we have recently incorporated seed and DNA stock information from the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC) and implemented a shopping-cart style on-line ordering system.

Research on the use of modeling and mapping tools in curriculum management is thriving often focusing on the perspectives of the faculty and administrators. However, scholarly works on curriculum modeling and mapping tools that take the students’ curriculum concerns seriously are less common. A recurring theme in students’ curriculum concerns is overlap among courses and it is usually expressed by students at the level of common concepts across courses. This concept level granularity imposes a challenge for administrators and designers who often focus on curriculum management at the course level because they usually lack the tools with concept level (sub-course) granularity. In this paper, we investigate how to model and represent curriculum information to enable us to incorporate the students’ view of overlap at the level of concepts within courses that can then facilitate cross-course overlap identification and rectification. We design and develop an integrated digital environment that includes a linked data ontology for modeling curriculum content at the concept level within and across courses. The environment includes a set of course/concept manipulation and visualization tools that build on this ontology offering key functions for course overlap identification and rectification. We then deploy and evaluate this digital environment in the context of a curriculum review process, whereby 25 business faculty employed the visualization tools to tackle a course overlap problem reported by students. Our proposed curriculum modeling approach contributes to the literature on curriculum management by: (a) offering a digital environment that explicitly incorporates granular sub-course level concepts enabling students’ views to be incorporated within curriculum management tasks; (b) transforming the course overlap from an abstract and fuzzy notion, to a more concrete and actionable construct defined as either repetition or reinforcement; and (c) improving the productivity and scalability of curriculum management process through the use of digital semantic-web and visualization tools.

Statement of the problem. Mastering vocabulary in foreign language classes is a prerequisite for the development of basic speech skills (reading, listening, writing, speaking). According to modern requirements for teaching vocabulary, various visualization tools are successfully used for effective work with lexical material. This article considers Word cloud and Mind map as visualization tools. The purpose of this article is to describe the practice of using Word cloud and Mind map tools when teaching vocabulary in foreign language classes to students majoring in linguistics. Methodology (materials and methods). The methodology is based on the experience of Russian and foreign researchers who have dealt with the methods of working with vocabulary, including the use of technical and visualization tools, such as Word cloud and Mind map. Also, as a research method, an experiment with the participation of students of the department of foreign languages is used. As part of the experiment, students were divided into two groups and assigned to present new vocabulary in the Word cloud or Mind map format after initial familiarization with the vocabulary and the rules of designing a Word cloud and a Mind map. At the next stage, students were asked to complete a written task using the vocabulary they had learned. Research results. As a result of the study, the analysis of students’ written works was carried out, the advantages and disadvantages of using both tools were identified, the prospects for using Word cloud and Mind map when mastering vocabulary in foreign language classes were outlined. Conclusion. The research showed the effectiveness of using the Mind map and Word cloud tools in foreign language classes to improve students’ professional and personal skills. Obviously, the involvement of these tools in working with vocabulary contributes to the coverage of a larger amount of material, more effective memorization and high-quality reproduction of new vocabulary in students’ speaking practice.

The #AustralianBeachspace Project: Examining Opportunities for Research Dissemination Using Instagram

The fourth APE – Academic Publishing in Europe – Conference in the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, was about ‘the impact of publishing’. The APE 2009 spectrum varied from usage and users, peer reviewing and quality assurance, branding, funding and investing, business models, new types of information, enabling technologies, search engines, to research excellence, dissemination, access and sharing of knowledge. In this issue we present the APE 2009 Short Conference Report, written by Svenja Hagenhoff and Chris Armbruster, and we publish a relevant selection of papers from this conference. As there was simply too much material, we did not attempt to publish full proceedings this time. Most presentations can be found under ‘APE Literature’ on the APE 2009 website: www.ape2009.eu. APE Conferences encourage the debate about the future of scientific publications, information dissemination and access to scientific results. They offer an independent forum for ‘open minds’ with a free exchange of opinions and experiences between all stakeholders. Participants were: academic, educational, scientific, technological, medical, legal and professional publishers, university presses, scientists, authors, editors, librarians, teachers, learned and professional societies and associations, funding agencies, politicians and policy makers, subscription agencies and booksellers, recruiting agencies and technology providers. Academic Publishing and library activity face significant technical, financial and political challenges in the coming years. This may have major consequences for scholarly communication. Europe is the largest producer of scientific research and scholarly knowledge with a very strong publishing and library culture, with different scientific and professional cultures and a multitude of languages, but the acceptance, requirements and expectations are changing rapidly. Although the supportive role of academic organisations, societies and the private sector is subject to an intensive debate, there is a lot of uncertainty about current challenges and possibilities of the scholarly communication system, like new business models, the role of established players, funding schemes, quality and integrity of information, intellectual property, or life cycle and preservation of digital objects. Those issues are often discussed fiercely and emotionally, and there seems to be little interaction and knowledge exchange between the different players of the scholarly communication system, like librarians, publishing houses, university presses, scientists, funders and policy makers.

BackgroundThe significance of mobile health (mHealth) apps transforms traditional health care delivery and enables individuals to actively manage their health. The success and effectiveness of mHealth apps heavily depend on the user experience and satisfaction. Previous studies have examined mHealth adoption through systematic literature reviews, focusing on mental health, chronic disease management, fitness, and public health responses to crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the state of research, the key trends, themes, and gaps in the user experience and satisfaction with mHealth apps remain unexplored.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the state of research on user experience in mHealth apps through a bibliometric analysis. Furthermore, the study aims to systematically identify research trends and themes by extending the analysis of the science mapping technique, co-word analysis, and bibliographic coupling.MethodsThe bibliographic data corpus was collected from Scopus and Web of Science and systematically analyzed using bibliometric performance analysis and science mapping techniques. The methodology incorporates various data processing and visualization tools, including VOS Viewer, OriginLab, and SiteSpace. Then, a comprehensive review metric, combining the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework and a 4-step approach from data collection to interpretation is used.ResultsThe bibliographic analysis spans 16 years and includes 814 unique publications authored by 4870 researchers from 81 countries and 1948 organizations, published across 351 high-impact journals and prominent conferences. The analysis of research trends identifies 2 key trends: the differentiation in keyword usage for user experience and user satisfaction, and the research methodologies used within the domain. Furthermore, 5 research themes were identified exploring critical aspects of technology use, user engagement, and clinical integration. Although all 5 themes overlap, each theme focuses on distinct elements that help delineate their contributions to the overall understanding of mHealth apps: technological evaluation (Theme 1), design features for engagement (Theme 2), patient usability (Theme 3), long-term engagement factors (Theme 4), and clinical integration (Theme 5).ConclusionsThis study offers a fundamental understanding of the bibliographic landscape of research on user experience and satisfaction with mHealth apps. By identifying major research clusters, influential works, and emerging topics, this analysis provides evidence-based guidance for researchers, developers, and health informatics practitioners. Furthermore, based on the research trends findings, future research should prioritize expanding the scope of user experience (UX) evaluation by incorporating diverse user populations, longitudinal studies, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and personalized interventions. Integrating insights from interdisciplinary perspectives such as human-computer interaction, behavioral sciences, and health care informatics, the understanding of user needs and app effectiveness can be enhanced. A more standardized framework for assessing UX in mHealth apps is also recommended to facilitate comparability across studies and improve app design to maximize user engagement and health outcomes.

Managers involved in business model innovation (BMI) encounter a series of cognitive challenges. Although cognition research provides important insights into how visual tools can reduce cognitive challenges, it does not address the effective design of business model tools. To advance our understanding in this area, this research applies a cognition‐centered perspective to analyze different visual business model representations. It builds upon a systematic literature review that identifies a selection of 45 visual representations from the academic literature and a sample of 50 visualizations from outside the academic realm. A content analysis of the sample reveals that all visual business model representations can be classified into three complementary categories, leading to a novel framework for distinguishing business model understandings. After assigning each visual representation to the framework, we use findings from the cognition literature to derive recommendations on how to select suitable graphic forms for different phases of the BMI process. Thus, this research contributes to the broader understanding of how visual tools can support business model innovation at a cognitive level.

Over the last decade the fields of knowledge management and organizational learning have developed rapidly, showing increasing diversity and specialization in the academic literature. Ikujiro Nonaka has played a leading role in setting standards and earning academic legitimacy for the emergent field of “organizational knowledge management” (Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2003). In the period 1995-2001, the book The Knowledge-Creating Company (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995) was the most-cited knowledge management work from academic literature (Koenig & Srikantaiah, 2004). Interestingly, in this book and in following works, the authors themselves prefer to use the term “knowledge creation” rather than “knowledge management,” later also dropping the term “organizational” from the initial proposition. Easterby-Smith and Lyles also state (2003, pp. 642-643) that in the field of organizational learning and knowledge management, among the topics of articles published in the last two years, “learning capabilities, experience, and absorptive capacity” is the largest category, including several articles that assess the impact of learning on performance. Seeming to be frequently interrelated, “organizational learning and knowledge management across boundaries,” “knowledge creation and transfer,” and “human resource management and human capital” are the next largest categories for articles. Communities of practice, socio-political processes, and the development of tacit knowledge or social identity are among the other topics frequently addressed in the literature, categorized in terms of “cognition, socio-political aspects, and tacitness.” Using the extant and emerging perspectives in knowledge management, organizational learning, and communities of practice literature, in the following sections of this short article, we will first discuss the importance of specific-general knowledge, and context for knowledge creation and management. Then we will introduce the conceptualization of “specific” and “general” knowledge interactions, and discuss a framework that proposes these interactions as contextual knowledge conversions for learning and practice. The following section will aim to contribute to the representation of our knowledge on these contextual knowledge interactions, using visualization tools like geometric figures. We will conclude our discussion by highlighting future research possibilities in the relevant research fields.

Over the last decade the fields of knowledge management and organizational learning have developed rapidly, showing increasing diversity and specialization in the academic literature. Ikujiro Nonaka has played a leading role in setting standards and earning academic legitimacy for the emergent field of “organizational knowledge management” (Easterby-Smith & Lyles, 2003). In the period 1995-2001, the book The Knowledge-Creating Company (Nonaka & Takeuchi 1995) was the most-cited knowledge management work from academic literature (Koenig & Srikantaiah, 2004). Interestingly, in this book and in following works, the authors themselves prefer to use the term “knowledge creation” rather than “knowledge management,” later also dropping the term “organizational” from the initial proposition. Easterby-Smith and Lyles also state (2003, pp. 642-643) that in the field of organizational learning and knowledge management, among the topics of articles published in the last two years, “learning capabilities, experience, and absorptive capacity” is the largest category, including several articles that assess the impact of learning on performance. Seeming to be frequently interrelated, “organizational learning and knowledge management across boundaries,” “knowledge creation and transfer,” and “human resource management and human capital” are the next largest categories for articles. Communities of practice, socio-political processes, and the development of tacit knowledge or social identity are among the other topics frequently addressed in the literature, categorized in terms of “cognition, socio-political aspects, and tacitness.” Using the extant and emerging perspectives in knowledge management, organizational learning, and communities of practice literature, in the following sections of this short article, we will first discuss the importance of specific-general knowledge, and context for knowledge creation and management. Then we will introduce the conceptualization of “specific” and “general” knowledge interactions, and discuss a framework that proposes these interactions as contextual knowledge conversions for learning and practice. The following section will aim to contribute to the representation of our knowledge on these contextual knowledge interactions, using visualization tools like geometric figures. We will conclude our discussion by highlighting future research possibilities in the relevant research fields.

Health literacy now stands as a cornerstone for lifelong well-being, yet most educational initiatives focus on adolescents or adults, neglecting the formative primary school years when foundational attitudes and habits form. This study addresses that gap by proposing a pedagogical model for introducing health literacy to children aged 6–12, with the goal of developing basic scientific understanding, health awareness, and responsible decision-making from an early age. The research draws on interdisciplinary perspectives from health science education, child psychology, and communication theory, underscoring the urgency of early intervention to reduce long-term health inequalities. A mixed qualitative–quantitative approach was used, combining content analysis of 45 peer-reviewed publications and policy reports with thematic synthesis of case studies and pilot programs from diverse educational contexts. Data analysis identified key competencies, effective pedagogical strategies, and barriers to implementation. The results highlight three main lines of work: (1) integration of age-appropriate health topics—hygiene, nutrition, body awareness, emotional well-being, and responsible use of healthcare services—into existing curricula; (2) adoption of innovative teaching methods such as storytelling, interactive games, role-play, and visual learning tools to make complex health concepts accessible; and (3) promotion of collaboration between educators, healthcare professionals, and families to reinforce learning in both school and home environments. The findings show that structured, engaging, and contextually adapted health literacy education at the primary level can lay the foundation for informed, health-conscious future citizens. The conclusions of the paper discuss implications for policy, curriculum design, and sustainable cross-sector partnerships.

This British Accounting & Finance Association (BAFA) distinguished academic 2020 plenary address marries the researcher's two main research areas – financial reporting and corporate governance. Like Vivien Beattie (BAFA 2011 distinguished academic), the researcher commenced in the positivist tradition but was increasingly drawn to more qualitative, interdisciplinary perspectives, influencing the paper's positioning.“Accounting choice”, “income smoothing”, “earnings management”, and “earnings manipulation” are terms frequently used in the academic literature. This paper reviews these terms, highlighting the resonances and dissonances between them, and attempts to reconcile varied perspectives in the prior literature. The paper critiques taken-for-granted assumptions underlying this stream of research. The paper then examines prior earnings management research using alternative methodologies to deepen understanding of the four terms in praxis (best practice in practice). The paper reviews prior research on boards of directors using alternative methodologies to those adopted in mainstream corporate governance research, to provide a menu of opportunities to research earnings management inside the “black box” of the boardroom, including proposed research questions for future research. The paper concludes by considering the implications for policymakers and standard setters.

Globalization has challenged the role of borders in society, sparking interdisciplinary interest in the social reconstruction of the lines dividing the world’s population from one another. Border theorists have proposed that a few key factors promote cross-border integration: cross border policy-making, market forces, political clout, and culture [Brunet-Jailly, E. 2005. Theorizing Borders: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Geopolitics 10, no. 4: 633–49]. Perhaps because it is the least tangible and therefore most difficult to assess, the role of culture in shaping border phenomena has been the least elucidated. Our objective is to shed light on the operation of culture in borderland integration with a case study of cannabis law convergence in Cascadia, a region spanning the Canadian province of British Columbia and the American states of Washington and Oregon. Through an examination of both grey and academic literature, we explore the extent to which shared culture across the border may have driven legalization of recreational cannabis, effective in each jurisdiction between 2012 and 2018.

This research aims to develop a conceptual framework to explain the role of gastronomic identity in destination identity, tourist experience, and destination branding processes. Despite the increasing number of empirical studies, there is no integrative conceptual model in the literature that relates tourist experience to destination image and explains gastronomic identity as a strategic resource. The study employed the document analysis technique from qualitative research methods; current literature, academic publications, and theoretical approaches related to the subject were systematically examined. Accordingly, national and international academic publications addressing the relationship between gastronomy, gastronomic identity, and tourism were systematically scanned, and the data obtained were analyzed using thematic analysis methods. Within the scope of the study, gastronomic identity was defined as a unique structure nourished by local production methods, geographical indications, and cultural rituals. It was emphasized that this structure is an irreplaceable strategic resource for destinations. As a result of the research, a model based on the hierarchy “Gastronomic Identity ➔ Tourist Experience ➔ Destination Image” was proposed to address the theoretical gaps in the literature. This model explains how gastronomic resources are transformed into tangible outputs (brand loyalty and preference) through processes (branding and experience design). Prepared from an interdisciplinary perspective, this study reveals that gastronomic identity is not only a marketing tool but also a chain benefit element for cultural sustainability and local development. The study is considered to offer a unique contribution to the literature, particularly given the limited number of theoretical models that address gastronomic identity in a holistic manner, and is expected to provide a theoretical foundation for future empirical research conducted specifically on destinations. Key Words: Gastronomy, Gastronomic identity, Tourism, Experience Economy, Destination image JEL Classification: L83, M31, Z10

The digital transformation of financial reporting has emerged as a critical paradigm shift in corporate accounting, driven by the revolutionary technologies of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain. This qualitative research employs a comprehensive literature review methodology to examine how these emerging technologies are fundamentally reshaping transparency, efficiency, and reliability in corporate financial reporting processes. Through systematic analysis of peer-reviewed journals, academic publications, and industry reports published within the last five years, the study explores the multifaceted implications of digital technologies on accounting practices. The research investigates the transformative potential of AI and Blockchain in addressing traditional challenges such as data integrity, real-time reporting, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance. By synthesizing insights from interdisciplinary perspectives, including accounting, computer science, and organizational management, this study reveals how these technologies are creating unprecedented opportunities for enhanced financial transparency and operational efficiency. Key findings demonstrate that AI-powered algorithms can significantly improve financial data analysis, predictive modeling, and risk assessment, while Blockchain technology offers immutable, decentralized record-keeping that minimizes manipulation and increases trust. Moreover, the study critically examines the implementation challenges, technological infrastructure requirements, and potential organizational resistance to these digital innovations. The research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the strategic integration of AI and Blockchain in financial reporting, offering valuable insights for corporate leaders, accounting professionals, and policymakers seeking to navigate the evolving digital landscape of corporate financial management.

The pace of scholarly research and academic publication in fields of Judaica has quickened dramatically in the second half of the twentieth century. The major consumers and producers of this new scholarship are found in Jewish Studies programs that have proliferated at institutions of higher learning around the world since the 1960s. From the vantage point of the nineties, it is difficult to fathom that until thirty years ago, Jewish studies courses were mainly limited to a few elite universities, rabbinical seminaries, and Hebrew teachers' colleges. Today there are few colleges at public or private insitutions of higher learning that do not sponsor at least some courses on aspects of Jewish study. In light of this explosion of research on Jewish topics, non-specialists and educators can benefit from guidance through the thicket of new monographs, source anthologies, textbooks and scholarly essays. The Modern Jewish Experience, the result of a multi-year collaboration between the International Center for the University Teaching of Jewish Civilization and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, offers just such guidance on a range of issues pertaining to modern Jewish history, culture, religion, and society. With contributions from two dozen leading scholars, The Modern Jewish Experience presents practical information and guidelines intended to expand the teaching repertoire for undergraduate courses on modern Jewish life, as well as a means for college professors to enrich and diversify their courses with discussions on otherwise neglected Jewish communities, social and political issues, religious and ideological movements, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Sample syllabi are also included for survey courses set in diverse linguistic settings. An indispensible resource for undergraduate instruction, this volume may also be used to great profit by educators of adults in synagogue and Jewish communal settings, as well as by individual students engaged in private study.