Disciplinary Differences Research Articles

Метаправовые категории в общей теории права и международно-правовых исследованиях (краткая историография вопроса)

Introduction. The paper carries out a review of the main theoretical positions aimed at finding alternative bases for meta-legal research; raises the question about the appropriateness of using meta-legal categories without taking into account the context of disciplinary differences. Purpose is to determine the context of using meta-legal categories in the science of international law. Methods. The research uses the general scientific methods of historicism, systematicity, analysis, as well as the comparative legal method. Results. The restrictive limits of using meta-legal categories are determined. Conclusions. The justification of meta-legal categories is connected with solving the issue of the legal status of the international community, taking into account the differences in the legal systems, as well as the civilizational factor.

An Investigation of Gold Open Access Publications of STEM Faculty at a Public University in the United States

ABSTRACT This study investigated Gold Open Access journal publication by science and engineering faculty at the authors’ university from 2013 to 2022. Specifically, did Gold Open Access (OA) by these faculty increase, and did the publication rate vary between disciplines? The authors found that Gold OA publication increased by 176% over the past 10 years, and that an important factor was the Libraries’ creation of an Open Access Publishing Fund in 2017. Disciplinary differences in publication rates were also notable, with life sciences research showing the highest rates of open access publication. An analysis of where our faculty are publishing found that MDPI is the most popular Open Access publisher in STEM fields, but many of the new Gold Open Access journals from traditional STEM publishers are also being chosen.

The impact of academic disciplines on a constructively aligned internationalised curriculum.

Internationalisation has moved to the core of universities' mission, emphasising the qualitative elements of internationalisation, which is inter alia evident in the implementation of an internationalised curriculum. The latter must be implemented following the constructive alignment model; thus, the framework for a constructively aligned internationalised curriculum is proposed in this article, combining an internationalised curriculum with Biggs' constructive alignment model. Since academics are the owners of an internationalised curriculum and they are determined by their academic disciplines, in this paper, the impact of disciplines on a constructively aligned internationalised curriculum is evaluated, following Biglan's typology of academic disciplines. It was found from the sample of 1367 academics from all Slovenian higher education institutions that an internationalised curriculum is constructively aligned in practice, wherein we observed relevant disciplinary differences in the level/rate of appearance of international perspectives in the individual steps of a constructively aligned internationalised curriculum, with a noticeably higher incidence in the case of soft disciplines. Besides introducing the framework for a constructively aligned internationalised curriculum and identifying relevant differences between disciplines, an important contribution to the research topic is in several other characteristics of academic professions that were identified as having an impact on the implementation of an internationalised curriculum. Examples of these were academics' inclusion in pedagogical courses and academics' various modes of international engagement. The authors also highlight several opportunities for improvement and further research, as well as implications for the enhancement of curriculum internationalisation in hard disciplines.

Paraphrase Patterns of Expert Academic Writers: Implications for Writing Development, Writing Pedagogy, and Plagiarism Policies

This study offers a linguistic analysis of language borrowing in expertly produced paraphrases. Within the context of higher education, paraphrase writing, an essential skill for source-based writing tasks across the curriculum and a key component in the development of disciplinary expertise, represents a challenge for students and teachers because 1) there is no precise and generally accepted definition of acceptable academic paraphrase, 2) discussions of paraphrase are more often framed in terms of plagiarism than effective writing, and 3) little is known about the linguistic (or rhetorical dimensions) of paraphrases in writing published by experts. The present study analyzes five corpora of paraphrase/source passage pairs (n = 233) produced by expert writers. Corpora 1 and 2 contain exemplar paraphrase/source passage pairs drawn from writing guides and handbooks designed for college students. The remaining three corpora of paraphrase/source passage pairings were assembled using award-winning published articles in three disciplines. Using Keck’s (2006) taxonomy for classifying paraphrases, the study found that about 27% of the average paraphrase of the expert writers analyzed here is made up of language found in the source passage. Paraphrase patterns of expert academic writers point toward a potential continuum of acceptable language borrowing practices likely driven by disciplinary differences. Implications for writing development, writing pedagogy, plagiarism policy, and further research are discussed.

Data sharing and reuse practices: disciplinary differences and improvements needed

PurposeThis study investigates differences and commonalities in data production, sharing and reuse across the widest range of disciplines yet and identifies types of improvements needed to promote data sharing and reuse.Design/methodology/approachThe first authors of randomly selected publications from 2018 to 2019 in 20 Scopus disciplines were surveyed for their beliefs and experiences about data sharing and reuse.FindingsFrom the 3,257 survey responses, data sharing and reuse are still increasing but not ubiquitous in any subject area and are more common among experienced researchers. Researchers with previous data reuse experience were more likely to share data than others. Types of data produced and systematic online data sharing varied substantially between subject areas. Although the use of institutional and journal-supported repositories for sharing data is increasing, personal websites are still frequently used. Combining multiple existing datasets to answer new research questions was the most common use. Proper documentation, openness and information on the usability of data continue to be important when searching for existing datasets. However, researchers in most disciplines struggled to find datasets to reuse. Researchers' feedback suggested 23 recommendations to promote data sharing and reuse, including improved data access and usability, formal data citations, new search features and cultural and policy-related disciplinary changes to increase awareness and acceptance.Originality/valueThis study is the first to explore data sharing and reuse practices across the full range of academic discipline types. It expands and updates previous data sharing surveys and suggests new areas of improvement in terms of policy, guidance and training programs.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-08-2021-0423.

Relationship between doctoral supervisors’ competencies, engagement in supervisory development and experienced support from research community

ABSTRACT Supervision is one of the most important determinants of a successful doctoral process. However, there have been few large-scale survey studies on the development of PhD supervisors. In this study, doctoral supervisors’ perceptions of their supervisory competence, professional development activities and professional support from the research community are explored. A total of 561 doctoral supervisors from a large multi-field research-intensive university in Finland responded to the survey. The data were analysed with statistical methods. The results showed that the supervisors perceived their supervisory competence as being high. More experienced supervisors were more confident with their supervisory competence than less experienced ones. Support from the scholarly community was also related to positive perceptions of one’s supervisory competencies. The results further showed that engaging in supervisory development activities was also related to perceived supervisory competence. Some gendered and disciplinary differences in supervisors’ engagement in professional development activities were detected.

‘Values‐based Territorial Food Networks’—Benefits, challenges and controversies

AbstractThe special issue titled ‘Values‐based Territorial Food Networks – Benefits, challenges and controversies’ and this introductory editorial aim to bridge conceptual and disciplinary differences within the literature on alternative agro‐food networks and related concepts. In the editorial we outline a new umbrella term, Values‐based Territorial Food Networks (VTFNs), which synthesises the key commonalities that characterise alternatives to the mainstream food system (see Reckinger 2022 for a more detailed analysis). VTFNs are defined as networks that connect agro‐food and related stakeholders within a defined territory that operate according to a coherent set of ethical values centred on social justice and wellbeing, environmental integrity, participatory governance and economic fairness. We discuss how VTFNs relate to earlier concepts, showing the evolution from ‘alternative’ to ‘values based’, from ‘local’ to ‘territorial’ and from ‘supply chains’ to ‘networks’. The editorial also gives an overview of the empirical case studies in the special issue, which explore 10 place‐based food initiatives (from Austria, France, Greece, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Australia, Brazil and Japan) and address benefits, challenges, social learning and controversies associated with VTFNs. The cases are grouped into three thematic areas. ‘Social learning and resilience’ focuses on collaboration through diverse partnerships as a necessary condition for social innovation and for understanding new socio‐technical practices. ‘Agency, negotiations and food governance’ explores the socioeconomic struggles, interrelations and negotiated values associated with VTFNs. ‘Sociocultural environments, social capital and reflexive localism’ discusses the interplay between the economic and sociocultural dimensions related to VTFNs. The transversality of VTFN allows us to think about these dimensions from a systemic perspective, thus advancing debates on the diverse sites and modes of agro‐food sustainability.

Research dissemination in digital media: An online survey of French researchers’ practices

Researchers are currently encouraged to make their results more accessible and transparent for their peers and to engage wider, lay audiences in science through new digital media. The Campus Iberus digital science action group carried out a first study to investigate how Spanish scientists communicate their work through digital media (Perez-Llantada et al. 2022). As international partners of this action group, members of the GERAS working group Literacies in Academia, Science and the Professions have replicated the online survey across several Higher Education Institutions in France. Here, we report on the results of the survey concerning both STEMM and HSS researchers. The aim is to identify the types of online science communication used by researchers in the French context, especially those targeting wider, non-specialist audiences. The survey results point to disciplinary and gender differences and allow us to analyze the needs of these researchers in terms of developing the necessary language, communication and digital skills to communicate effectively in this context.

ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ В КОНТЕКСТЕ ДАТАИЗМА: МЕТОДОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ АСПЕКТ

The paper examines the methodological aspect of using data in historical research. In the context of dataism, discussions are presented about the features of formalizing information from historical sources in data models. To-day, in debates about the principles of using information technologies in historical research, one can encounter many contradictions related to the complexities of interaction between the approaches of computer, historical and social sciences. There are still oppositions between qualitative and quantitative approaches, despite the widespread use of “mixed methods” and Digital Humanities research approaches, as well as the differences between the goals of the information technology industry and academia. Data becomes the commonplace of such discussions because actual research relays on it. The paper examines the features of data in historical research, which make it possible to abstract from the original historical sources and collect systematic, formalized observations. Such data features as format, memory and passivity are considered. Attention is paid to such properties of research data as volume, velocity, varie-ty, veracity, variability, visualization, value (7Vs). It argues that historical data, in a semiotic sense, performs three functions: naming the properties of objects in the real world (nomination), connecting the named properties (predica-tion), and locating the named objects in space and time (location). From a methodological perspective, data in histor-ical research is viewed as a method of abstract observation. It involves systematically and strictly formalizing obser-vations from various historical sources. Despite the established disciplinary differences in digital approaches within history and digital humanities, data becomes a common basis that expands the researcher’s toolbox.

Disciplinary Differences and University Teachers’ Perspectives: Possibilities of Applying the Teaching Perspectives Inventory

Based on the conceptual and empirical framework of five perspectives on teaching and earlier studies that have suggested a link between teaching perspectives and teachers’ academic disciplines, this paper aimed to examine the differences in the university teachers’ perspectives from various academic disciplines and faculties. This research also aimed to validate the Teaching Perspectives Inventory on a sample of 526 university teachers in Serbia. The results confirmed the differences in the university teachers’ perspectives and led to the conclusion that hard sciences teachers were more teacher-centred, while soft sciences teachers were more student-centred. Additionally, exploratory factor analysis indicated that the slightly modified version of the TPI is applicable and reliable to use in other educational contexts. However, it can be concluded that research on teachers’ perspectives is limited to specific cultural, educational, and research contexts.

Mapping out the disciplinary variation of syntactic complexity in student academic writing

This study investigated disciplinary variation with respect to syntactic complexity in students' written academic texts from the British Academic Written English (BAWE) corpus. We measured syntactic complexity using the Tool for Automatic Analysis of Syntactic Sophistication and Complexity and then conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses to examine the disciplinary differences across four disciplinary groups and 31 disciplines. The analyses identified statistically significant variation in length, subordination, coordination, phrasal sophistication, and overall sentence complexity among the disciplinary groups as well as disciplines, which was discussed from a form-function mapping perspective. This study also revealed the systematic variation and form-function mappings of syntactic complexity in discipline-specific academic writing in both disciplinary groups and disciplines. Pedagogically, these findings can be incorporated into the curriculum design and class instruction to cultivate students’ discipline-specific academic literacy.

Gleichnis (Analogy, Likeness, Parable, Simile)

The concept Gleichnis—together with original phenomenon (Urphänomen) and metamorphosis (Metamorphose)—is key to Goethe’s worldview and one of his favorite terms due to its semantic polyvalence and ambivalence in German. Primarily in religious contexts, Gleichnis means “likeness” and “parable”; in rhetoric it denotes “figurative language” in general; in poetry it refers specifically to a simile; and in philosophical terms it is grounded in “analogy.” Gleichnisse feature prominently in Goethe’s poetry as well as in his scientific and philosophical writings. Since he uses this concept self-reflexively, his oeuvre amounts to a theory of Gleichnis. This entry showcases Goethe’s poetic practice of Gleichnis in prominent examples ranging from lyric, epic, and drama, and in so doing seeks to outline the basic structure of Gleichnis as a metapoetic form of reflection which aims to harmonize and transcend the disciplinary differences between theological, philosophical, and scientific discourses.

Guidance on research integrity provided by pan-European discipline-specific learned societies: A scoping review

AbstractThere is little research on the content of research integrity (RI)–related guidance provided by pan-European discipline-specific learned societies, or how this guidance compares with recommendations made in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA code). Therefore, we aimed to (1) assess the availability of RI guidance from these learned societies, (2) compare learned societies’ guidance with the ALLEA code, and (3) explore similarities and differences in guidance between learned societies of different disciplines. Using a scoping review, we identified 245 learned societies, from which we identified and conducted a content analysis of fifty-eight guideline documents, developed by forty-six of these learned societies. Less than 25 per cent of learned societies in any discipline provide guidance, and there are notable disciplinary differences. Recommendations made by learned societies, which are not reflected in the ALLEA code, relate primarily to research culture and environment. Medical and Health Sciences societies often focus on regulatory and procedural aspects of research, whereas Natural Sciences societies emphasize the importance of accurate and appropriate dissemination of results. Humanities and Social Sciences societies’ recommendations are more heterogeneous and closely related to the nature of specific subdisciplines. Our results reflect differences in epistemological approaches as well as the specific roles and responsibilities of learned societies. We recommend that learned societies develop, or endorse, appropriate RI guidance.

Webs of Proximity and Just-in-Time Information

Disciplinary webs of proximity frequently overlap at the periphery of a topic where interests intersect for problem-solving. Failure to account for disciplinary differences can result in dis-ease – tension that interferes with meaning-making. This can be especially problematic in just-in-time information settings. An unexpected social media case study involving severe weather reporting and algorithm-driven system censorship makes evident the role of a constellation of pragmatic factors that can enhance or hinder just-in-time information delivery. Employing webs of proximity, we probe the severe weather censorship event with complementary bodies of knowledge and disciplinary perspectives. Intersectionalities are discussed through lenses of proximity and epidata. Entanglements of commonality between differing web plots are represented in a negotiation vestibule. The possibility of the communication channel itself being noise is presented. The vestibule highlights opportunities for negotiation points to attempt functional meaning-making.

Barriers to attracting the best researchers: perceptions of academics in economics and physics in three European countries

Recruitment is one of the main strategic tools for universities, which aim to hire the best possible candidates for their academic positions. However, not every institution can hire whom they perceive as the best. Our paper investigates what are perceived to be the most pressing hindrances to attracting the best researchers. We focus on national and disciplinary differences in researchers’ perceptions of barriers to recruiting the best scholars in their fields. We surveyed researchers in economics and physics in the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK and find that economists emphasize salary level and institutional prestige as the main barriers, while physicists underline competition from non-academic actors and career development opportunities. We further find differences by country. In Norway, limited institutional prestige is a key barrier to attracting the best researchers, while researchers in the UK highlight salary levels. Respondents at Dutch universities claim that they experience multiple, equally important barriers.

Biases in student evaluations of teaching: An exploratory analysis to a Chinese case study

ABSTRACT This paper examines factors influencing on student evaluations of teaching (SET) with consideration of disciplinary variations. Data were obtained from a university in Guangzhou of China and consisted of 1443 undergraduate course ratings collected from 19 schools over two semesters. The students and courses are classified into hard and soft disciplinary groupings and divided into four sub-groups for further comparison. The result of the ANOVA test showed significant difference in the mean SET scores across four subgroups; and results of linear models reflect students who major in hard discipline tend to give higher SET scores regardless of the course’s feature. In addition, there was also evidence of possible biases in the ratings according to the features of teachers, students and courses. Overall, the disciplinary differences would need to be considered when decisions are being made on the basis of the SET scores, especially for cross-school evaluation.

The coronavirus pandemic: Danger, risk or threat?

ABSTRACT The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a heated debate both in political and academic terms. A dialectic has been revealed between the Left and Right. Progressive governments resort to containment measures which are an expression of a ‘collectivist’ position, while conservative governments adopt policies of tolerance which are an expression of an ‘individualist’ laissez faire orientation. Another dialectic is reflected in a disciplinary difference between the inductive approach of sociologists and the deductive approach of philosophers like Giorgio Agamben. Sociology views the harms provoked by the coronavirus as a matter of fact, without, however, excluding the social construction of the pandemic. It is misleading on the part of governments to present the containment of the disease as a ‘war’ and the virus as an ‘enemy’. The confusion between real threats, (originating in malicious intentionality), and dangers, (unintentional phenomena of natural origin), is being exploited. This is even more true concerning the confusion between threats and risks, i.e. possible harms (as well as possible benefits) coming from ‘our’ decisions. It must be recognised that the pandemic is a danger as regards its origin, but its development is magnified by other processes, such as environmental degradation. It means shifting responsibility from an external agent to the responsibility of an internal decision-maker. This should inspire policies no longer focused on an exaggerated concern with external threats, but aimed at redirecting material and intangible resources towards structural and situational prevention of dangers.

Exploring country's preference over news mentions to academic papers

• A few countries play dominant role in producing and receiving news mentions to academic papers. • The overall distribution of news mentions sees no country's preference over domestic papers. • The statistical test suggests that news articles from all investigated countries have positively mentioned more domestic papers. • Countries have shown preference over academic papers from some specific countries. • Country's preference in the micro perspective presents disciplinary difference. News mentions to academic papers has provided an important channel for research to yield impact on broad audience in the society, and is particularly useful in scholarly communication, scientific outreach and altmetrics. Unlike academic paper, news articles are often influenced by social factors such as culture, ideology and geography. It is therefore uncertain whether news mentions to academic paper is valid for evaluative purpose as expected by altmetrics studies. In response, this study has conducted large scale statistical analysis to explore country's preference over news mentions, based on the assumption that if news mentions to academic paper is not (or weakly) influenced by social factors, no obvious country's preference would be observed, and the vice versa. The major findings are: (1) From the macro perspective, overall distribution of news mentions is highly imbalanced, with several developed countries taking the dominant position. However, no obvious preference towards domestic papers was observed. (2) From the micro perspective, based on the ZINB test results, news from all countries have more positively mentioned domestic papers and simultaneously shown preference over papers from certain countries. (3) In terms of disciplinary comparison, disciplinary differences were observed in the impact strength and specific preference. These results suggest that in micro level country's preference exist for news mentions to academic papers, but in macro level, country's preference is insignificant. Therefore, it is suggested that news mentions can be used for assessing purpose in the macro level.

An opportunity for inclusive and human-centred design.

Challenges and trends, such as person-centred care, demographic shifts and technological advancements, are transforming oral health systems. Inclusive design and human-centred design are disciplines highly relevant and potentially instrumental to these oral healthcare transformations. This paper provides an overview of the definitions and characteristics of inclusive and human-centred design which centre on understanding people's multifaceted needs, expectations, behaviours and relationships, and engaging with diverse and often excluded populations. Design's broad capabilities are outlined across outcome and contribution types and the potential role of inclusive and human-centred design to oral health is explored by outlining its relevance to key transformational, societal and technological shifts. Finally, barriers and drivers to the adoption of inclusive and human-centred design in oral health are discussed around three themes: awareness and understanding of the role and value of design; disciplinary differences; and the wider healthcare systems context.

From division to dialogue and beyond: the quest for eastern and oriental orthodox unity

The modern quest for unity of the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches goes back to the mid-20 th century, beginning with informal consultations in the 1960s and continuing with the work of the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue in the 1980s onward. This has led to a paradoxical situation. The Christological issues that prompted the division of the churches in the 5 th century appear to have been resolved, yet the division continues. Why? This article begins by exploring the specific context of our current quest for unity: the modern ecumenical movement and modern historical scholarship. Then, after surveying pre-modern quests for unity, the article explores some of the ways in which liturgical and disciplinary differences came to be invested with new meaning, becoming symbols of division rather than expressions of legitimate diversity. We may now have reached a point where such differences no longer are taken automatically as signs of Christological disagreement, yet the impulse towards reunion of the churches appears to have slowed in recent decades. New questions have arisen. Who has the authority to lift anathemas which the churches hurled against each other in the past? What is the meaning and authority of an "ecumenical council"? How will the results of dialogue be received and effectively implemented in church life? The basic question now is whether we really desire unity more than the disunity of the status quo .