Doctoral Thesis Research Articles

Schaár Erzsébet ifjúkora és korai szobrászművészete (1908-1931)

The present paper is a subchapter of my doctoral dissertation titled The Oeuvre of Sculptor Erzsébet Schaár (1908– 1975). The paper discussing a period of her life’s path sofar only tangentially touched on by special literature divides into three parts: the first is concerned with the artist’s family background, childhood and adolescence, the second with the initial phase of the career, the academy years, and the third looks at works created in the 1920s and the early 1930s, as well as exhibitions of that period.Schaár was a veritable “child prodigy”. She began her studies as Zsigmond Kisfaludi Stróbl’s private pupil at the age of sixteen and a year later, in 1925 she was admitted to the Royal Academy of Art where her tutor was again Kisfaludi Stróbl. She debuted with her works publicly in 1926, first of all in exhibitions of the Szinyei Society and the KÚT (=new society of artists). Though several of her that-time works got lost or are latent, an approximately authentic overview of her art in that period can be had from exhibition catalogues, receptions, materials in archives and private collections – first of all the Vilt estate in the King St Stephen Museum in Székesfehérvár and the mostly unprocessed written and photography documents, correspondence in the Schaár estate, as well as from recollections by her contemporaries, first of all Tibor Vilt. A few nudes are known from this period, but her early artistic activity centred on portrait sculpture. This is also the clew along which the phases Schar’s artistic development, the modifications of her style, the influences exerted on her can be demonstrated from the earliest known portraits of her mother to the series of children’s portraits in the late 1920s, early 1930s. The studied period is characterized by a search of her own idiosyncratic style: in the 1920s she created both realistic portraits and works displaying features of art deco and cubism, she was interested in modelling with simple forms, experimented with facial casts – a procedure that returned in later phases of the oeuvre.In sum, the earliest period of Schaár’s sculptural activity displays such singularly powerful idea of plasticity and creative outlook that compare with the later phases of the oeuvre in talent and quality, but with the help of which posterity can discern the trends that were to unfold in full later. Studying this early period may contribute to a more profound understanding and comprehensive interpretation of the entire oeuvre.

Kengo Kuma’s renovation of Gaudí’s Casa Batlló: A non-western designerly approach to addressing built heritage

This paper emerges from a wider doctoral thesis on the influence and relationships between Antoni Gaudí’s buildings and current Chinese architecture. In light of understanding the connections between Eastern and Western designerly approaches to built heritage, we studied the specific case of the renovation of Casa Batlló in Barcelona by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Starting from the general framework of built heritage renovation and transformation techniques and styles, we analysed the approach of this case as a replicable mindset and toolkit for addressing urban and architectural renewal. Kengo Kuma’s dissolution of materiality is key to his design approach This methodological case study delves into the potential of a complementary vision of the world where Eastern and Western design approaches retrofit each other. The research results are related to current global urban renewal, historic building protection, and renewal needs from a global design perspective.

Who cares about academic welfare in empirical data collection? Exploring the deficit in personal and psychological care for researchers in research ethics processes

ABSTRACT Ethics applications in academic research rarely account for the personal care and wellbeing of the researchers who undertake research. This paper reflects on the practice of carrying out research where the experiences of the participant and reflections of the researcher themselves are closely aligned. Such instances encourage the revisiting of difficult, troubling, and sometimes traumatic periods of the researchers’ personal life history. This article reflects on research conducted during a doctoral thesis which uses qualitative methods to understand the experiences of thirteen working-class professional services and administrative staff. I suggest that this type of personal reflection is involuntary, it is not actively pursued yet becomes inseparable from the conduct of research. Echoing the work of Brown and Wild ([2022]. Ethical Dilemmas in Education: Considering Challenges and Risks in Practice. Open University Press) this paper calls for additional support mechanisms to be implemented for researchers who conduct this sort of involuntary reflexivity in qualitative research, making suggestions for practical solutions within UK institutions.

Amerika Syarikat, Misi Judd dan Darurat di Tanah Melayu, 1948–1960

This study centres on the discussion of the special mission visit of the United States of America to Malaya during national state of emergency in the year from 1948 until 1960. The Judd Mission visit took place in Malaya and other countries in Southeast Asia on 1953. To meet the objective of this study, the Judd Mission visit was assessed in terms of the benefit it has on Malaya as well as its importance at Southeast Asian level. The chronology of the discussion is then followed by its geostrategic importance which includes the distribution of economic aid for Malaya. To fulfil the aim of the study, a qualitative research approach was employed. An analysis on primary documents obtained from an archive was utilised to form a more informative and authoritative discussion of the research topic. The primary documents analysed in this study were published papers such as documents from Foreign Relation of the United States (FRUS) and Pentagon Papers as well as other related primary documents available online. Besides that, this study also employed sources from The Department of State Bulletin, Hathi Trust Digital Library and Public Papers of the President of the United States. All of the sources were analysed, translated, organised and processed to form the chronology of discussion of the Judd Mission in Malaya. Secondary sources such as books, articles, journals and doctoral thesis were also utilised to build a more systematic narrative of the discussion. Lastly, this study concluded that the Judd Mission visit from the United States to Malaya during the national state of emergency brought forth geostrategic and economic importance for both parties.

URBAN PLANNING, DIGNITY AND THE RIGHT TO THE CITY, IN THE ERA OF PPPs FOR LARGE URBAN PROJECTS

This work is the result of research for the theoretical framework of a doctoral thesis, developed in the Postgraduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism of the Federal University of Bahia, in order to promote a discussion on the Right to the City. An exploratory research is carried out based on a bibliographic survey, which includes scientific articles and books that deal with the topic under discussion here. The discussion has been taking place for decades, since the period of struggle for Urban Reform in Brazil. The objective is to discuss the instruments of urban policy, relating the issue of the Right to the City and the role of the State as a mediator in a process where there are several actors, but in which, together with the private sector, social movements and civil society organizations, it constitutes one of the main agents of (re)production of urban space. The aim is to discuss the role of the State, through such instruments of urban policy, as well as their effectiveness and the processes of urban planning and management, in the sense of the social function of urban property, in the face of large urban projects, often managed with PPPs.

Opportunities for nursing and midwifery research in Bulgaria

Abstract Background The training of nurses and midwives today is at university level and follows established standards. The 2009 Global Standards for the basic nursing and midwifery education of the World Health Organization requires that the curricula should include basic knowledge and skills for scientific research to implement evidence-based health care. In Bulgaria, scientific research among nurses and midwives began in 2000 and has seen more serious development in the last 5 years. Methods A content analysis of normative documents was carried out, to regulate the conduct of scientific studies and the curricula for the two specialties. Results In all documents on the activities of graduate nurses and midwives, activities related to conducting scientific studies are regulated. No mandatory discipline for these competencies is included in the basic education. In Bulgaria, there is a bachelor’s and master’s program only in Health Care Management, in which sociology, statistics, and research methodology are studied. From 2000 to 2016 nurses and midwives defended doctoral dissertations in a program for medical doctors. The first doctoral program for nurses and midwives is from 2016. There are no legal norms for stimulating and provide conducting clinical research, and to ensure evidence-based practice by nurses and midwives. Conclusions The normative regulation of scientific activity among nurses and midwives in Bulgaria corresponds to international and European requirements, but the opportunities for training are limited. The responsibility of nurses and midwives to modern society is to ensure high quality in health care provided by: a. providing opportunities for clinical studies; b. implementation of evidence-based health care and practice; c. developing programs for training for research in health care. Key messages • In Bulgaria, there is a legal norms for conducting nursing research, but not for evidence-based practice. • There is a need for more opportunities to train and encourage clinical nursing research.

Developing Doctoral Theses in Education: The Role of Systematic Reviews in the Spanish Context

The production and development of doctoral theses have grown exponentially with the advent of the Internet and the democratization of access to information and education. In the field of education, this production is no stranger to this trend, so it is interesting to analyze the implications, causes and scientific–academic contributions of this increase. To this end, a systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out using the PRISMA 2020 protocol, with the Dialnet database as the documentary source, based on a previous study that justified its use and the availability of documents. Thus, a set of pre-established criteria are defined to identify doctoral theses carried out in Spanish universities and related to the education area that have been published in the last 17 years, finding a total of (n = 120) publications whose analysis answered the researchers’ questions focused on identifying patterns and strategies in the publication and methodological design of this type of document and what is the role of systematic reviews of the literature in them. In this sense, this research process aimed to analyze this kind of production and facilitate the process of designing new theses and research projects in the field of education. In this sense, this research process aimed to analyze this sort of output and facilitate the process of designing new theses and research projects in the field of education. The results make it possible to identify the increased importance of SLR in the development of doctoral theses and reveal the predominant models related to this type of production. Additionally, other aspects, such as the most common universities or research fields, the quantity and nature of subsequent studies, etc., concerning doctoral theses that incorporate an SLR were determined. Thus, conducting an SLR represents a solid and structured approach to initiate and build up the research process of doctoral theses, being essential to address students’ potential training needs in these regards.

Panna Addams: współczesna tożsamość „z pogranicza”. O postawie głównej bohaterki serialu Wednesday

The article is a part of qualitative interpretive research conducted as part of a doctoral thesis addressing the portrayal of femininity in contemporary selected film fairytales. The aim of the analysis was to present fairy tale heroines as an audiovisual representation of expectations, norms, and values stemming from gender and inscribed in the prevailing socio-cultural order. The qualitative interpretation of the active stance of the main character in the popular series Wednesday serves as an exe mplification of cultural contestation between the traditional understanding of femininity and its androgynous redefinition, not constrained by widely accepted social norms.

Demythologising the Given: Schlick, Cornelius, and Adorno Contra Husserl

After the attempt at collaboration between the Frankfurt School and the Vienna Circle failed in the late 1930s, Adorno stood at the forefront of critical theory’s polemics against ‘positivism’. Given these later polemical exchanges, some of the tendencies common to both movements have remained overlooked. Among these is their opposition to the phenomenological tradition. This paper focusses on certain features common to Schlick’s and Adorno’s critical responses to Husserl. The Machians, including Adorno’s supervisor Hans Cornelius, were targeted by Husserl’s onslaught against psychologism in 1900. The young Schlick’s Machian background had motivated his contribution to the Psychologismusstreit, in the context of which he launched a series of objections against Husserl’s ‘independence theory of truth’. Adorno’s later doctoral dissertation under Cornelius was also motivated by the effort to defend his master against Husserl’s objections. Schlick’s criticisms intensified in later works, where Husserl’s epistemology of intuition is seen as yet another instance of the widespread confusion between knowledge and acquaintance. Schlick’s warnings against Husserl’s turn towards the irrationalist fashions of his day find their echo in Adorno’s ‘Metakritik’. Apart from their broad agreement in how they understand Husserl’s positioning within his context, Schlick and Adorno also develop a similar criticism of Husserl’s account of intuition as failing in its aspiration to discover unmediated givenness, which it confuses with mediated conceptual knowledge. Unfortunately, while Adorno explicitly acknowledges Schlick’s critique of Husserl, he also misconstrues it as a scientistic rejection of metaphysical nonsense, thus failing to acknowledge the proximity to his approach.

Announcement of Doctoral Theses

Announcement of Doctoral Theses

Providing a framework to optimize the sustainable construction material supply chain with the possibility of horizontal transfers

The application of Supply Chain Management (SCM) principles has gained considerable attention across various industries to enhance operational efficiency and business performance. In the construction sector, SCM can guide managers in strategic planning and foster collaboration with suppliers, leading to more effective project execution. Despite its importance, limited research has focused on designing sustainable supply chains for construction materials under uncertain conditions. This study aims to bridge this gap by introducing a robust optimization framework that incorporates sustainable development criteria, specifically the minimization of harmful environmental effects and the reduction of worker unemployment. Additionally, the research introduces an innovative concept of horizontal transfers between downstream members, which not only reduces supply deficiencies but also indirectly increases profitability for these members. This article is a part of a Doctoral dissertation. It follows a two-step approach. First, suppliers of construction materials are ranked based on sustainable development criteria using a multi-criteria decision-making method. The best-ranked supplier is then integrated into a mathematical model for optimizing the supply chain design. Given the NP-hard nature of the problem, the CPLEX 12.1 solver with the epsilon constraint method is used to solve small-scale models. For larger-scale problems, three meta-heuristic algorithms are developed: multi-objective ant-lion, multi-objective gray wolf, and multi-objective dragonfly. The results show that while both the ant-lion and gray wolf algorithms deliver comparable average performance, the gray wolf algorithm excels in terms of solution time, making it more effective for real-time problem-solving. This makes the gray wolf algorithm the most efficient choice for addressing large-scale, multi-objective supply chain challenges. This research introduces a novel framework for designing sustainable construction supply chains under uncertain conditions. By focusing on criteria such as minimizing harmful environmental effects and reducing worker unemployment, this study addresses key aspects of sustainable development. Additionally, the innovative horizontal transfer mechanism and the insights into algorithmic performance provide valuable contributions to the field, especially for real-world applications in the construction industry.

Relative perinormality and relative global perinormality in a new pullback construction and idealization

If (S, J) is a zero-dimensional local ring, K = S / J its residue class field and D an integral domain with quotient field K, we show that twin notions of relative perinormality (N. Epstein, J. Shapiro, Perinormality in pullbacks Journal of Commutative Algebra 11 (3):341–362, 2019) and relative global perinormality (H. Klawa, Globally perinormal domains and graded perinormality, Doctoral Dissertation, George Mason University, 2023) are preserved by a pullback construction R = D × K S . As a byproduct, we recover the preservation of these notions in a new pullback construction of Chang et al. and idealization.

Nadezhda Gorodetsky’s autographs in Belarus

The article analyzes inscriptions made by the writer Nadezhda Gorodetsky (Gorodetskaya) on her books gifted to M. Osorgin and P. Berkov. In a brief biographical summary included in the article, we learn about Gorodetsky — a Russian émigré writer and critic, and the key milestones of her literary career, including the years in Paris and England (Oxford and Liverpool). At large the study is concerned with two of her autographs discovered by Sidorova in Belarussian libraries. Their descriptions feature a detailed cultural-historical commentary. The first autograph appears on a copy of A Non-Through-Line [Neskvoznaya nit], Gorodetsky’s novel published in Paris in 1929: it is a presentation inscription with Osorgin as its recipient. The other was left on the front endpaper of the monograph Saint Tikhon Zadonsky, Inspirer of Dostoevsky, converted from Gorodetsky’s own doctoral thesis and published in London in 1951; the author, its previous owner, inscribed the copy to Berkov.

THE EFFECT OF EXPLICIT STRATEGY-BASED INSTRUCTION ON MOROCCAN EFL UNIVERSITY LEARNERS’ USE OF METACOGNITIVE EVALUATING STRATEGIES (RECALLING AND SUMMARIZING) IN READING ENGLISH (L3) WRITTEN TEXTS

This study, derived from one of the major sections of my unpublished doctoral dissertation tackling the correlation between explicit training in cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies (CMRSs) and EFL reading achievement in tertiary education (Defended in 2015), is an endeavor to reveal the perceived effect of metacognitive evaluating strategies (MESs) instruction on Moroccan English Department learners’ strategic reading behavior. Targeting 113 EFL university learners (experimental group: n=63; control group: n=50), the study explores the impact of explicit metacognitive intervention on the learners’ recourse to recalling and summarizing, as metacognitive reading strategies (MRSs) tapped for assessing their understanding of the EFL textual input. To collect the relevant data, explicit reading strategy instruction (ERSI), reading comprehension texts (i.e., narrative, expository), narrative and expository reading tests, and a retrospective questionnaire (RQ) were relied upon. The results evince that, whilst the experimental group (n=63) advanced at the level of both metacognitive evaluating strategies use and text summary-related scores, its counterpart (control group) in the control condition did not reveal any marked increase in the application of the targeted metacognitive evaluating strategies (MESs) and the scores pertinent to text-based summary performance across the pre-post-test stages. Accordingly, a corpus of relevant recommendations and implications are discussed, and a few limitations are set forth.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0799/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

All click and no play? Game comics, comic games, and user agency

ABSTRACT This contribution examines game-like digital comics, departing from Daniel Merlin Goodbrey’s concept of “game comics” that he discusses in his doctoral dissertation and in following articles (2017, 2020). Game comics, as the name suggests, would be interactive, playful comics, closely related to video games. In Goodbrey’s words, they are “a type of hypercomic that presents some of the key features of a game and uses some of the key features of the comic form as the basis for its gameplay” (2020, p. 45, "Game comics: Theory and design"). Firstly, the article defines comics, establishing a new taxonomy of digital comics (distinguishing between “homothetic,” “linked,” and “expanded”) and positioning game comics as belonging to digital ones, yet as much more fluid objects than Goodbrey’s. Secondly, it reframes the concept of interactivity within a novel framework, envisioning four types of user agency (narrative, interpretive, material, and social) that a semiotic text encourages or hinders. Lastly, it discusses a selection of game comics and reconsiders the relation the concept bears to that ofcomic games (Backe, 2020, "Game-comics and comic-games") – video games remediating comics’ affordances, seen as game comics’ hypothetical reverse. In interrogating the specifics of these objects and reflecting on the different types of user agency they prompt, the article concludes that the space between comics and games is fuzzier than taxonomies considering media in isolation would suggest.

A. B. Ranovich’s “Essay on the History of Ancient Hebrew Religion” in the Context of Disputes about the Formation Stage of Ancient Eastern Societies (Late 1930s – Early 1940s)

The article analyzes the materials of the discussion of the monograph by A. B. Ranovich, “Essays of the History of the Ancient Hebrew Religion”, submitted in 1939 for defense as a doctoral thesis. These materials, previously held in the archives of the USSR Higher Attestation Commission, have not been widely circulated in the scholarly community. It is imperative to introduce these materials into academic discourse to aid in the study of the development of Soviet historical science. The materials shed light on A. B. Ranovich’s role in advancing the Soviet model for studying early Christianity. They reveal that his initial attempt to obtain the degree of candidate of sciences was unsuccessful in 1935, and he finally attained the degree in 1938. In March 1939, he successfully defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences at a meeting of the Academic Council of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University. Moreover, the materials illustrate the intricate process of forming the Soviet canon of formation theory and the functioning mechanisms of the community of Soviet historians of antiquity. Specifically, Ranovich’s defense of his doctoral dissertation highlights the conflict between Moscow and Leningrad scholars, with both organizational and conceptual dimensions. The critique of Ranovich’s dissertation by V. V. Struve brings to light a new stage of debate on the formational affiliation of ancient Eastern societies, a fundamental question for Soviet historical science in the 1930s. This debate aligns with the longstanding dispute between Academician N. M. Nikolsky and V. V. Struve, wherein the deputy editor-in-chief of JAH took the position of Academician N. M. Nikolsky.

Stebėjimo metodo ypatumai muziejų auditorijos elgsenos tyrimuose

Audience behaviour research is one of the most relevant topics in the field of museology, as visitor-oriented modern-museology-based museums inevitably need to understand how visitors learn, explore and understand museum information and communication. The article discusses the specifics of the application of observation as one of the oldest scientific research methods in the study of museum audiences. Even though observation is identified as an essential way of studying audience behaviour in real-time, the application of the method still raises questions about the way it is applied, issues of objectivity and the reliability of data. This paper aims to highlight relevant methodological issues in the application of observation and other qualitative methods of museum visitor research in assessing the relationship between the essential research question and the data needed to answer it. A literature review and the results and experiences of the empirical research conducted for the doctoral thesis are used to answer the questions. The empirical study of visitors’ free choice behaviour in the Lithuanian Museum is used to illustrate the relevant features of the monitoring method, while the detailed results of the visitor behaviour monitoring study are presented in a dedicated paper.

An Antibullying and Therapeutic Interactive Visual Novel: TheraBuddy

This proceeding is an ongoing doctoral dissertation that will examine the effect of a serious game on bullying participant roles and social-emotional well-being. "This serious game, which is called TheraBuddy, is a Turkish interactive visual novel that is aimed at helping children and youth using cognitive-behavioral counseling and solution-focused counseling techniques." The protagonist of TheraBuddy is the player. According to story, the player is transfered to a school where bullying incidents occur. The player makes friends named Elma, Den, and Lu at this school. The player’s goal during the story is to offer solution-focused or cognitive-behavioral help to friends involved in bullying incidents, whether as victims or perpetrators. TheraBuddy consists of nine parts, including an introduction and eight chapters. Throughout the story, two characters named Ozguro and Bilgin help the player make choices, and the story of TheraBuddy continues according to the player’s choices. TheraBuddy was coded and hosted using the Ren'Py game engine. Characters and backgrounds were designed through Canva, and the TheraBuddy characters were voiced using Elevenlabs AI Voice Generator. As a result, an interactive anti-bullying game that is currently only playable offline has been developed. Work is currently being done to make this offline game a web-based game. It is believed that TheraBuddy will be helpful in combating bullying and strengthening students socially and emotionally. In the future, when the online version of TheraBuddy is completed, this belief will be tested under experimental conditions.

Art therapy as a bridge to expand burn care beyond surgery: Providers’ perspectives in an inpatient burn center

Burn injuries necessitate resource-intensive multidisciplinary care and psychosocial support. Incorporating art therapy in burn centers could enhance patient and provider care. However, research on the impact and reception of art therapy within the context of burn care is scarce. A doctoral dissertation study introduced art therapy intervention for burn patients. As part of this research, we conducted a qualitative study to explore health-care providers’ experiences, with a focus on their perspectives on burn-care and art therapy to inform research and clinical practice. Using thematic analysis in qualitative research, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 health-care providers from varied disciplines and identified the following three themes: a) Burn care is a “multifaceted problem” as well as an impact-driven, rewarding experience for providers; b) The visuality of art therapy coupled with physical activity is perceived as a necessary “emotional outlet” for burn patients; and c) Future art therapy research/practice goals are linked to complex patient presentations, specific multidisciplinary team challenges, and the critical care environment. Positive perceptions reinforced that art therapy could contribute to inpatient care as part of multidisciplinary burn teams. More research is needed to address the identified psychosocial, functional, and interprofessional needs of patients and providers.

Multiarm, non-randomised, single-centre feasibility study—investigation of the differential biology between benign and malignant renal masses using advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques (IBM-Renal): protocol

IntroductionLocalised renal masses are an increasing burden on healthcare due to the rising number of cases. However, conventional imaging cannot reliably distinguish between benign and malignant renal masses, and renal...