Digital Research Tools Research Articles

Journal club as a teaching–learning strategy: a case for plant genetics lectures during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for both students and educators, particularly because of the virtualization of classes and the consequent lack of practical sessions following the closure of laboratories and experimental fields in universities. The absence of interaction among students and practical classes led to a diminished interest in studies, as students found it difficult to connect theoretical knowledge with practical application. This study explores the implementation of a Journal Club (JC) as a collaborative-metacognitive use of the science literature teaching approach (CMSLTA) to enhance theoretical and practical knowledge through the reading and discussion of scientific literature in an e-learning environment. In this approach, students read scientific articles, write essays, and engage in group discussions. The methodology was applied over two consecutive academic semesters in 2021 and 2022 within plant genetics courses. Academic achievement was evaluated through essay assessments, and surveys were conducted at the end of each semester. The results revealed notable progress in student grades throughout the semester, with over 80% of participants endorsing JC implementation and recognizing its relevance to their education. The Journal Club facilitated the integration of theoretical knowledge covered in lectures and equipped students with various digital research tools.

EXERCISES FOR DEVELOPING CRITICAL AND DIGITAL THINKING IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The article explores the interplay between critical thinking and digital literacy in today's technology-driven society. This article explores various exercises designed to enhance critical and digital thinking skills in the context of teaching foreign languages. It emphasizes the integration of language learning with digital literacy, presenting activities for developing critical thinking such as source evaluation, comparative analysis, digital footprint assessment, online discussion evaluation, ethical considerations, digital content analysis, online research and presentation tools to produce their project, reflective blogging, virtual debate. Additionally, it highlights the importance of engaging in digital scavenger hunt, evaluating online language tools, creating digital content, online discussion forums, web-based language projects, analyzing digital media, digital storytelling, online forums for better digital communication and project-based learning for collaboration based on digital thinking.

Spurring or Blurring Professional Standards? The Role of Digital Technology in Implementing Journalistic Role Ideals in Contemporary Newsrooms

This study examines the perceived relevance and implementation of competing normative ideals in journalism in times of increasing use of digital technology in newsrooms. Based on survey and content analysis data from 37 countries, we found a small positive relationship between the use of digital research tools and “watchdog” performance. However, a stronger and negative relationship emerged between the use of digital audience analytics and the performance of “watchdog” and “civic” roles, leading to an overall increase in conception–performance gaps on both roles. Moreover, journalists’ use of digital community tools was more strongly and positively associated with “infotainment” and “interventionism.”

Le numérique et l'infectiologie — Livre blanc du groupe d'infectiologie digitale de la société de pathologie infectieuse de langue française

IntroductionDigital health is rapidly developing and supporting the transition to personalized medicine. Implementing digital tools in clinical practice requires multidisciplinary work. In this context, the "Société de Pathologie Infectieuse de Langue Française" has launched the "Groupe d'Infectiologie Digitale" (GID) in 2022. Its aim was to present the specifics of digital infectiology and to identify strategic opportunities. MethodsThe GID met quarterly for a year and a half, with closer meetings for each sub-group. A white paper was drafted. ResultsInfectiology is a transversal specialty integrating multimodal and multiscale data, which benefits from the development of digital tools for care, research and education. After a few definitions, the specificities of infectiology are highlighted, such as epidemics and pathogen emergence, the importance of the community-hospital link, illiteracy among some patients, and confidentiality issues in the context of transmissible diseases. Strategic use cases and points for attention are presented to support the development of digital tools in infectiology. The challenges and limits associated with secondary data reuse and the development of artificial intelligence are highlighted. Finally, we explore potential uses of digital tools in education. ConclusionIt is essential to bridge the gap between medical practice, patients, digital experts and institutions in this rapidly expanding field. The development of similar initiatives at national and European levels would combine efforts to develop validated and useful tools for patients.

The Periodical Poetry Index, Version 2.0

Abstract This article describes the latest iteration of the Periodical Poetry Index, an open-access database that reveals the variety and complexity of nineteenth-century periodical poetry and its material presentation on the printed page. The project design, data ontology, and indexing methodology follow a sociohistorical model of the literary text and represent the distinctive features of each periodical printing of a given poem. The database foregrounds this publication context by indexing information about the arrangement of poems within and across periodical issues, variations in contributor signature, and the appearance of different languages, paratextual elements, typography, and page design. This article situates the project in the heritage of periodical studies and demonstrates the importance of new digital tools for research.

Complex Philosophical Oeuvre and Its Complex User Community: Reflections on the Past, Present, and Future Digitisation of Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Writings


 
 
 This paper reports the results of a user survey conducted by the Wittgenstein Archives at the University of Bergen (WAB) concerning some of the digital research tools and resources it has developed over the past three decades. The authors’ analysis of the survey results is embedded within a broader discussion of the nature and history of the digitisation of Wittgenstein’s philosophical writings. It is argued that the special nature of both Wittgenstein’s philosophy—especially the later Wittgenstein’s conceptions of meaning, concepts, and philosophy itself—and its primary material sources (Wittgenstein’s “Nachlass”) inherently call for a variety of advanced digital tools and resources; for instance, a digital interactive edition of his works, such as WAB’s Wittgenstein IDP: The Nachlass in Interactive Dynamic Presentation, to complement static ones such as traditional print editions and other, non-interactive digital editions. For similar reasons, the authors argue, WAB’s ongoing and future development of digital tools and resources for the study of Wittgenstein’s philosophy must be closely coordinated with the evolving needs of WAB’s large and diverse user community.
 
 

Quantitative Characterization of Pore Structure of Carbonate Rocks Based on Micron-CT Technique and Its Seepage Simulation

Micron-CT technology can make up for many shortcomings of traditional rock physics experiments and provide a new platform for rock physics research. In this paper, a 3D digital core model with realistic pore structure characteristics was established using micron-CT scanning combined with advanced image processing techniques with carbonate rocks as the research object. Various morphological algorithms included in the digital core software (Avizo) are applied to quantify and characterize the pore structure of digital cores, and obtain the characteristics of total porosity, effective porosity, pore and throat equivalent radius distribution, and establish an equivalent pore network model. The absolute permeability experiment module was applied in the digital core software (Avizo) to realize the simulation of seepage on the micron scale and calculate the absolute permeability. This paper enriches the existing digital petrophysical research tools by applying digital core software (Avizo), which is of great significance to deepen the understanding of hydrocarbon storage and transport mechanisms inside the reservoir.

Digital Ethnography? Our Experiences in the Use of SenseMaker for Understanding Gendered Climate Vulnerabilities amongst Marginalized Agrarian Communities

Digital innovations and interventions can potentially revolutionize agri-food systems, especially in coping with climate challenges. On a similar note, digital research tools and methods are increasingly popular for the efficient collection and analysis of real-time, large-scale data. It is claimed that these methods can also minimize subjective biases that are prevalent in traditional qualitative research. However, given the digital divide, especially affecting women and marginalized communities, these innovations could potentially introduce further disparities. To assess these contradictions, we piloted SenseMaker, a digital ethnography tool designed to capture individual, embodied experiences, biases, and perceptions to map vulnerabilities and resilience to climate impacts in the Gaya District in Bihar. Our research shows that this digital tool allows for a systematic co-design of the research framework, allows for the collection of large volumes of data in a relatively short time, and a co-analysis of the research data by the researchers and the researched. This process allowed us to map and capture the complexities of intersectional inequalities in relation to climate change vulnerability. However, we also noted that the application of the tool is influenced by the prior exposure to technology (digital devices) of both the enumerators and researched groups and requires significant resources when implemented in contexts where there is a need to translate the data from local dialects and languages to more dominant languages (English). Most importantly, perceptions, positionalities, and biases of researchers can significantly impact the design of the tool’s signification framework, reiterating the fact that researcher bias persists regardless of technological innovations in research methodology.

Empty Homes and Dead Goat Bones on Xiji Yu: Field notes of a cultural landscape and co-creating digital deep maps

This article documents the abandoned cultural landscape found on the islet of Xiji in the Penghu Archipelago, in the Taiwan Strait, a heritage site that has been slipping into ruins and rewilding since 1978. This article is written as a response and contribution to the dialogue begun by Cal Flyn (2021) on nature’s return to abandoned spaces. In documenting the ruination of Xiji’s cultural landscape, I suggest that a new motivation for exploration and documentation of abandoned environments such as Xiji and Cal Flyn’s case study island of Swona lies in anticipating the needs of future researchers. The digital turn in the social sciences and humanities has produced conditions in which simple digital survey and research tools are capable of documenting, capturing and reproducing entire cultural landscapes with ease. Collaborative data collection is now a driving force behind spatial humanities, enabling the production of navigable time maps, deep maps and spatiotemporal storyboards. This article presents the cultural landscape of Xiji as it existed in 2017, relying on photographs and observations, and tracks the process of its rewilding through accounts from informants and earlier documentation. Although Xiji’s material heritage continues to deteriorate, digital tools have made it possible to reproduce and reclaim it as a dynamic digital space that can be mapped across time.

How Interactive Visualizations Compare to Ethical Frameworks as Stand-Alone Ethics Learning Tools for Health Researchers and Professionals

Background Despite the bourgeoning of digital tools for bioethics research, education, and engagement, little research has empirically investigated the impact of interactive visualizations as a way to translate ethical frameworks and guidelines. To date, most frameworks take the format of text-only documents that outline and offer ethical guidance on specific contexts. This study’s goal was to determine whether an interactive-visual format supports frameworks in transferring ethical knowledge by improving learning, deliberation, and user experience. Methods An experimental comparative study was conducted with a pre-, mid-, and post-test design using the online survey platform Qualtrics. Participants were university based early-stage health researchers who were randomly assigned to either the control condition (text-only document) or the experimental condition (interactive-visual). The primary outcome variables were learning, (measured using a questionnaire), deliberation (using cases studies) and user experience (measured using the SED/UD Scale). Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics and mixed-effects linear regression. Results Of the 80 participants, 44 (55%) used the text-only document and 36 (45%) used the interactive-visual. Results of the knowledge-test scores showed a statistically significant difference between participants’ post-test scores, indicating that the interactive-visual format better supported understanding, acquisition, and application of the framework’s knowledge. Findings from the case studies showed both formats supported ethical deliberation. Results further indicated the interactive-visual provided an overall better episodic and remembered user experience compared with the text-only document. Conclusions Our findings show that ethical frameworks formatted with interactive and visual qualities provide a more pleasing user experience and are effective formats for ethics learning and deliberation. These findings have implications for practitioners developing and deploying ethical frameworks and guidelines (e.g., in educational or employee-onboarding settings), in that the knowledge generated can lead to more effective dissemination practices of normative guidelines and health data ethics concepts.

“Digital Humanities-2023” in Graz live: ideas, methods and pumpkin seed oil

The article presents the observations of a live participant of the “Digital Humanities -2023”, held in Graz, Austria in the summer of 2023. The “Digital Humanities” Congress is held annually by the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO). Digital Humanities (DH) are at the intersection of computing or digital technologies and the disciplines of the humanities. It involves the development and use of digital resources and methods in the humanities, as well as the analysis of their application. DH scholarship means collaborative, transdisciplinary, and computationally engaged research, teaching, and publishing. The annual ADHO Conference on Digital Humanities is the central and largest event of the international Digital Humanities community and brings together scholars from around the world, providing them with a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and research results, and to promote future collaboration. Particular attention is paid to historical issues presented at the congress, both in workshops and at section meetings and poster presentations. Statistical observations are presented, and a frequency analysis of the occurrence of keywords is carried out. The main conclusion of the study is the observed trend towards an increase in historical reports, posters and workshops. A noticeable increase in interest in historical sources, historical databases and geographic information systems, and virtual reconstruction of the past using a wide range of digital humanities research tools is noticeable (in comparison with the programs and publications of past Digital Humanities congresses). The 2023 conference theme, “Collaboration as an Opportunity,” is about the transdisciplinary and transnational collaboration, showing how increased cross-national collaboration—across continents and geopolitical locations—can transform regional knowledge hubs into international networks of excellence in research for the benefit of the global digital humanities community. Historians have firmly taken their place in contemporary digital humanities research.

The conception of the digital platform of independent assesment of the future teachers

Introduction. Modern processes of digitalization of education put forward new requirements for the procedures for evaluating the results of research results of research results of teachers. Of particular relevance are approaches to the design of digital research tools, including electronic resources that allow consolidating the consumption and evaluation of the educational result by experts with the possibility of implementing an integrative and differentiated evaluation procedure. Materials and Methods. Methods of analysis, systematization and generalization of scientific literature on problematic studies were used. The purpose of the article is to analyze and substantiate the conceptual foundations for creating a digital platform for an independent assessment of the level of achievement of research results by future teachers. Results. The article analyzes approaches to the protection of electronic resources in the fields of education, substantiates the advantages and functionality of the phenomenon of electronic assessment. The conceptual foundations for creating digital platforms are the methodological unity of the platform and ecosystem approach, extended methodological assessments of the foundations for creating an independent educational result system, including systemic, activity-based, criteria-based, competency-based, technological, level-based approaches, objectivity, objectivity, reliability and openness of assessment procedures. The digital platform for independent assessment of the level of achievement of the educational result gives its idea based on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the study of results, the effectiveness of data and their use on the basis of broad procedures and algorithms for assessing the educational result of the observation of teachers, the modularity of the organization of procedures for assessing the educational result, non-linear functionality, partisipatory analytics and evaluation of results , popular results at the lowest cost of resources. The digital platform for independent assessment of the level of achievement of the educational result performs an analytical, predictive, evaluation, information and aggregation function. Discussion and Conclusions. As part of the study of the conceptual and practice-oriented statistical foundations for independent evaluation of the results of teacher research, promising areas for long-term research have been identified: – adding a digital platform for independent evaluation of the results of teachers' observation in the system of teachers' professional growth, accompanying young professionals in the life cycle of the profession; – improvement of the university accreditation system based on the use of a digital platform; – determination of approaches to the combination of emotional, psychological comfort and personality verification processes in the procedures for implementing the evaluation of research results.

Tracing the Intimate Histories of Poor Black Women in the Late-Nineteenth-Century US South

This article explores the dynamics of separation among Black veterans and their spouses in the post-emancipation South through an analysis of pension records. Few archival sources provide descriptions of Black working-class women and their relationships with their estranged husbands. Pension files offer a glimpse into the intimate lives of the Black poor and the legal communities they participated in as they navigated the US Pension bureaucracy. This essay tells the story of a North Carolina freedwoman, Jamsey Green, and my effort to trace the intimate histories of poor Black women using a combination of digital research tools, military records, and manuscript sources.

O062 / #625 CAPTURING THE CHRONIC PAIN PATIENT EXPERIENCE USING A NOVEL DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEM: TRACK 3: VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION / TOOLS TO INFORM PATIENT CARE

Chronic pain affects many more outcome dimensions than just pain intensity. Conventionally, these effects are assessed in-clinic and occasionally using diaries at home. Digital clinical research tools can optimize research by allowing for the collection of more and diverse data (subjective and objective), allowing for data collection at home and during times that matter, and by improving patient, researcher and clinician engagement in the research process. This analysis reviews performance of a digital ecosystem that captures the multi-year multifactorial chronic pain patient experience at home.

Adoption of Digital Pain Manikins for Research Data Collection: A Systematic Review.

Chronic pain is common and disabling. Researchers need robust methods to collect pain data in large populations to enhance knowledge on pain prevalence, causes and treatment. Digital pain manikins address this by enabling self-reporting of location-specific pain. However, it is unknown to what extent pain studies adopted digital manikins for data collection. Therefore, we systematically searched the literature. We included 17 studies. Most were published after 2017, collected pain data cross-sectionally in ≥50 participants, and reported pain distribution and pain extent as manikin-derived summary metrics. Across the studies, 13 unique manikins were used, of which four had been evaluated. Our review shows that adoption of digital pain manikins in research settings has been slow. Harnessing the digital nature of manikins, enabling use of personal devices, and assessing and improving the reliability, validity and responsiveness of digital manikins will expedite their adoption as digital data collection tools for pain research.

A Brief Presentation of the Knowledge Paths for Semiotics (KPS) Project: Creating Digital Research Tools

This paper provides an outline for a proposed project entitled ‘Knowledge Paths for Semiotics (KPS): Creating Digital Research Tools.’ The object of the paper is to show how a printed dictionary can be transformed into modular digital research tools. Although it is an ad hoc proposal on an analytical dictionary of semiotics it can be used as a model for creating related works. In general, it can be said that the proposed tools assist in the retrieval of information (linguistic and semantic), the acquisition of knowledge, and the extraction of new knowledge. In this context, three categories of tools are proposed: (i) terminology tools, (ii) learning tools, and (iii) tools for the discovery of new knowledge. In the conclusion of this paper, special emphasis is placed on the impact that will result from the implementation of this KPS project.

Dataset of the adoption of digital tools for research sharing among academics in African Varsities during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

This dataset was collected from a total of 1,977 university lecturers across 24 African countries, that were purposively targeted due to their level of exposure to scholarly publications. The dataset was collected through an online survey that was sent to respondents through email, WhatsApp, and the Association of African Universities Telegram group. The questionnaire was designed by the researchers and validated by five experts for face and content validity. The demographic information of the data was analysed and the softcopy of the data uploaded to the Mendeley database for easy retrieval after deidentification (see Data Availability statement). The associated questionnaire can be found in the extended data. In Africa, this appears to be the broadest dataset associated with academics’ perception of utilizing digital platforms for research sharing. This implies that scholars can use this dataset to quantitatively analyse the extent to which different digital tools are being utilized for research communication. Considering the current restrictions on in-person social gatherings due to COVID-19, researchers working on related studies may readily utilize this set of data, saving time and cost. A comprehensive but non-exhaustive number of 20 digital tools were assessed based on academics' awareness and current engagement with them, and the challenges they have faced using them. This offers a wide range of areas for studies to be anchored. Furthermore, researchers interested in specific digital tools can also evaluate the extent to which academic staff in African universities are aware of and willing to utilize them for research dissemination. This data will enable scholars and researchers in Africa and beyond to understand the extent to which academics in varsities are willing to adopt digital repositories for research sharing in the context of Africa.

Dataset of the adoption of digital tools for research sharing among academics in African Varsities during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

This dataset was collected from a total of 1,977 university lecturers across 24 African countries, that were purposively targeted due to their level of exposure to scholarly publications. The dataset was collected through an online survey that was sent to respondents through email, WhatsApp, and the Association of African Universities Telegram group. The questionnaire was designed by the researchers and validated by five experts for face and content validity. The demographic information of the data was analysed and the softcopy of the data uploaded to the Mendeley database for easy retrieval after deidentification (see Data Availability statement). The associated questionnaire can be found in the extended data. In Africa, this appears to be the broadest dataset associated with academics' perception of utilizing digital platforms for research sharing. This implies that scholars can use this dataset to quantitatively analyse the extent to which different digital tools are being utilized for research communication. Considering the current restrictions on in-person social gatherings due to COVID-19, researchers working on related studies may readily utilize this set of data, saving time and cost. A comprehensive but non-exhaustive number of 20 digital tools were assessed based on academics' awareness and current engagement with them, and the challenges they have faced using them. This offers a wide range of areas for studies to be anchored. Furthermore, researchers interested in specific digital tools can also evaluate the extent to which academic staff in African universities are aware of and willing to utilize them for research dissemination. This data will enable scholars and researchers in Africa and beyond to understand the extent to which academics in varsities are willing to adopt digital repositories for research sharing in the context of Africa.

Datasetofthe adoption of digital tools for research sharing among academics in African Varsities duringtheCOVID-19pandemicin 2020.

This dataset was collected from a total of 1,977 university lecturers across 24 African countries, that were purposively targeted due to theirlevel ofexposure to scholarly publications. The dataset was collected through an online survey that wassentto respondents through email, WhatsApp, and the Association of African Universities Telegram group. The questionnaire was designed by the researchersandvalidated by five experts for face and content validity. Thedemographic information of the data wasanalysedand the softcopy of the data uploaded totheMendeleydatabasefor easy retrievalafter deidentification(see Data Availability statement). The associated questionnairecan be foundin the extended data.In Africa, this appears to be the broadest dataset associated withacademics'perception of utilizingdigital platforms for research sharing. This implies that scholars can usethis dataset to quantitatively analyse the extent to which different internet-based platforms are being utilized for research communication. Considering thecurrentrestrictions onin-personsocial gatherings due toCOVID-19, researchers working on related studies may readily utilize this set of data, saving time and cost. A comprehensive but non-exhaustive number of 20 online platforms were assessed based onacademics' awarenessandcurrentengagement withthem,and the challengestheyhavefaced using them. This offers a wide range of areas for studies to be anchored. Furthermore, researchers interested in specific online platforms can also evaluate the extent to which academic staff in Africanuniversities are awareof andwillingtoutilizethem for research dissemination. This data will enable scholars and researchers in Africa and beyond to understand the extent to which academics in varsities are willing to adopt digital repositories for research sharing in the context of Africa.

Open Educational Resources in History: A State-of-the Field Essay

History practitioners are making steady progress adopting, adapting and creating open educational resources. However, most historians do not have a holistic view of the materials that exist in the open sphere due to poor discoverability and professional standards that still hamper their uptake. This state-of-the-field article discusses the challenges and opportunities of engaging with history OERs as divided into three categories: 1) textbooks and teaching modules, 2) informational websites and interactive experiences, and 3) digital tools for collaborative research. The flexibility and adaptability of these resources, afforded by their open licenses, are key points in their prospects for longevity and enduring benefit for the practice of history. The author concludes that, while more work remains to be done by administrators, librarians and pedagogy specialists around building awareness of open history, the digital revolution and changing attitudes towards collaborative scholarship lead to greater possibilities for this field.