Academic Research Output Research Articles

Challenges and Support Frameworks for Producing High Quality Business Research: A Case Study of Lebanese Scholars

AbstractThis paper aims at exploring the contexts of academic research outputs faced by Lebanese researchers at four major Lebanese business schools. It analyzes both challenges and support mechanisms at these institutions to suggest improvements to the existing framework considering the researchers’ perspectives and opinions. A multiple case study was carried out at four major Lebanese business schools in which 14 individuals involved in research were interviewed. Thematic analysis was carried out to explore the host of challenges faced in the sphere of research output. This study may provide other institutions and researchers in the region and the developing world with a greater insight into necessary alterations to their own research challenges and approaches.

(Re)search results: search engines and the logic of efficiency in scholarship

ABSTRACT This article uses the search engine as a heuristic for reflecting upon the extent to which knowledge production within the academy both shapes and is shaped by the media that it studies and with which its research is enabled. More specifically, it argues that the efficiency that has helped make search both a paradigmatic feature of digital culture and a habitual, everyday activity is achieved not just through speediness of results, but through a rationalized, regimented, and standardized structuration of knowledge, ensuring the latter is amenable to computational processing and retrieval. Search engines exercise a crypto-normative function, establishing formal norms and constraints relating to knowledge production, including academic research outputs, at the same time that they furnish one of the principal means by which this research is conducted. The purpose of this article is not to decry bureaucratic modes of conduct, which are central to the responsibilities of academic life, but to stress the importance of scholars reflecting upon their own relationship to the technologies of which they make use and the temporalities these technologies engender.

The determinants and impact of research grants: The case of Brazilian productivity scholarships

Research Productivity Grant (PQ) is a governmental research award maintained by CPNq, the Brazilian Council of Research, and designed as a funding program to support scientific studies in all fields of science. Using a compilation of data from the Lattes platform, we study the individual CVs of more than 133000 researchers between 2005 and 2022 to examine PQ's selection criteria and impact on research productivity over time. First, a machine learning model can accurately predict who receives the financial support. This suggests that some parts of the evaluation process can be automated based on Lattes. Moreover, the main factors that impact the likelihood of a researcher receiving an entry-level PQ are the number of supervisions and papers published. These factors are consistent across different fields of science. Additionally, we found a significant and positive impact from receiving the award in key academic research output. After receiving a CNPq productivity award, researchers tend to increase the number of citations of papers and publications.

“Effing Awful!”: developing audio representation as a medium for conveying people’s experiences of flooded homes

PurposeDisaster research is often geared towards logocentrism and has relatively few outputs that explore alternative forms of representation, particularly those using an artistic medium. This paper explores how the creative use of audio representation can enhance understanding of flooding experiences, challenging the predominant text-based approach within qualitative study.Design/methodology/approachDuring a series of visits to people who had been flooded in 2019 in the UK, interviews and ambient sounds were recorded, analysed and then intertwined with musical elements composed by the lead author. The result is a phonographic representation of the synthesised data. The process explores a tripartite, creative, sonic approach that comingles thematic spoken excerpts with local sounds and musical compositions.FindingsThis article presents three sonic vignettes that illustrate the use of audio as a medium for academic research outputs. It contributes to the current consensus that the interpretation, representation and dissemination of research findings should be broadened beyond the dominance of the written word to align with the ethos of the Disaster Studies Manifesto.Research limitations/implicationsThe research contributes to disaster scholarship by developing a transdisciplinary approach to explore people’s experiences. By retaining the participants’ voices at its core, it makes use of in-depth, rich data to illustrate individuality, rather than aiming to generalise.Originality/valueVery little disaster research has focussed on pushing the boundaries of investigation by using the arts as a lens for both the researcher and their audience. Such work may connect with a wider range of people compared to a text-based “traditional” academic output. It can offer new opportunities for practical uses within Disaster Risk Reduction, for example as a communicative and educational tool.Contribution to impactThis paper contributes to understanding the impact of developing audio representation as a medium for conveying people’s experiences of flooded homes.

The contribution of the history of economic thought and economic history to the development of economics in the Third Polish Republic. A concise overview of academic centres, research output, and international impact

The contribution of the history of economic thought and economic history to the development of economics in the Third Polish Republic. A concise overview of academic centres, research output, and international impact

The Construction of Higher Education Evaluation Index System Based on Vector Analysis

The construction of a higher education evaluation index system based on vector analysis involves a comprehensive approach to assessing the quality and effectiveness of higher education institutions. By leveraging vector analysis, which considers both magnitude and direction, this method enables the integration of diverse factors and perspectives into the evaluation process. Key considerations in constructing such an index system include academic performance, research output, faculty qualifications, student satisfaction, institutional resources, and societal impact. Each factor is represented as a vector, with its magnitude reflecting its importance and its direction indicating its alignment with the overarching goals of higher education. This paper presents a novel approach for constructing a robust evaluation index system for higher education institutions leveraging vector analysis, supplemented by Periodic Vector Chain Learning (PVCL). the incorporation of PVCL enhances the dynamism and adaptability of the evaluation system. PVCL allows for periodic updates and adjustments to the evaluation index system, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness amidst changing educational landscapes and emerging trends. The integration of vector analysis with PVCL presents a promising avenue for the construction of a robust evaluation index system for higher education institutions.

Implications of Publication Requirements for the Research Output of Arab Academics of Library and Information Science in Scopus in 2011– 2022 (Bibliometric Study)

The Arab can be considered as a new emergent region in the world by using advanced bibliometric methods, the development of science and technology in Unsure is explored. Purpose: This article explores the implications of publication requirements for the research output of Arab academics of library and information science in Scopus, and reviews (12) years of Library and information science research in the Arab World affiliated with the (22) countries of the Arab League: a bibliometric study 2011–2022. As such it contributes to the existing body of knowledge on quantitative and qualitative effects of research evaluation policies. Design/methodology/approach: Three metrics were chosen to analyses the implications of publication requirements for the quality of research output: publications in predatory journals, publications in local journals and publications per SNIP quartile from the disciplinary perspective. Findings: Study results highlight, that: Firstly: publications of Arab academics of library and information science in predatory journals rose to (12.162 % in 2011-2013) – (39.190 in 2020-2022). Secondly: the share of publications in local journals reached the Peak of fourth period 44.595% in 2020-2022. Thirdly: though the total number of publications has risen dramatically since 2011, but the share of Q3+Q4 has exceeded the share of Q1+Q2. Summaries: the study findings highlight, that research evaluation policies are required to contain not only quantitative but also qualitative criteria. Research limitation: The study does not explore in detail the effects of a particular type of publication requirements. Practical implications: The findings of the study have practical implications for policymakers and university managers aimed to develop research evaluation policies. Originality/value: This paper gains insights into the effects of publication requirements on the research output of Arab academics of library and information science in Scopus & local journals.

The silver lining of COVID-19 restrictions: research output of academics under lockdown

Serious concerns have been raised on the potentially negative impact of public measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic on academic research, including the closure of research facilities, and the challenges of lockdown. However, it is unclear whether COVID-related mobility restrictions have penalized academic productivity, and if this is the case, whether it has had an equal impact on all research areas and countries. Here, we examined about 9.2 million submissions to 2689 Elsevier journals in all research areas in 2018–2021 and estimated the impact of anti-COVID mobility restriction policies on submissions to journals. Results showed that anti-contagion public measures had a positive impact on academic productivity. However, submission patterns changed more in non-Western academic countries, with the exception of Italy, which had stringent lock-down measures. During the early stages of the pandemic, the abnormal peak of submission was dominated by health & medical researchers, whereas later, there was an increase in submissions to social science & economics journals. Although anti-contagion public measures have contributed to change academic work, it is difficult to estimate whether they will have any potentially long-term effect on the academic community- either positive or negative.

Academic accounting and interdisciplinary research – Australian evidence

PurposeGiven the importance of interdisciplinary research in addressing wicked problems, this paper aims to explore the development of and prospects for interdisciplinary research through evidence gained from academic accountants in Australia.Design/methodology/approachExtant literature is complemented with interviews of accounting academics in Australia to reveal the challenges and opportunities facing interdisciplinary researchers and reimagine prospects for the future.FindingsEvidence indicates that accounting academics hold diverse views toward interdisciplinarity. There is also confusion between multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity in the journals in which academic accountants publish. Further, there is mixed messaging among Deans, disciplinary leaders and emerging scholars about the importance of interdisciplinary research to, on the one hand, publish track records and, on the other, secure grants from government and industry. Finally, there are differing perceptions about the disciplines to be encouraged or accepted in the cross-fertilisation of ideas.Originality/valueThis paper is novel in gathering first-hand data about the opportunities, challenges and tensions accounting academics face in collaborating with others in interdisciplinary research. It confirms a discouraging pressure for emerging scholars between the academic research outputs required to publish in journals, prepare reports for industry and secure research funding, with little guidance for how these tensions might be managed.

Evaluation of Archives and Records Management Courses in Library and Information Science Schools in South-East, Nigeria

The profession of Library and Information Science (LIS) started as an interdisciplinary field of study. Generally speaking, LIS is a profession that deals with the organization and the universe of knowledge, creation, access, collection, and preservation and or packaging of information either in physical and digital formats to serve purposes such teaching, research, and legal documentations. This paper therefore looks at an assessment of academic lecturers (librarians) in South-East Nigeria to establish from among them, their realignment into the area of Archives and Records Management research in these academic institutions. To establish the extent to which they acquire degrees in this area and offer first degree, masters and PhD degrees in Archives and Records Management. The paper also tries to find out how many of these departments are named after Archives and records Management and to establish if the naming affects the progress significantly. In doing this, academic librarians in Abia State University, Imo State University, Enugu State University, Ebonyi State University and Anambra State University were studied as case study sites. The paper finds out that none (except in one case) of these academic librarians have PhD in Records Management, none of the universities studied named the department Archives and Records Management, none offers first degree and direct masters or PhD as a degree. The null hypothesis tested was rejected to agree that the naming affects the progress of the departments in the recent times as students are no longer fashionable to LIS as it were. The paper recommends that LIS schools should change as the demand changes and that academic librarians should start acquiring degrees in this area of research to increase the potential of sustainability. The paper concludes that the profession is stagnant in South- East Nigeria as no significant changes has been adopted by the Schools studied in either research or nomenclature of academic research output in this area.

Integrated Knowledge Translation in the Food and Nutrition Security for Manitoba Youth study

Abstract Background There are concerns that many children do not have healthy diets, which may be related to dietary choices as well as lack of access to healthy foods. The Food and Nutrition Security for Manitoba Youth (FANS) study examined diet, nutrition-related behaviours and food security of 1587 grade nine students in Manitoba, Canada. Results show that while one in five students were food insecure, almost all need significant dietary improvements. Engaging stakeholders through multiple communication channels is key to disseminating research outcomes to drive action for policy change. Methods Principles of integrated knowledge translation were followed, including a breadth of dissemination activities, to maximize impact of study results. These included diverse partnerships, academic and non-academic research outputs, and use of media. Results Study partners including academic co-investigators, school authorities, government agencies and non-profit organizations advocating for child nutrition contributed to study design, interpretation and dissemination. Results were published in academic journals, as well as translated into a suite of non-academic outputs including a community report, infographics (circulated on social media), and a searchable data dashboard, available through a web-based portal. This approach allows for tracking of research output downloads, which number over 500 to date. Due to active outreach to traditional media, study results received widespread attention adding to the breadth of knowledge translation methods employed. This also led to uptake by provincial health education curriculum developers. Results will also be circulated during an upcoming provincial election as part of engaging candidates around child nutrition and food security issues and policies. Conclusions This broad approach to integrated knowledge translation has resulted in extensive distribution of FANS study results and has potential to influence public health nutrition policy. Key messages • Integrated knowledge translation and a breadth of dissemination strategies in the FANS study has led to extensive distribution of research outputs and media coverage. • The FANS knowledge portal, with diverse academic and non-academic research outputs including a data dashboard, is strategic for public health nutrition promotion and advocacy.

Effects of doctoral publication requirements on the research output of Ukrainian academics in Scopus

AbstractThis article aims to explore the effects of doctoral publication requirements on the research output of Ukrainian academics in Scopus in terms of quantity and impact. Research output in Scopus, elaborated by Ukrainian academics in economics, medicine and physics who were awarded a doctoral degree in three time periods (before September 2013, after September 2013 and after September 2020) marked by changes in doctoral publication requirements was chosen for analysis. The study findings highlight that the publication requirements resulted in an increase in the share of doctorate holders with publications in Scopus. However, first, the share of PhD holders in economics and medicine who have publications in Scopus remains rather small. In these disciplines, 9.4% and 18.1%, of PhD holders and 44.6% and 47% of DS holders who were awarded a doctoral degree in 2020, have publications in Scopus. This can be attributed to the low standards applicable to doctoral theses in economics and medicine. Second, the median journal CiteScore quartile remained unchanged in all groups except for DS holders in physics. In their case, it rose from 3 to 2. Thus, in general, changes in doctoral publication requirements did not result in doctoral holders publishing in more impactful journals.

HRM practices and academic research output: evidence from universities in Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT The Saudi Arabian higher education sector is unique because it depends on an international workforce comprising mostly non-Saudi academics. This study examined the relationship between HRM practices, trust, knowledge sharing and academic research output in Saudi Arabian universities. The study design supports the application of both exploratory and explanatory (mixed-method) approaches in examining the relationship between HRM practices and academic research output. Although the results suggest a positive relationship between HRM practices and academic research output, trust and knowledge sharing act as mediators. This study adds to the literature on higher education management, particularly from the Middle East Region – an under-researched area in education management research. Theoretically, this study contributes to understanding the relationship between HRM practices and academic research output in a higher education context. The findings have implications for advancing knowledge sharing and trust in Saudi Arabian universities.

Benchmarking Australia and New Zealand Aviation Academic Research Output between 2017 and 2021

The purpose of this study was to achieve a better understanding of the boundaries of the aviation education discipline and academic composition as well as patterns of research output in tertiary aviation education in Australia and New Zealand. This study developed a framework to identify aviation academics in Australia and New Zealand and operationalized a definition for aviation research. Based on these boundaries, a database of aviation academics and associated peer-reviewed research publications over a 5-year period between 2017 and 2021. From the database, this study was able to identify staffing profiles of aviation academics as well as patterns of research output at different levels of seniority to include the ratio of research publications that were considered aviation and non-aviation. Additionally, based on the relevant research area represented by journals of publication, aviation research disciplines were inductively developed. The study found that research outputs increase across levels until Level E, at which publications drop sharply, and that non-aviation research output was present at all levels but notably higher at Level C and Level D. It also found a research output profile for each level for both aviation and non-aviation research that can support performance benchmarking. In addition, the study identified seven aviation research disciplines based on the research area of periodicals in which aviation research was published. Lastly, the study highlighted the significant challenge of distinguishing aviation research and identifying aviation academics as well as limitations for external quantifying aviation research performance.

Influential Radiology Figures and Organizations in Social Media

PurposeWith social media becoming a vibrant hub for the radiology community, highlighting expert leaders and trustful conduits of information in the virtual field is proving crucial. The aim of this study was to identify and describe the most prominent and influential figures and organizational accounts to follow in radiology. MethodsInfluence scores for the topic “radiology” on Twitter (now known as X) were computed using the Right Relevance machine learning service. Top influencers were classified according to gender, geography, physician degree, areas of influence, subspecialization, influence score, title, affiliated institution, dual degree, medical school origin, content type, and research activity. Statistical analysis was performed assessing variable correlations. ResultsIn the top quartile of influential figures, 87% were physicians, 60% men, and 93% located in the United States. Prevalent backgrounds included neuroradiology (21%), abdominal imaging (12%), and artificial intelligence (11%). Of the top 100 figures, 81% were US graduates, 97% held medical degrees, and 28% had dual degrees. Fifty-eight percent provided educational content. A majority held leadership positions (58%) and academic professorship titles (70%). The median h index, publication number, and citation number were 14, 49, and 881, respectively. No significant correlation was noted between influence score and academic rank or research output. ConclusionsVirtual presence is becoming integral to health care professions and academic spheres, unfolding great potential for enhancing the sense of belonging, advocacy, recruitment, and fostering new relationships. Having a core of influential leaders and organizations to follow can serve as a resource for the community members and aspiring students building a positive connected basis for radiology’s thriving future.

The Importance of Higher Education on Economic Growth

"It is very important for countries to stimulate their economic prosperity and reduce poverty. While it is commonly accepted that education of all forms enhances economic performance of a country, yet the question of which level of education, secondary or tertiary, is more important to fuel the economy is not conclusively answered. The finding in Avraham Cohen’s PhD thesis is that education, as measured by published research, is strongly associated with Artificial Intelligence index of countries. Also, he found that AI is strongly associated with GDP. His findings encourage the idea that higher education, which is needed for Artificial Intelligence (AI), will be a dominant factor for economic growth in general; hereby, policy makers should invest in higher education to ensure economic affluence. Enrollment rates for higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa are by far the lowest in the world and the academic research output in the region is among the world’s lowest. Because of a belief that primary and secondary schooling are more important than tertiary education for poverty reduction, the international development community has encouraged African governments’ relative neglect of higher education. Using methodology of fuzzy logic-based soft regression, this study challenges these beliefs and demonstrates that economic growth is almost exclusively determined by higher education. Also, the importance of higher education relative to secondary education is more so in recent years relative to a decade or two ago. Motivated by this finding, I propose to find the right branch of higher education for every country based on its economic competitive advantage that will impact its economic growth best. Keywords: Education, Economic Growth, Artificial Intelligence, fuzzy logic, soft regression"

Data migration and retrospective conversion using marcedit: A study of Koha

The researcher introduces the work by explaining the background of the study. It goes ahead to state the statement of the problem (which in this case is the Data Migration and Retrospective Conversion using MarcEdit: a study of Koha objectives of the study, scope and limitation of the study and significance and scheme of the study.The purpose of this study is the researcher prepare the data ready for Koha import. excel to koha software for enhancing library services and make housekeeping operations of library easy and quick. The researcher has an overview of the critical appreciation and tries to give the statement of knowledge in the field of study as well as try to identify the possible solutions of the study questions; investigator also gives review of previous relevant literature. Retrospective conversion helps catalogue in a library to convert traditional form into a machine-readable form. The researcher used tables when illustrating the data collected. Quantitative and qualitative data was then analysed and estimation by presented in tabular form using excel worksheets. The tools that are used to migrate data from excel to Koha that is MarcEdit 7.5.Research output defines as the quantity and quality of finished research works. A conceptual model for data migration using Koha was also designed which could be tested for future scope of the study taking in more organization. In recent time ReCON considered as a powerful tool for any type of library to change existing library management system to another system for providing easy and relatively reliable to access the resources. The library management system of different kinds with powerful features are available in the market; which can also be used in academic library in order to promote library activities and services for the benefit of academic fraternity and research output. The researcher also states and gives a summarized discussion, a finding, suggestions for further research.

Do Articles Shared by Academic Medicine Social Media Influencers Drive Future Citation Rates?

To assess the role of influential figures within social media (SoMe) in driving future citations. All original articles published in the Journal of Urology (JU) and European Urology (EU) in 2018 were identified. For each article, number of mentions on any SoMe platform, article's Twitter reach, and total citations were collected. Article characteristics such as type of study, article topic, and open access status were identified. Total academic research output was obtained for first and last authors of included articles. Influential SoMe figures were defined as users that tweeted about included articles and had over 2000 followers. For these accounts, we collected total followers, total tweets, engagement statistics, verification status, and academic characteristics such as total citations and total prior publications. The impact of social media, article, and academic characteristics on future citations was assessed using panel data regression analysis. We identified 394 articles with 8,895 total citations and 460 SoMe influencers. On panel data regression modeling, tweets about a specific article were associated with future citations (0.17 citations per tweet about an article, p<0.001). SoMe influencer characteristics were not associated with increased citations (p>0.05). The following non-SoMe-associated characteristics were predictive of future citations (p<0.001): study type (prospective studies received 12.9 more citations than cross-sectional studies), open access status (4.3 citations more if open access, p<0.001), and previously well-published first and last authors. While SoMe posts are associated with increased visibility and higher future citation rates, SoMe influencers do not appear to drive these outcomes. Instead, high quality and accessibility were more predictive of future citability.

Absorptive capacity and innovation generation in higher education institutions: the mediating role of inter-functional coordination

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to theoretically broaden the knowledge-based view (KBV) by examining the significant intermediary role that inter-functional coordination (IFC) plays in acquiring new knowledge and exploiting it throughout the entire higher education institution (HEI) community for innovation generation (INNG).Design/methodology/approachData collected from a survey of 282 lecturers purposively selected from the business schools of 20 HEIs in the Greater Accra region of Ghana was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation model to test the hypotheses proposed for the study.FindingsThe results revealed that IFC significantly predicts teamwork and strong relationships across faculties, departments and units, and has a positive effect on the generation of innovations such as improved curricula, enhanced academic instruction and quality research output. Practically, the findings advise HEI managers to invest resources and efforts at building strong relationships that facilitate collaboration, trust and interactions among varying faculties, departments and units. This will enhance inter-functional knowledge sharing in academia to sustain a competitive advantage and continued relevance.Research limitations/implicationsThere are limitations that must be considered when interpreting and generalizing the quantitative results of this study. Data were collected from faculty staff of 20 public and private HEIs in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Although the majority of HEIs are clustered in this region, the results may still not be representative of all HEIs in Ghana.Practical implicationsManagers of HEIs are advised to commit to ensuring the management of IFC to promote knowledge sharing across faculties and departments. Managers are also advised to ensure that staff are made to be responsible for their cooperative and integrative teamwork. They are also advised to ensure that faculty and departmental goals are aligned with the overall goals of the university. Staff may also be encouraged to act as partners and not just employees through rewards, incentives and recognition packages.Social implicationsAttention should be focused on creating lateral relations among faculty and department members to achieve internal social capital. They are advised to invest resources and efforts in building a culture of teamwork and connectedness through strong informal networking that facilitate collaboration between faculties and departments while cultivating a shared vision throughout the university.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this paper is that it theoretically extends the KBV by empirically broadening the scope of absorptive capacity (ACAP) beyond its dimensions to include the “collaborative mechanism” (IFC) through which knowledge can be holistically exploited. The paper also contributes to existing literature by examining the intermediary role played by IFC in the relationship between ACAP and INNG in the HEIs domain which has been least discussed in the ACAP literature.

A Tale of Two Theories

A Tale of Two Theories