Subfield Of Research Research Articles

Timed alignments with mixed moves

We study conformance checking for timed models, that is, process models that consider both the sequence of events that occur, as well as the timestamps at which each event is recorded. Time-aware process mining is a growing subfield of research, and as tools that seek to discover timing-related properties in processes develop, so does the need for conformance-checking techniques that can tackle time constraints and provide insightful quality measures for time-aware process models. One of the most useful conformance artefacts is the alignment, that is, finding the minimal changes necessary to correct a new observation to conform to a process model. In this paper, we extend the notion of timed distance from a previous work where an edit on an event’s timestamp came in two types, depending on whether or not it would propagate to its successors. Here, these different types of edits have a weighted cost each, and the ratio of their costs is denoted by α. We then solve the purely timed alignment problem in this setting for a large class of these weighted distances (corresponding to α∈{1}∪[2,∞)). For these distances, we provide linear time algorithms for both distance computation and alignment on models with sequential causal processes.

The role of collaborative research network on E-waste studies in North America using a bibliometric approach

Electronic waste (E-waste) has been extensively investigated by researchers throughout the globe, however specific research trends in North America (NA) are yet unknown. This study attempts to present an up-to-date bibliometric view of the e-waste studies, and to identify the research sub-fields and networks. A total of 370 documents were retrieved from the WoS database (from 2005 to 2023). E-waste research topic that originated from NA, as well as its relative growth rate, collaborative measures, institutional productivity, and the popular journals were evaluated in this bibliometric analysis. The study showed that research productivity increased noticeably in the last decade. The USA has the most e-waste publications (72.70%), followed by Canada (22.70%) and Mexico (9.19%). The topic with the highest percentage of papers (209, or 56.49%) was environmental science. Resources Conservation and Recycling was the most active journal on e-waste research. The University of California, USA (8.64%) played an active role in the publication. Author's keywords can be generally grouped into four clusters. Network analysis results suggest that collaborative activities by leading universities will likely boost the number of studies. A diversified and strong collaborative research network may be a key driver for e-waste research output, but not necessarily research impact. It is recommended that policy makers and funding agencies create collaborative funding programs specifically for e-waste research.

Astrocyte regulation of extracellular space parameters across the sleep-wake cycle.

Multiple subfields of neuroscience research are beginning to incorporate astrocytes into current frameworks of understanding overall brain physiology, neuronal circuitry, and disease etiology that underlie sleep and sleep-related disorders. Astrocytes have emerged as a dynamic regulator of neuronal activity through control of extracellular space (ECS) volume and composition, both of which can vary dramatically during different levels of sleep and arousal. Astrocytes are also an attractive target of sleep research due to their prominent role in the glymphatic system, a method by which toxic metabolites generated during wakefulness are cleared away. In this review we assess the literature surrounding glial influences on fluctuations in ECS volume and composition across the sleep-wake cycle. We also examine mechanisms of astrocyte volume regulation in glymphatic solute clearance and their role in sleep and wake states. Overall, findings highlight the importance of astrocytes in sleep and sleep research.

GerontoVis: Data Visualization at the Confluence of Aging

AbstractDespite the explosive growth of the aging population worldwide, older adults have been largely overlooked by visualization research. This paper is a critical reflection on the underrepresentation of older adults in visualization research. We discuss why investigating visualization at the intersection of aging matters, why older adults may have been omitted from sample populations in visualization research, how aging may affect visualization use, and how this differs from traditional accessibility research. To encourage further discussion and novel scholarship in this area, we introduce GerontoVis, a term which encapsulates research and practice of data visualization design that primarily focuses on older adults. By introducing this new subfield of visualization research, we hope to shine a spotlight on this growing user population and stimulate innovation toward the development of aging‐aware visualization tools. We offer a birds‐eye view of the GerontoVis landscape, explore some of its unique challenges, and identify promising areas for future research.

Immersion: The New Frontier in Parasocial Relationships

abstract: Once relegated to a subfield of academic communication research, discussions of parasocial relationships (PSRs) are increasingly diffusing through popular media for consumption and pondering by much larger audiences. In the same technological moment, virtual reality (VR) represents a transformative technology that immerses users in computer-generated environments, offering multisensory experiences through video, audio, and haptic feedback. This essay explores some of the avenues in which traditional parasocial research might intersect and be applied to immersive VR experiences. PSRs have great potential to advance our understanding of the effects of VR on ourselves and our relationships with others, both real and mediated.

Heliophysics and space weather information architecture and innovative solutions: Current status and ways forward

Over the past 10 years, a paradigm shift has happened in the world of science and information technology. Open science is becoming the de facto standard, as underlined by the recent recommendation on Open Science approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 2021. In parallel, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies are already part of our daily life, profoundly impacting our societies. This reality is far different from when the 2015–2025 COmmittee on SPAce Research (COSPAR)/International Living With a Star (ILWS) Space weather roadmap was laid down by Schrijver et al. (2015).Hence, when the COSPAR International Space Weather Action Teams (ISWAT) initiated community-wide efforts, back in 2018, to join forces in order to advance space weather predictive capabilities, four ISWAT overarching activities were eventually established: assessment, information architecture and data utilization, innovative solutions and education/outreach. These topics are indeed transversal activities across all subfields of space weather research, focusing on either the variability of heliospheric regions or physical phenomena and their specific space weather impacts.Here, we present the combined output of the information architecture and innovative solutions working groups. The first part is related to the heliophysics and space weather information architecture key building blocks (section 2). The second part is dedicated to open science tools and infrastructures, first detailing the tools to boost open science (section 3), then presenting actual and upcoming open science infrastructures (section 4). The third part is related to AI/ML solutions applied to the data available through this information architecture (section 5). The last part tries to encompass the breadth of activity presented and provides a number of recommendations, underlining some opportunities but also challenges ahead. Overall, this paper tries to highlight how powerful this open science ecosystem is, but also fragile, requiring sustained support from its various decision makers internationally.

Analysis of bioprinting strategies for skin diseases and injuries through structural and temporal dynamics: historical perspectives, research hotspots, and emerging trends

This study endeavors to investigate the progression, research focal points, and budding trends in the realm of skin bioprinting over the past decade from a structural and temporal dynamics standpoint. Scholarly articles on skin bioprinting were obtained from WoSCC. A series of bibliometric tools comprising R software, CiteSpace, HistCite, and an alluvial generator were employed to discern historical characteristics, evolution of active topics, and upcoming tendencies in the area of skin bioprinting. Over the past decade, there has been a consistent rise in research interest in skin bioprinting, accompanied by an extensive array of meaningful scientific collaborations. Concurrently, diverse dynamic topics have emerged during various periods, as substantiated by an aggregate of 22 disciplines, 74 keywords, and 187 references demonstrating citation bursts. Four burgeoning research subfields were discerned through keyword clustering—namely, #3 ‘in situ bioprinting’, #6 ‘vascular’, #7 ‘xanthan gum’, and #8 ‘collagen hydrogels’. The keyword alluvial map reveals that Module 1, including ‘transplantation’ etc, has primarily dominated the research module over the previous decade, maintaining enduring relevance despite annual shifts in keyword focus. Additionally, we mapped out the top six key modules from 2023 being ‘silk fibroin nanofiber’, ‘system’, ‘ionic liquid’, ‘mechanism’, and ‘foot ulcer’. Three recent research subdivisions were identified via timeline visualization of references, particularly Clusters #0 ‘wound healing’, #4 ‘situ mineralization’, and #5 ‘3D bioprinter’. Insights derived from bibliometric analyses illustrate present conditions and trends in skin bioprinting research, potentially aiding researchers in pinpointing central themes and pioneering novel investigative approaches in this field.

Survey of MCDM-Based Software Engineering Method

Multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) is an operation research subfield (OR). Decision-making is primarily a process involving various actors, including individuals, groups of individuals, institutions, and the state. As a discipline, multi-criteria decision-making is relatively new Many researchers have devoted their time to developing new MCDM models and techniques since the 1950s and 1960s, when the foundations of modern multi-criteria decision-making methods were laid. Research and development in the area have intensified recently and appear to be developing tremendously. Few attempts have been made to systematically convey the theoretical foundations and advancements of multi-criteria decision-making systems, despite the widespread and intense development. The framework for evaluating judgments and the methodological options are still up for debate. In this paper reviews of MCDM/MADM technologies will be included describing their scenarios. Making a decision that is more appropriate than others to solve a particular problem is the goal of decision-making (DM), so this study presents a review of the advantages and disadvantages of different decision-making techniques, specifically in the field of software engineering.

Emotion beliefs: conceptual review and compendium.

Laypeople hold richly divergent beliefs about emotion, and these beliefs are consequential. Specific forms of belief that have been investigated include the usefulness, contagiousness, duration, dependence upon intersubjective experience, cognitively mediated properties, malleability, and hindering properties of emotion, just to name a few. Progress in this emerging sub-field of research has been hampered by the lack of a widely accepted definition of emotion belief able to capture all of these dimensions. Correspondingly, there has been a proliferation of different terminologies, constructs, and measures. The present review aims to address these obstacles by defining emotion belief, and subsequently re-considering existing constructs and measures that align with this definition. The latter is presented in the form of a comprehensive compendium of 21 different constructs and associated self-report measures that assess varying components of one's beliefs about emotions in general and/or about their own emotions, and an additional 5 scales that were designed to measure one's beliefs about another's emotions. From the more unified conceptualization of emotion belief presented here, critical areas of future research are highlighted.

The Professionalization of Stigma: The Novel Case of Recovery Coaching

Research on stigma management techniques often emphasizes reducing and challenging negative associations with stigmatization. How do people manage stigma in social groups where negative associations may be socially or professionally advantageous? We answer this question with a case study of the emerging industry of “Recovery Coaching,” where firsthand experiences with drug use and recovery are part of a credentialing system that offers entry into a professional field. Drawing on interviews with 22 participants, 15 of whom were certified recovery coaches, we demonstrate the presence of a unique stigma management technique: the professionalization of stigma. Recovery coaches explicitly leverage revealing stigmatized associations to establish and justify their membership in a professional group. We distinguish the professionalization of stigma from conventional management techniques that reduce stigma and discuss the implications of this concept for the study of destigmatization under neoliberal social and economic conditions across different subfields of sociological research.

Institutional theory in accounting information systems research: Shedding light on digital transformation and institutional change

This article aims to shed light on digital transformation in the accounting sector from the perspective of institutional change. We performed a systematic literature review to understand how institutional change could be applied to research on Accounting Information Systems (AIS), using a quantitative method to categorize data through LSA (Latent Semantic Analysis) technique; and a qualitative method performed by hierarchical categorical content analysis as a basis for inferences. We reviewed 309 articles using Institutional Theory in accounting and AIS. The LSA results presented the main topics of study, subfields of research, and uses of Institutional Theory. Regarding accounting research, it is possible to identify the role of institutional forces in the IFRS adoption (in private and public sectors), XBRL adoption, and disclosure of information on organizations’ environmental, social, and governance, with a focus on analyses at the organizational level and regulatory pressures. A deep dive into AIS articles showed that Institutional Theory was applied to analyze the adoption of systems/technologies (mostly ERP and XBRL) through isomorphic processes (coercive, mimetic, and normative). We proposed to analyze digital technologies as an exogenous change for the digital transformation in accounting business using another perspective of Institutional Theory: institutional change. Institutional change analyzes the role of destabilizing elements in the change of an organizational field as a whole and not just in a few organizations. In this perspective, technology is the agent of change on a broader level, transforming organizations, individuals, customers, suppliers, and governments. The main contribution of this article is presenting suggestions for future AIS. This research agenda contributes to advancing Institutional Theory in AIS, using the lens of institutional change to analyze the new realities shaping accounting organizations, such as digital transformation.

Research streams, gaps and opportunities in servant leadership research

PurposeThe purpose is to use co-citation analysis of servant leadership (SL) research to investigate the evolution of the field, its subfields, gaps and opportunities for future research in a systematic manner.Design/methodology/approachA document co-citation technique and three clustering algorithms (latent semantic index (LSI), the log-likelihood ratio (LLR) and the mutual information (MI) index) were employed to analyse 24,030 references from 549 articles spanning a period of 50 years.FindingsCluster analyses reveal that SL research consists of eight distinct subfields: (1) conceptualisation and measurement of SL; (2) SL and related theories; (3) methodological foundations and empirical expansion of SL research; (4) individual-level cognitive effects of SL and related theories; (5) “Warmth effects” of leadership behaviour; (6) antecedents of effective leadership; (7) SL, marketing, sales management and ethics and (8) SL, job design and work engagement. Important gaps and opportunities for future research are identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe analyses do not show a complete picture of research on SL. Interesting works used by subgroups of SL researchers may not have enough citations to be included in the results. Moreover, bibliometric analyses do not explain the impact of books, journals and articles on the practice of SL. The authors welcome future analyses of the most influential sources of SL practice. The authors expect that managerial and practice-oriented books and journals, such as the International Journal of Servant Leadership and the Servant Leadership Theory and Practice, would play a central role in such analyses.Practical implicationsThe discussions of the nature of SL, its effects and antecedents are useful to leaders who want to develop a SL style or assist others in developing it. For researchers and doctoral students, the cluster analyses of co-citations give an overview of the subfields of SL research and reveal important knowledge gaps in the literature.Social implicationsSL has several favourable effects on the motivation and psychological well-being of followers. Also, followers tend to adopt a willingness to serve.Originality/valuePrevious research has categorised SL research into three broad categories or phases. The cluster analyses of the co-citations reported here reveal a meaningful structure of eight distinct subfields. Knowledge gaps within the subfields represent novel opportunities for future research on SL. The authors also suggest a new subfield of SL research: pedagogical approaches to the motivation and development of SL skills.

Geopolitical disruptions in global supply chains: a state-of-the-art literature review

This paper systematically reviews the literature on the impact of geopolitical disruptions on supply chains to identify primary discourses, emergent themes and key gaps to set a future research agenda. The guiding research question is ‘how do geopolitical disruptions affect the configuration, flow, and management of global supply chains?’. The study applies a systematic literature review of 50 papers from the Association of Business Schools’ (ABS) ranked academic journals in the fields of operations, production, and supply chain management published between 1995 and 2022. Through an in-depth literature analysis, this paper demarcates geopolitical disruptions and the resulting impact on supply chains as a new subfield of research. The results indicate that the impact of geopolitical disruptions on supply chains can be mitigated through: (1) supply chain re-design including regionalisation, back-shoring, and moving away from just-in-time delivery models as well as (2) the implementation of emerging technologies, such as blockchain, 3D printing and artificial intelligence, to improve supply chain transparency and the development of modularised manufacturing. This paper is one of the first to define the current state of research and thinking on the impact of geopolitical disruptions on supply chains, laying a firm foundation for future research by setting a detailed research agenda based on identified gaps.

Gender imbalances among top-cited scientists across scientific disciplines over time through the analysis of nearly 5.8 million authors.

We evaluated how the gender composition of top-cited authors within different subfields of research has evolved over time. We considered 9,071,122 authors with at least 5 full papers in Scopus as of September 1, 2022. Using a previously validated composite citation indicator, we identified the 2% top-cited authors for each of 174 science subfields (Science-Metrix classification) in 4 separate publication age cohorts (first publication pre-1992, 1992 to 2001, 2002 to 2011, and post-2011). Using NamSor, we assigned 3,784,507 authors as men and 2,011,616 as women (for 36.1% gender assignment uncertain). Men outnumbered women 1.88-fold among all authors, decreasing from 3.93-fold to 1.36-fold over time. Men outnumbered women 3.21-fold among top-cited authors, decreasing from 6.41-fold to 2.28-fold over time. In the youngest (post-2011) cohort, 32/174 (18%) subfields had > = 50% women, 97/174 (56%) subfields had > = 30% women, and 3 subfields had = <10% women among the top-cited authors. Gender imbalances in author numbers decreased sharply over time in both high-income countries (including the United States of America) and other countries, but the latter had little improvement in gender imbalances for top-cited authors. In random samples of 100 women and 100 men from the youngest (post-2011) cohort, in-depth assessment showed that most were currently (April 2023) working in academic environments. 32 women and 44 men had some faculty appointment, but only 2 women and 2 men were full professors. Our analysis shows large heterogeneity across scientific disciplines in the amelioration of gender imbalances with more prominent imbalances persisting among top-cited authors and slow promotion pathways even for the most-cited young scientists.

Analysis of the trends and cutting-edge developments of research in Tangut studies

Tangut studies is a broad discipline, generally consisting of three branches: Tangut language and literature, Tangut archaeology, and Tangut history. There are three new trends in Tangut studies in the new century: the publication of more Tangut written sources and artifacts, the gradual standardization of the interpretation of Tangut texts, and the continuous expansion of the subfields of Tangut historical research. Some issues could potentially hinder the further development of Tangut studies, such as cultivating new scholars in Tangut studies, avoiding the problem of “fragmentation” in research, supplementing the Khara-Khoto material, and the cooperation between Tangut studies and Tibetan studies. Finally, some future work plans are mentioned that cover various aspects, including language and literature, Tangut documents, and historical research.

Evolution of technology in sports: Impact on performance, management, and fan experience

Like other aspects of life, sport, and exercise science have been significantly impacted by technological breakthroughs. Modern sports and the different subfields of exercise research are impossible to envision without technology. The usage of technologies is always clouded with ambivalence and irritation. Ironically, it is people's failure to completely comprehend the scale and depth of technology's influence and also doubt as to what function certain technical improvements play in sports that have contributed most to its pervasiveness. Sports technology has, in fact, significantly altered the field of exercise and sport research. It's important to note that technology has significantly altered how we perceive the athletic body. The impact of technology on sports performance is thus examined in this essay, taking into account technological ideas, the pursuit of increased performance, various sports technology kinds, and the benefits and drawbacks of sports technology in contemporary sports. It is advised that individuals who manage, handle, and utilize sports be prepared to make informed decisions about the kind and application of sports technologies that would support the correct performance.

Social Dynamics and the Evolution of Disciplines

Abstract We consider the long-term evolution of science and show how a “contagion of disrespect”—an increasing dismissal of research in subfields associated with marginalized groups—can arise due to the dynamics of collaboration and reputation (versus, e.g., preconceived notions of the field’s worth). This has implications both for how we understand the history of science and for how we attempt to promote diverse scientific inquiry.

Engineering Terrorismmindedness: A Scientometric Study of the 9/11-effect on STEM Research, 1989-2022

We study terrorism’s shaping of STEM research through the development within engineeringresearch of a ‘terrorismmindedness’, i.e. terrorist threat domestication through integration in research practice. This is done by a distant reading of how research in the engineering sciences is increasingly addressing terrorism-related topics. By means of an in-depth bibliometric analysis of some 3.000 terrorism-related scientific articles published 1989–2022, we construct within the subject area ‘Engineering’ in Web of Science its research subfield ‘Terrorism Related Engineering Research’. The publications are analysed by bibliometric mapping, co-occurrence text measures and ‘algorithmic historiography’ using the HistCite tool. Papers cited together are mapped using VOSviewer to identify concepts and the results are clustered according to topicality, revealing the various terrorism-related research interests among engineering scientists.

The Toynbee Affair at 100: The Birth of ‘World History’ and the Long Shadow of the Interwar Liberal Imaginaire

Functioning as “precedent” and “templates” for future transfers, the Greco-Turkish population exchange and the Lausanne Treaty) are undoubtedly events of world-historical significance. But they are also crucial in the genesis of the subfield of historical research we now call “World History”: they provided the backdrop against which Arnold Joseph Toynbee (1889–1975) began sketching his magnum opus, A Study of History and developed the foundations of this subfield of history writing. This article revisits the so-called “Toynbee Affair” and places it in its intellectual and political contexts. First, it revisits the British classicist scholarship that provided the backdrop and initial inspiration for Toynbee as it shifted its gaze from ancient Rome to Greece, which was put forward as a better model for foreign and imperial policy. Next, it examines Toynbee’s wartime activities and shows that his attitudes towards the new states of Central Europe were based on principles that often stood in tension with his activities and views connected to the Middle East. During these years, Toynbee was an active participant in a discourse concerning the need to manage “mixed populations,” which moved to the forefront of a new form of internationalism, while also exposed to the writings of authors such as Oswald Spengler and Frederick J. Teggart, who pushed him to advance a new type of historiography. Third, the article looks at the uneven reception of Toynbee’s ideas after 1945, including his views on the US, the “Muslim civilization,” and his controversial views on Jews and the politics of the Middle East. The article concludes by arguing that his views, which rested on a deep suspicion of liminal hybridity or cultural mestizos, failed to transcend the basic logic of separation developed in Lausanne. Entirely on the contrary: Toynbee’s story offers us a case in which we can recognize the making of the interwar “cultural imaginaire” and “reinvention of differences,” which continues shaping our view of “the West’s” supposed borders to this day.

Knowledge Management and Cryptocurrencies: review and reflection

In this paper we try to reflect on how one of the financial phenomena of the last twenty years, namely cryptocurrencies, has been analysed by the scientific community of the Knowledge Management (KM) field. The issue is relevant because the raise of cryptocurrencies as an economic asset has been occurring in a time in which KM gained social prominence. And also because the evolution of cryptocurrencies should be also related to knowledge about their own value. Within this context, we present a literature review on papers that exist in the SCOPUS database about cryptocurrencies and KM. After analysing those papers, the general idea is that KM is very far away from the cryptocurrency phenomenon; the reason may be that it is very difficult to use the more common models available on KM to analyse cryptocurrencies; also the economic and social agents that might be interested in KM are not those who invest in cryptocurrencies; finally, the data available on cryptocurrencies are mostly speculative, and it is very difficult to make any scientific study on them. These conclusions may be of interest for the KM community at large, because they indicate a new subfield of research, and for practitioners, because they mean that there is not much science in the evolution of cryptocurrencies themselves. Finally, for policymakers, the findings mean the expanding the possibility of use of cryptocurrencies in societies may be extremely risky given their volatility and the lack of precise scientific knowledge about them. The paper is original because it relates to concepts that have only very seldom and scarcely put together.