Collection Of Research Papers Research Articles

Challenges of successful reform: an international perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review a collection of research papers concerned with challenges commonly faced when initiating, implementing and evaluating the results of reform in an international context.Design/methodology/approachA review of the literature on reform, mainly in the public sector, was undertaken.FindingsReform, in particular within the public sector, has been undertaken in many countries and has proved to be challenging and difficult to manage. The challenges involved in managing reform, as experienced by Western as well as developing economies, have many aspects in common. These include the need to pay attention to appropriate structure, relevant skills and competencies, legislative support, appropriate behaviour and attitudes, and most importantly a visionary leadership.Originality/valueThe reform experiences and concepts documented and reviewed in these papers are original in nature and offer value to scholars, researchers and students of public administration, government, as well as reform policy makers and practitioners.

Preface

The Sixth Hutton Symposium on the Origin of Granites and Related Rocks was held on July 2–6, 2007 at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, founded on granite, nestled at the feet of towering mountains and fringed by the rolling winelands of the Western Cape. This Special Issue opens with Master’s historical account of how the Cape granites influenced 18th and early 19th century thinking on the origins of these rocks. The fascinating fact is that the granites of the Western Cape were apparently the first intrusive granites recognised outside Britain. The balance of the volume contains a collection of research papers derived from the meeting and illustrates some of the important directions in which granite research may be evolving. One of the characteristics of the papers and talks presented at the meeting was that there seemed to be some shift in interest, away from the crust as a source of granitic magmas and towards mantle rocks that have been metasomatised by subduction-zone fluids or melts. Nevertheless, the crust still holds pride of place as the cradle of granite genesis.

D. M. Shaw 2006. Trace Elements in Magmas. A Theoretical Treatment. xii + 243 pp. Cambridge, New York, Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Price £60.00, US$110.00 (hard covers). ISBN 0 521 82214 9.

The quantitative modelling of trace element behaviour in magmatic systems is now one of the key tools employed by petrologists and geochemists in the understanding of the formation and evolution of magmatic rocks and their residues. The approach is all the more meaningful today due to the proliferation of high quality trace element data produced from ICPMS instruments together with more widely available partitioning data and an enhanced understanding of the factors that govern solid–melt partitioning. While many texts on geochemistry or petrology cover aspects of the theory presented here, none covers it as comprehensively, apart from volumes that are collections of research papers in which the information is far less accessible to the junior researcher. To this extent, the book fills a hole in the market. The text of the book is …

Introduction to the Special Issue on Agent-Based Models for Economic Policy Advice

Summary This special issue of the Journal of Economics and Statistics is devoted to the use of agent-based models for economic policy advice. It presents a collection of research papers in different fields of applications. Special emphasis is laid on discussing the potential and possible limitations of agent-based models for economic policy advice. The editorial provides an overview on the role of agent-based modeling in economic policy referring also to the papers presented. Furthermore, it highlights the strength of the approach, i.e., the explicit microfoundation and the modeling of heterogenous agents. Finally, we also report on current limitations of the method with regard to economic policy advice and point at some areas deserving further research.

Comparative Review of Research on Environmental Impacts of Tourism in English and Chinese Literatures

China is experiencing an increasingly high level of recreation and tourism use of its environments but only limited studies of the environmental impacts of tourism have been published. This paper is based upon a collection of research papers on the environmental impacts of tourism in English and Chinese, especially research on carrying capacity and the physical impacts of tourism. The paper compares the characteristics of research in English and Chinese literatures. It shows that China lags behind the western world in this research field. Chinese researchers need to: (1) be more critical of the feasibility of carrying capacity applications; (2) introduce new technologies in their research on vegetation and soil; (3) know more about the buffering effects of different kinds of tourist trails such as boardwalks, concrete trails, cross-tie trails, cobble trails and so on; (4) try to shed light on possible positive impacts of tourism; and (5) pay more attention to the protection of environmentally sensitive areas. The paper also discusses the dilemmas of research on carrying capacity and environmental impacts.

Arctic tourism: a complex system of visitors, communities, and environments

This issue of Polar Geography represents a collection of research papers compiled as a result of the 2006 Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG) Annual Meeting in Thunder Bay, Ontario (29 May to...

Preface to the Special Issue on Climate-Chemistry Interactions: Atmospheric Ozone, Aerosols, and Clouds over East Asia

I Atmospheric radiatively-important chemical constituents (e.g., O3 and aerosols) are important to maintain the radiation balance of the Earth-atmosphere climate system, and changes in their concentration due to both natural causes and anthropogenic activities will induce climate changes. The distribution of these constituents is sensitive to the state of the climate (e.g., temperature, moisture, wind, and clouds). Therefore, rises in atmospheric temperature and water vapor, and changes in circulation and clouds in global warming can directly affect atmospheric chemistry with subsequent implications for these constituents. Although many coupling mechanisms are identified, the net effect of all these impacts on climate change is not well understood. In particular, changes in water vapor and clouds associated with the hydrologic cycle contain significant uncertainties. In 1997, a collaborative project with participating scientists from Taiwan, China, Norway, and the United States was initiated to study the “East Asian Climate and Environment (EACE)”. In addition to regular workshop, special journal issues were arranged to document research findings; for example, a collection of research papers concerning aircraft activities was published in the Journal of Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in March 2001. The most recent workshop was the Sixth EACE meeting entitled “Climate-Chemistry Interaction: Importance of Atmospheric Circulation and Water Vapor”, held 19 21 September 2005 in Shanghai. The purpose of this special section is to document findings on topics and issues closely relevant to the climate and environment over East Asia, such as: transport of dust particles, radiative effect of clouds, and changes of atmospheric ozone, cirrus-contrails, and water vapor.

Proving the point

NHS cutbacks mean it is even more important to evaluate the relationship between staffing levels and patient outcomes.

2004 Physics Education Research Conference: Sacramento, California, 4-5 August 2004

The 2004 Physics Education Research (PER) Conference brought together researchers in how we teach physics and how it is learned. Student understanding of concepts, the efficacy of different pedagogical techniques, and the importance of student attitudes toward physics and knowledge were all discussed. These Proceedings capture an important snapshot of the PER community, containing an incredibly broad collection of research papers of work in progress.

Children in Our Midst: Voices of Farmworkers' Children by Irene McCartney

Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 14 No. 2 (2004) ISSN: 1546-2250 Children in Our Midst: Voices of Farmworkers' Children McCartney, Irene (2000). Harare: Save The Children (UK)/Weaver Press; 160 pages. $14.95. ISBN 0797420754. In our efforts to understand the contested world of child labor, it is refreshing to be able to take a close look at the lives of working children in particular contexts, and to hear what the children have to say about their work. In these two new books from Zimbabwe, Earning a Life: Working Children in Zimbabwe and Children in Our Midst: Voices of Farmworkers’ Children, Weaver Press (in association with Save The Children UK and Redd Barna) has done an admirable job of bringing together child-centered research and even-handed analysis of the issues. Children in Our Midst is a rich ethnographic resource, beautifully organized and designed. Over 850 children from several farm working community schools in rural Zimbabwe participated in their search project to speak on a range of issues that affect them. Statements from the children are edited and arranged under thematic headings, with editor’s notes in the margins drawing the reader’s attention to key points in the children’s comments. The chapters, composed entirely of the children’s written or recorded statements, cover many aspects of the children’s lives, including their sense of self (“I am a child”), families, homes, work experience, school, customs and play (“Sometimes we have fun”). While the text is balanced with the voices of several optimistic and resilient kids, many of the testimonies describe a very harsh life, with difficult labor, unwanted pregnancies, the death of loved ones from AIDS, hunger and beatings for common transgressions such as stealing food. The words of the orphans are heartbreaking, such as this comment from Vengai Madya, age 295 14: “I sometimes think that if my mother was alive, I would be happy and I would have clothes” (McCartney, 32). The reflective introductory essay by SCF Zimbabwe Director Chris McIvor offers candid criticism of development practice that pays insufficient attention to children’s agency. He makes a strong case for children’s participation, describing the ways that charitable project soften proceed without sufficiently consulting with the beneficiaries of aid, resulting in negative impacts on communities. He raises yet again questions asked by advocates of participatory research for several years now, which bear repeating: “How did we interact with the people in these villages? How many of our project staff understood the language of the communities in which we were located? Did we take time to listen to their perceptions and views?” (McCartney, xiii). If working children were more visible and respected as workers, then forestry officers might speak to groups of children who have the job of collecting firewood, and water engineers might consult with the young people who collect the household water to ask where they should site a well or what type of equipment would be best. Agricultural advisors would focus agro-ecological education efforts on children and adolescents as well as their parents. Unfortunately that is rarely the case in East Africa, although it is more common is other contexts such as in Latin America. This is not simply a book that publishes the opinions of working children. It is a book that challenges our Western assumptions about healthy childhood. It paints vivid pictures of what it is like to grow up on commercial farms in Zimbabwe, with work responsibilities from a very young age integrated into education and upbringing, as a legitimate aspect of the local traditions. “The concept of childhood, “suggests McIvor, “is not only a luxury that few other cultures can afford, but is also something that local tradition implicitly rejects”(McCartney, xvi). In Earning a Life, Michael Bourdillon also takes up this theme. Speaking to those who would promote the Western concept of 296 work-free childhood as universal, he suggests that “perhaps it is time to turn the argument on its head and say openly that a ban on child labour [sic] inhibits the proper socialization of children”(Bourdillon, 7). In this useful collection of research papers, editor Bourdillon establishes a balanced, child-centered perspective, demonstrating...

Children in Our Midst: Voices of Farmworkers' Children

Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 14 No. 2 (2004) ISSN: 1546-2250 Children in Our Midst: Voices of Farmworkers' Children McCartney, Irene (2000). Harare: Save The Children (UK)/Weaver Press; 160 pages. $14.95. ISBN 0797420754. In our efforts to understand the contested world of child labor, it is refreshing to be able to take a close look at the lives of working children in particular contexts, and to hear what the children have to say about their work. In these two new books from Zimbabwe, Earning a Life: Working Children in Zimbabwe and Children in Our Midst: Voices of Farmworkers’ Children, Weaver Press (in association with Save The Children UK and Redd Barna) has done an admirable job of bringing together child-centered research and even-handed analysis of the issues. Children in Our Midst is a rich ethnographic resource, beautifully organized and designed. Over 850 children from several farm working community schools in rural Zimbabwe participated in there search project to speak on a range of issues that affect them. Statements from the children are edited and arranged under thematic headings, with editor’s notes in the margins drawing the reader’s attention to key points in the children’s comments. The chapters, composed entirely of the children’s written or recorded statements, cover many aspects of the children’s lives, including their sense of self (“I am a child”), families, homes, work experience, school, customs and play (“Sometimes we have fun”). While the text is balanced with the voices of several optimistic and resilient kids, many of the testimonies describe a very harsh life, with difficult labor, unwanted pregnancies, the death of loved ones from AIDS, hunger and beatings for common transgressions such as stealing food. The words of the orphans are heartbreaking, such as this comment from Vengai Madya, age 189 14: “I sometimes think that if my mother was alive, I would be happy and I would have clothes” (McCartney, 32). The reflective introductory essay by SCF Zimbabwe Director Chris McIvor offers candid criticism of development practice that pays insufficient attention to children’s agency. He makes a strong case for children’s participation, describing the ways that charitable project soften proceed without sufficiently consulting with the beneficiaries of aid, resulting in negative impacts on communities. He raises yet again questions asked by advocates of participatory research for several years now, which bear repeating: “How did we interact with the people in these villages? How many of our project staff understood the language of the communities in which we were located? Did we take time to listen to their perceptions and views?” (McCartney, xiii). If working children were more visible and respected as workers, then forestry officers might speak to groups of children who have the job of collecting firewood, and water engineers might consult with the young people who collect the household water to ask where they should site a well or what type of equipment would be best. Agricultural advisors would focus agro-ecological education efforts on children and adolescents as well as their parents. Unfortunately that is rarely the case in East Africa, although it is more common is other contexts such as in Latin America. This is not simply a book that publishes the opinions of working children. It is a book that challenges our Western assumptions about healthy childhood. It paints vivid pictures of what it is like to grow up on commercial farms in Zimbabwe, with work responsibilities from a very young age integrated into education and upbringing, as a legitimate aspect of the local traditions. “The concept of childhood, “suggests McIvor, “is not only a luxury that few other cultures can afford, but is also something that local tradition implicitly rejects”(McCartney, xvi). In Earning a Life, Michael Bourdillon also takes up this theme. Speaking to those who would promote the Western concept of 190 work-free childhood as universal, he suggests that “perhaps it is time to turn the argument on its head and say openly that a ban on child labour [sic] inhibits the proper socialization of children”(Bourdillon, 7). In this useful collection of research papers, editor Bourdillon establishes a balanced, child-centered perspective, demonstrating...

Books, Bytes, Bricks and Bodies

SUMMARY This article builds on Professor Penny Hazelton's examination of “how much of your collection is really available on Lexis and Westlaw?” While Hazelton examined the question from the perspective of space occupied, Professor Chiorazzi looks at the question from the perspective of collection use. Using the economic theory called the Pareto Principle, Chiorazzi argues that over 80% of the use of all legal materials is accounted for by the 20% of all legal materials that are available online. This has significant implications for law librarians seeking to expand or build new facilities. The legal research environment has changed to a point where most research can in fact be done online and large research paper collections may become harder to defend against administrators using potentially shortsighted cost-benefit analyses while making library budgeting decisions.

Mathematical Methods of Regular Dynamics (Kowalevski Workshop)

Mathematical Methods of Regular Dynamics (Kowalevski Workshop)

Using citations to facilitate precise indexing and automatic index creation in collections of research papers

We describe Rosetta, a digital library system for scientific literature. Rosetta makes it easy for people to find the information for which they are looking even when using short, imprecise queries. Rosetta indexes research articles based on the way they have been described when cited in other documents. The concise descriptions that occur in citations are similar to the short queries people typically form when searching; therefore, citations may make a better basis for indexing than do the words used within a research article itself. Using this indexing technique we are able to provide a user interface that presents users with an automatically generated directory of the information space surrounding a query. Our objective with this interface is to present people with the information for which they have asked as well as the information for which they may have intended to ask.

Uncertainty Management in Information Systems: From Needs to Solutions

From the Publisher: As the subtitle, From Needs to Solutions, indicates, this book presents viewpoints of information systems experts on the needs that challenge the uncertainty capabilities of present information systems, and it provides a forum to researchers in uncertainty modeling to describe models and systems that can address these needs. Hence, this book is not a collection of research papers, in which researchers describe their latest research projects; such collections, as excellent as they may be, do not necessarily cover an area methodically, and individual papers are often inaccessible to nonexperts. Rather, we began by outlining the structure of a book that will cover the entire spectrum of uncertainty modeling in information systems, and then requested leading experts to write authoritative tutorials and surveys that would fit the outline.

Review of Expert Systems: Techniques, Tools, and Applications

This book is a collection of research papers covering a range of topics in expert systems and knowledge engineering.

Health effects of video display terminals. Council on Scientific Affairs

About 15 million video display terminals are in use in the United States, and their numbers will continue to swell. Much concern has been raised by their users about possible adverse health effects. The extensive collection of research papers and state-of-the-art reports on this subject are reviewed in this article.

The "Liposome" Letters

There's so much going on in biology that a great deal escapes the notice of even the best-read science teacher. Not only does the information keep piling up, but the techniques available to researchers also multiply. Take, for example, liposomes and the techniques for making them. Until a few months ago, I was only vaguely aware of the existence of vesicles composed of lipid bilayers. Then I read essay on liposomes by Gerald Weissmann (1985) in his book, The Woods Hole Cantata. He describes how Alec Bangham taught him to make liposomes at Cambridge during a summer in the 1960s. Weissmann terms this experience an interlude of pure joy. If he could get that excited about little lipid spheres, I figured they might be worth a little investigation, the results of which follow. Weissmann gives a reference for a book edited by Bangham (1983) called Liposome Letters. This is a curious volume, very unlike the usual rather dry collection of research papers. It seems that Bangham was to retire on November 10, 1982. In anticipation of this date, he wrote to 50 scientists who were involved in liposome many of whom, like Weissman, had visited his lab. Since he felt that too much of our published scientific writing was stereotype, banal, platitudinous and devoid of all sensibility to the fabric of life in scientific research, he asked his correspondents to write him informal letter, a poem or a witty verse, anything they desired, @providing it was not libellous. He wanted them to describe anecdote, observation, hypothesis or comment about liposomes, these delightful little objects. A couple of researchers did contribute poems, though of doubtful literary value:

J. L. Margrave (Ed.): Modern High Temperature Science, A Collection of Research Papers from Scientists, Post‐Doctoral Associates, and Colleagues of Professor Leo Brewer in celebration of his 65th birthday. Vol. 17 aus der Reihe: High Temperature Science, Humana Press, Clifton, New Jersey 1984. 462 Seiten, Preis: £ 95.‐.

Berichte der Bunsengesellschaft für physikalische ChemieVolume 89, Issue 9 p. 1019-1019 Buchbesprechung J. L. Margrave (Ed.): Modern High Temperature Science, A Collection of Research Papers from Scientists, Post-Doctoral Associates, and Colleagues of Professor Leo Brewer in celebration of his 65th birthday. Vol. 17 aus der Reihe: High Temperature Science, Humana Press, Clifton, New Jersey 1984. 462 Seiten, Preis: £ 95.-. H. Schmalzried, H. SchmalzriedSearch for more papers by this author H. Schmalzried, H. SchmalzriedSearch for more papers by this author First published: September 1985 https://doi.org/10.1002/bbpc.19850890920AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume89, Issue9September 1985Pages 1019-1019 RelatedInformation

Findings for public health from meta-analyses.

The increased production of meta-analyses in health and medicine provides an opportunity to review the contributions of that relatively new method to the field of public health. Defining meta-analysis broadly, we can say that it uses the results of collections of research papers to answer specific questions, usually in a quantitative manner. Although a meta-analysis might contribute to a paper reviewing an area, review papers are ordinarily broader in scope than meta-analyses.