Number Of Academics Research Articles

Vaccines Europe 2009

The Informa Life Sciences vaccines conference is an annual meeting of a relatively small number of academics and industrialists. It is split into three concurrent sessions covering vaccine discovery, quality and manufacturing. Although there were many presentations of merit, only a few will be discussed here, including the plenary speeches on adjuvants and influenza.

Interdisciplinary research: framing and reframing

Framing encompasses the processes of identifying and bounding the area of research and based on our own experiences as academics we have found significant differences in the ways that researchers establish and frame a disciplinary, compared to an interdisciplinary, research project. In this paper we have attempted to contribute to the development of the conceptual framework underpinning interdisciplinary research through analysis of interviews with a number of academics already working in an interdisciplinary manner. Successful projects are able to identify and support the processes that allow the communication and negotiation that is necessary, not just for the initial framing of a research funding proposal but to be able to maintain negotiation. Self awareness and continual reflexivity and a willingness to be questioned by others are essential to this process.

Performance of students with weak mathematics in first-year mathematics and science

In recent years, significant numbers of academics from the science and health disciplines at our institution have found that their students lack the appropriate ‘mathematical’ background to cope with first-year science subjects. Consequently, failure rates are on the increase in these subjects. The mathematical background of students entering university has been found to be a problem in other universities in Australia, as well as in the UK, Ireland and the US. In this report, the authors analyse data on current students' performance and present suggestions for addressing the problems found. The performance of first-year students in four different mathematics and mathematically related subjects is compared to the level of their secondary school mathematics and performance, and to their tertiary entrance score. We conclude that a student's secondary school mathematics background, not their tertiary entrance score, has a dramatic effect on pass rates. On the basis of our findings, a way forward is suggested.

The Danish miracle

According to a number of academics and 'scoreboards', Denmark has overtaken Sweden as Europe's most innovative country. It is also the world's second most Web-sawy nation and the one least affected by the recession. This paper discusses the reason behind Denmark's business success.

New IDEAS to Improve the Quality of AJPE Articles

Academic pharmacy is a prolific scholarly environment because of traditional research and also because of activity in the scholarship of teaching. The expansion of the pharmacy education enterprise, including new schools and expanded class sizes and numbers of faculty members, along with new accreditation standards and advances in the general field of higher education are all prompting active scholarship related to pharmacy education. Many pharmacy faculty members are eager to develop new courses and make them known to their US and international colleagues. With each passing year, the Journal receives an increasing number of manuscripts related to new courses or other advances in instructional design and assessment; thus, a section of the Journal is dedicated to those papers. In this issue, Dr. Therese Poirier and colleagues have updated the IDEAS paper that was first published in 2004.1 Since the time of the first publication, this paper has been used routinely by AJPE authors, reviewers, and editors as a guide for manuscripts describing new instructional methods. IDEAS stands for Introduction, Design, Evaluation, Assessment and Summary. This paper has set important standards for work in this category, similar to standards in other fields of research. Specifically, new instructional approaches should be based on sound theoretical underpinnings, implemented with a clear set of desired outcomes and instructional objectives, and tested by state of the art methods resulting in data that can be assessed to determine whether outcomes have been achieved. The data resulting from this work then serves as a basis for conclusions about the new instructional approach. General acceptance of new instructional advances should be based on evidence that the new method achieves the intended results, an evidence-based approach to teaching. Because new instructional methods are often costly or time consuming to implement, we must require evidence of effectiveness. The Journal typically does not publish purely descriptive reports about new instructional methods. While descriptions of new instructional methods are clearly important to the academy, the description alone is of minimal value without evidence that the new methods are effective. To be accepted for publication, papers in this category must conform to the IDEAS criteria. As stated in the IDEAS paper, the guidelines apply to innovations that describe and evaluate instructional design and include new courses, parts of courses, integration of selected competencies across the curriculum, assessment of instructional outcomes, and the use of technologies and new delivery methods. The revised paper published in this issue expands on the previous version and provides more clarity and examples, particularly as it relates to evaluation and assessment. It is also intended to address questions about the original IDEAS guidelines that authors and reviewers have brought to the attention of the editors. The IDEAS paper has had a substantial positive impact on the quality of papers published in the Journal. It is and will continue to be used as a standard for authors, reviewers, and editors.

The Scientific Production of Full Professors of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de SÃO Paulo: A View of the Period of 2001–2006

INTRODUCTIONThe scientific production of institutions of higher education, as well as the dissemination and use of this published work by peer institutions, can be assessed by means of quantitative and qualitative measurements. This type of analysis can also serve as the basis of further academic actions. Variables such as the type of evaluation, the number of faculty members and the decision to include or exclude researchers who are not professors are difficult to measure when comparing different schools and institutions.OBJECTIVESThe purpose of this study was to assess the scientific production of tenured faculty from the Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina performed from 2001 to 2006.METHODSMedline/PubMed database was considered and the Impact factors (IFs - Journal Citation Report, 2006) and the number of generated citations (Web of Science/ISI Thomson) were also evaluated.RESULTSThe analysis of the scientific production of 66 full professors (level MS-6) revealed 1,960 scientific articles published in 630 scientific journals, of which 31.3% were Brazilian and 68.7% were from international sources. Among these, 47% of the articles were published in 62.9% of the journals with IFs above 10, although 16.4% of the journals did not have assigned IF values. We verified that 45% of the published articles received 9,335 citations (average of 11 + 17), with the majority of these (8,968 citations) appearing in international scientific journals.CONCLUSIONSOur results indicate that it is possible to analyze the scientific production of a learning institution by the number of papers published by full professors, taking into account not only their academic position and influence, but also the fact that publication is an opportunity to stimulate joint projects with other members of the same institution.

Faculty Perceptions regarding Research: Are We on the Right Track?

Although research has been a topic of discussion for the past few decades within the academy, how interior design educators view research has not been examined. The purpose of this investigation was to survey interior design faculty who are members of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) to determine (1) their definitions of research and programming, (2) their perceived value of research in interior design practice and education, (3) their perceptions of who should conduct research, (4) the degree to which they are engaging in research, and (5) how they are incorporating research into the classroom. Sixty–five faculty members responded to the online survey that consisted of three open–ended questions, 20 questions using a Likert Scale, and questions documenting demographic information. The results indicated that the faculty who responded did not have a working definition of research or programming, and a number of faculty members did not clearly understand the difference between the two. Although 27% of the sample responded that research involved discovery or moved the field forward, another 20% defined research solely as information gathering. The educators in this study valued research, and 80% believed that research findings provide useful information to the profession. Yet, many of the subjects in this study were unclear on whether interior design educators, practitioners, or specialists in other fields should be conducting interior design research. The majority of subjects valued what research could bring to the student during the design process, yet there was hesitation on whether undergraduate students should be taking research–related coursework.

Educational Problems of Kermanshah Medical School: View Points of Students, Graduates and Faculty Members

Background and purpose: In recent years although the number of students registering for medicines has decreased in Kermanshah University of Medical sciences parallel to other universities of medical sciences the quality of educational services has not improved the informal reports suggests that the competency of medical graduates is not satisfactory Since any intervention needs situation analysis this study was conducted to obtain viewpoints of three main groups of stockholders including faculty members, students and graduates on medical school problems and insufficiencies. Methods: In this qualitative study faculty members of medical schools, medical graduated of 2005-6, and medical students of different phases participated. With participation of these subjects Focus Group Discussion (FGD) sessions were carried out. The goals of the projects were first explained for participants. In the end of each discussion session the discussions were careful transcribed. The sessions continued till the sessions get saturated. The transcript of discussion was thoroughly reviewed by researchers and codified. The problems were classified in 7 areas of management, planning, education goals, evaluation, ethics, teaching, and students. Results: The subjects believed that the most important problems in Kermanshah medical school include neglecting the student evaluation, no educational objectives or being inattentive to them, unwanted effects of pay for service plan, too much duties for interns (students), overload of medical duties and insufficiency in the number of faculty members, no rewarding system for teachers, inattention to needed outcomes, shortage of facilities for student in hospital and being negligent about mutual respect between students and teachers. Conclusion: some of the problems such as the effects of pay for service plan and insufficiency in the number of faculty members have solutions stemming beyond the university at Ministry of Health level, however, most problems are local, therefore, if the directors pay more attention regarding planning, allocation and management, we can see quality improvement in medical education in Kermanshah medical school. Key word: Staff Member, Graduateds, Undergraduats, Problems , Medical School

Irish Poetry after Feminism

This book of essays has emerged from a symposium organised in September 2006 by Justin Quinn in the Princess Grace Library in Monaco where a number of academics, and poet academics were brought together to discuss the issue of Irish poetry after feminism. Such a stimulating and controversial topic was bound to be hotly debated, and in his introductory remarks Justin Quinn clarifies and justifies each term. His aim in organising the event was to assess the challenge feminism has presented for ...

NCI designated cancer center funding not influenced by organizational structure

Background: National Cancer Institutes (NCI) designated cancer centers use one of three organizational structures. The hypothesis of this study is that there are differences in the amount of annual NCI funding per faculty member based on a cancer center’s organizational structure. The study also considers the impact of secondary factors (i.e. the existence of a clinical program, the region and the size of the city in which the cancer center is located) on funding and the number of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators at each cancer center. Methods: Online research and telephone interviews with each cancer center were used to gather information, including: organizational structure, the presence of a clinical program, the number of faculty members, and the number of Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. Statistical tests were used to assess the impact which organizational structure has on the amount of funding per faculty member and number of HHMI investigators. Results: Of the 63 cancer centers, 44 use a matrix structure, 16 have a freestanding structure, and 3 have a Department of Oncology structure. Kruskal-Wallis tests reveal no statistically significant differences in the amount of funding per faculty member or the number of HHMI investigators between cancers with a matrix, freestanding or Department of Oncology structure. Conclusion: While the results seem to suggest that the organizational structure of a given cancer center does not impact the amount of NCI funding or number of HHMI investigators which it attracts, the existence of this relationship is likely masked by the small sample size in this study. Further studies may be appropriate to examine the effect organizational structure has on other measurements which are relevant to cancer centers, such as quality and quantity of research produced.

Increase of telomerase activity and hTERT expression in myelodysplastic syndromes

Background: National Cancer Institutes (NCI) designated cancer centers use one of three organizational structures. The hypothesis of this study is that there are differences in the amount of annual NCI funding per faculty member based on a cancer center’s organizational structure. The study also considers the impact of secondary factors (i.e. the existence of a clinical program, the region and the size of the city in which the cancer center is located) on funding and the number of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators at each cancer center. Methods: Online research and telephone interviews with each cancer center were used to gather information, including: organizational structure, the presence of a clinical program, the number of faculty members, and the number of Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. Statistical tests were used to assess the impact which organizational structure has on the amount of funding per faculty member and number of HHMI investigators. Results: Of the 63 cancer centers, 44 use a matrix structure, 16 have a freestanding structure, and 3 have a Department of Oncology structure. Kruskal-Wallis tests reveal no statistically significant differences in the amount of funding per faculty member or the number of HHMI investigators between cancers with a matrix, freestanding or Department of Oncology structure. Conclusion: While the results seem to suggest that the organizational structure of a given cancer center does not impact the amount of NCI funding or number of HHMI investigators which it attracts, the existence of this relationship is likely masked by the small sample size in this study. Further studies may be appropriate to examine the effect organizational structure has on other measurements which are relevant to cancer centers, such as quality and quantity of research produced.

Bigotry in Academe: Disciplinary Elitism

In this brief call to action, the authors decry disciplinary elitism. A large number of academics in various disciplines actually believe that their discipline alone has the answer to how the world works. This sort of academic bigotry runs rampant through our myriad ivied and hallowed halls, and has made a mockery of education. In a culture that values diversity, such as ours, we should not put up with the disciplinist, an academic bigot with no respect for other academic disciplines. Indeed, as disciplines converge, it is often difficult if not impossible to conduct quality research without employing the results of scholarship from other disciplines. Moreover, students who are going to be successful in life must be taught to respect all knowledge. We must teach them, as well, to appreciate the diversity of our various disciplines, and how each in its own way contributes an essential element towards our understanding of the world in which we live.

Film as a source of visual knowledge in informatics, architecture and music

This article is a series of questions and reflections, which grow out of my recent research projects which centred on the issue of interdisciplinarity in relation to film studies and cinema. Through my work at the Cinema Interdisciplinary Network (CINET), which we have been running at the University of Edinburgh since 2005, I have come across a number of academics and researchers who work with cinema or use moving images in their research but who are not film studies scholars and are not working in the areas more traditionally associated with film, such as literature or cultural studies. Could the CINET members' engagement with cinema yield some new insights about the object of their study for film scholars? What does it mean that cinema is becoming a repository of visual knowledge? How is this knowledge to be treated and organised? What does it mean that film is becoming not only an aesthetic object but also a tool to conduct intellectual analysis? What are the difficulties and pitfalls of such research projects? In order to address these questions, I will discuss two projects presented in the context of CINET—‘An Attentional Theory of Continuity Editing’ which is Tim Smith's doctoral project completed in the department of Informatics (Computer Science) and ‘Inflecting Space: Correlating the attributes of voice with the character of urban spaces’, which is a collaboration between architecture and music.

The Myth of 'the Myth of Irish Neutrality': Deconstructing Concepts of Irish Neutrality Using International Relations Theory

A number of academics, journalists and political elites claim that Irish neutrality is a 'myth', and many also characterise public support for Irish neutrality as 'confused' and 'nonrational'. This 'unneutral' discourse in the academic literature and mainstream Irish media is based on an academic thesis, that of an Unneutral Ireland. The Unneutral thesis constructs a particular concept of neutrality in order to draw its conclusion that Ireland is 'unneutral'. Using a poststructuralist approach-a rarity in the discipline of International Relations (IR)-this paper deconstructs concepts of Irish neutrality using a framework of IR theories. The results show that the concept of neutrality put forward in the Unneutral Ireland thesis and the dominant discourses on Irish neutrality are based on a hegemonic IR theory, the theory of neorealism, rather than on seemingly 'objective' scientific research methods. The paper concludes that non-realist theories and approaches may provide a better understanding of Irish neutrality and of the dynamics of public support for Irish neutrality.

The history of Dutch at the University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield has been teaching Dutch since 1948. After starting modestly as an option for students taking a degree in German, the University is now recognised worldwide for its expertise in Dutch Studies thanks to the work of a number of academics who specialise in Dutch language, culture, history and landscape. In 2008, the University of Sheffield celebrated 60 years of teaching Dutch with a special event attended by Nick Clegg MP and the Netherlands ambassador, Pim Waldeck, as well as 75 alumni and guests.

Evidence for Promotion of Nontenured Faculty

An increasing number of faculty members are choosing the nontenured path in academia. These faculty members bring expertise in teaching that must be recognized and valued. With the shortage of nurse educators, procedures to attract and retain these faculty members are needed. To address this problem, guidelines for promotion of nontenured faculty were developed. The authors describe the development process and the final criteria for promotion.

Action Learning and the Program at the Revans Centre

Over the past fifty years or so, there have been numerous attempts to give a clear definition of action learning and explanations of how to design and operate action learning programs. Also, there have been a number of academics who have tried desperately to engage action learning and link it to academic degrees. This paper attempts to explain the emergence of the Revans Centre for Action Learning and Research based at the University of Salford in England and highlight its distinctive features compared with other organizations and/or institutes. A series of examples are given which demonstrate the philosophy of application of the work of the Revans Centre and how it views professional practitioners and academics interfacing and learning from one another. Specific programs are identified and described which show how individuals registered in these programs participate in and use action learning to learn and to accomplish particular program requirements. Finally, the paper puts forward some of the intellectual developments which have progressed since the Centre was officially opened in December 1995.

Open Access Publishing: Hypocrisy and Confusion in Geography

Debates about the possibilities and importance of open access publishing in academia are reaching a crucial stage. British universities are implementing “author archiving”, electronically storing their staff’s outputs for online public access. At the same time, an increasing number of academics are calling for an overhaul of journal publishing processes—urging us to sign a petition to the European Commission in support of open access (EC Petition 2007). Journal publishers are fighting a rearguard action in response. This ranges from making some of their content freely available, to creating complicated licence forms allowing authors to only post articles online several months (in some cases years) after publication; the chief concern of publishers is the potentially dramatic loss of revenue (Shepherd 2007). The result for academics is a messy and confusing situation where even fine attention to the small print of such licences offers little clarity. Whether we are correctly abiding by these licences or not, there needs to be a more assertive discussion within academic geography about our outputs. Many geographers have critically engaged with our publishing practices, encouraging academics to write in more accessible styles and in nonacademic locations (Castree 2006; Mitchell 2006; Smith 2000). Condemnation of the negative consequences of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) on how we publish abounds; as does criticism of the Anglo-American hegemony in our conferences and publishing (Minca 2003). Moreover, the recent campaign to boycott Elsevier publications (including Political Geography, Geoforum, and Applied Geography) due to their support for arms trading has highlighted how “academic practices are increasingly enmeshed with capitalist social relations through their links with, and dependency on, multinational publishing companies” (Chatterton and Featherstone 2006:5). This move to be more critically aware of the commercialisation not just of our institutions, but also of our outputs, is necessary and

Tracking the development of China’s top universities using scientometric indicators, 1997–2005

This study reviews the developments of 9 Chinese top universities supported by “985 Project” during 1997–2005 based on the analysis of a series of scientometric indicators, including the total number of publications indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index, the cumulated impact factor of publications, the number of publications divided by the number of faculty members, the average impact factor of publications, percentage of publications in top 20 percent journals, the percentage of internationally collaborative publications, the number of publications in six broad subject fields and the Index of Disciplinary Balancing. The findings are helpful to the understanding of the achievements of Chinese top universities during this period as well as the remaining gaps between them and world-class universities.

Can Six Sigma be effectively implemented in SMEs?

PurposeThis paper aims to present the viewpoints from a number of leading practitioners and academics on the subject “Can Six Sigma be effectively deployed in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs)?”.Design/methodology/approachA number of academics and practitioners were interviewed by the author to collate their opinions and views on the above subject.FindingsThe results of the study clearly indicate that Six Sigma is equally applicable to both large corporations and small companies. In fact, the results are quicker and much more visible in smaller companies than in larger corporations.Originality/valueThis paper provides an excellent resource for those people who believe that Six Sigma is primarily meant for large companies. It also makes an attempt to remove one of the common myths of Six Sigma.