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Background and objectives With an increasing number of racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S., nursing research frequently involves the use of multiple languages, especially to promote the understanding of educational materials related to nursing care. Furthermore, with a recent emphasis on innovation in health-related research, the use of technology is prominent in nursing research. However, practical issues in the use of multiple languages, especially in technology-based intervention studies, have rarely been reported and/or discussed in nursing literature. The purpose of this paper is to identify practical issues in conducting a technology-based intervention study using multiple languages among Asian American breast cancer survivors. Methods In a large-scale technology-based breast cancer intervention study, research team members wrote memos on issues in translation process and plausible reasons for the issues. Then, the memos and written records were analyzed using a content analysis. By using individual words as the unit of analysis, line-by-line coding was done, and idea categories representing practical issues were extracted from the codes. Results Six themes representing the practical issues were extracted. Issues were found in recruiting and retaining bilingual research team members; maintaining consistency in translation process; keeping cultural and conceptual equivalence; repeating IRB protocol modifications; finding and using existing translated versions; and arranging technological aspects related to electronic multiple-language versions. Conclusion The use of multiple languages in a technology-based intervention study is feasible. However, it is necessary to effectively manage unforeseen challenges through various strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study evaluating the value of a documentary as a key medium to communicate design research. We present information from the evaluation of a second screen application using video as well as a scientific paper, in order to assess how the efficacy and usefulness of using such a documentary for science communication is perceived when compared to a scientific paper. Techniques of a method called Design Documentary , developed to inspire design research teams through video, combined with science journalism were the basis of the production. Twelve researchers and students were shown the documentary and asked to read the paper in counter-balanced order. Our qualitative results show that the documentary as a complementary means of communication can bring benefits to research communication, since it delivers information the paper cannot provide. However, the fact the video is not suited for peer review might restrict its place when compared to the paper. On the overall, participants thought both formats are valuable and are complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to discuss the development of modern nursing in Italy. Specifically, the paper aims to draw attention to the fact that while nursing in Italy has mirrored developments in Europe, in many respects the advancement of the profession is much less accelerated. The paper considers the reasons for this and the contributing factors and explores possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which focused on the disparity between students and faculty expectations in doing research. Reasons for selecting the research paper as a basic criterion; Professors' perspectives of the value of research assignment.

As an experienced writer, one is often asked the question "what can I publish" by younger and inexperienced colleagues who must publish. This paper will briefly review the reasons why academics publish and will then outline what kind of papers one may be able to publish with relative ease, using personal experience and citing first hand material as a practical guide. Potential authors must cultivate "a lean and hungry look" as competition from fellow writers is stiff, and editors are choosy. However, do take heart - if we, older colleagues did and can, you can too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The analysis of the constituents of fingerprints has been described numerous times, mainly with the purpose of determining the aging effect on fingerprints or showing the differences between donors or groups of donors. In this paper we describe the use of derivatized amino acids to determine the efficacy of the visualization reagents 1,8-diazafluoren-9-one (DFO) and ninhydrin. At present certain conditions are used for the application of these reagents, as determined by trial-and-error investigations, to the effect on fingerprints. The recovery of amino acids from a porous surface can be used as a measure for the efficacy of a visualization agent. In this paper we describe a method for the determination of the amount of amino acid left after reaction with well known fingerprint visualization reagents. This will allow a more scientific approach to method development for fingermark enhancement techniques. Furthermore, investigations on the influence of the concentration of fingermark amino acids, the order of application of and exposure time to reagents and the influence of age of the amino acids were carried out. These studies have resulted in a broader understanding of the mechanism involved in visualization of fingermarks using DFO and ninhydrin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Academics have a duty towards peers and scholars alike to engage in research work and to publish their findings. This also assists in establishing personal academic success as well as the attainment of research grants. In the past, authors used to publish their research articles for free but access to these articles was restricted to subscription users only. Recently, open access publishing has gained momentum, whereby such articles are made freely accessible online. However open access publishing comes with a price tag for the author through article processing charges. Open access may also question a journal's credibility within the academic world if improperly implemented. This is particularly so following the unsolicited bombardment of researchers' email accounts with invitations for submissions to predatory open access journals. For these reasons, authors needs to rigorously weigh the pros and cons of whether to choose a subscription based or an open access journal for publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A paper which has received more citations than the number of references in that paper is called a successful paper (SP). The assessment based on the number of SP produces comparable scores for scientists working in different disciplines of science, and in different countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This commentary reports on the advances that have occurred over the 10-year period since the first National Workshop to Develop the Chiropractic Research Agenda was held and introduces the second set of white papers that were produced as a result of the 10th annual Research Agenda Conference. Four working groups were convened to update the original 5 white papers that represented the most significant results from the first workshop in 1996. Each group was to review the first report, examine the action steps and recommendations that were published in each report to see how much had been completed in the past decade, and develop new action steps and recommendations for the future. Four new articles were developed, each updating and adding significant amounts of new research to the original versions. New action steps and recommendations will help move the profession forward into the future. Chiropractic scientists have worked diligently over the past decade to address the recommendations noted in the first set of white papers. Despite significant advances in knowledge and scientific capacity, the chiropractic profession is still confronted with a large number of research challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This collection of papers includes a contribution that lists educational resources on the internet. It is thus salutary to look back at one of the earliest predictions as to how the internet might come to be, by a great scientist from the middle of the 1940s, Vannevar Bush (1890-1974). This engineer and inventor came up with the concept of the "memex", a hypothetical adjustable microfilm viewer with a structure and functionality analogous to that of today's hypertext, way back in 1945. This paper will describe the extremely prescient memex concept and its analogy with today's computers and the internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Training in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) requires undergraduate degrees in both medicine and dentistry. When trainees in other surgical specialties may be pursuing a higher degree in research or education, OMFS trainees will be studying for their second undergraduate degree. It is possibly therefore that the specialty is weak in terms of doubly qualified university academics who have been trained in the full and extended curriculum OMFS. Research is recognised in all applications to United Kingdom and Ireland specialist training programmes, and points are awarded, though many juniors who enter these will have found it difficult to do any research during their careers to date. With changes in specialist training it may become even more difficult to obtain a research degree, although with the introduction of the National Institute for Health Research Integrated Academic Training (academic clinical fellowships/clinical lectureships) there is renewed hope that enthusiasm for academic OMFS will be reignited. In this paper we try to provide an idea of the opportunities available to OMFS trainees in academia and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence-based published data is the prime source used for clinical decision making, the issuance of guidelines and the drafting new policies. A number of different study designs are used to perform and publish research studies, corresponding to the research question being investigated. Over the decades, a hierarchical system of evidence has been established. This provides an indication of the level of evidence each study design contributes to the research community. Policies and clinical guidelines should naturally be based on the highest level of evidence data available. However, the highest level of evidence study designs may not always provide an adequate answer to a research question. Thus, when utilising published evidence-based data, one should first understand the clinical question that needs to be answered, and then critically appraise the published data accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of research papers on the transformation of plantation forests presented during the IUFRO conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland on August to September 1999. Ecological aspects of transformation; Silviculture of transformation; Quntification of the transformation.

When applying for funding, researchers must demonstrate their productivity. For most funding organizations, a key measure of productivity is the number of papers published. The road to publication is rarely straightforward; few journals provide practical guidance to researchers who are struggling to publish their data. Here, we outline the sections of a research paper and describe practical steps in each part of the publication process as an aid to newer authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This satellite symposium was the fourth in a series for editors, publishers, reviewers and all those with an interest in scientific publishing. It was held on Wednesday 25th June 2014 at the IADR International meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. The symposium attracted more than 180 attendees. This symposium placed an emphasis on how the quality of papers submitted to dental journals could be improved. The panel included representation from editors, researchers and publishers from North America, India and the Gulf States. The symposium identified a number of challenges for editors and publishers, including the poor quality of many papers submitted to dental and other scientific journals, plagiarism, attempted duplicate publication and sometimes fraudulent results. Where possible speakers are identified by name. A subsequent symposium was held during the IADR meeting in Boston on March 11th 2015. Involvement open to editors, associate editors, publishers and others with an interest in scientific publishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper has been identified as a genre that is commonly produced in both graduate and undergraduate courses. However, researchers have noted that this label tends to be used loosely and that texts referred to as research papers are not characterized by a fixed set of discoursal features [such as Johns A.M. (1997). Text, role and context. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press]. In addition, there appears to be no linguistic study of how the discourse structure of texts referred to as research papers may vary across courses in undergraduate or graduate programs. Using genre analysis, this study explores the nature of research papers from two disciplinary graduate courses, in order to increase our understanding of this heterogeneous genre and the dimensions along which it can vary across sub-disciplines. Evaluated research papers from two courses in environmental science were analyzed along a number of dimensions: the overall organization of the papers, the claims made, the intertextual links established, and the epistemic or phenomenal focus of the paper. The results of these analyses indicate that research papers can have multiply layered communicative purposes, which may vary in different disciplinary courses, resulting in texts characterized by different discoursal features. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Context: Smartphone-based applications enable new prospects to monitor symptoms and assess functional outcome in patients with lumbar degenerative spinal disorders. However, little is known regarding patient acceptance and preference towards new modes of digital objective outcome assessment.Purpose: To assess patient preference of an objective smartphone-based outcome measure compared to conventional paper-based subjective methods of outcome assessment.Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study.Patient Sample: Fourty-nine consecutive patients undergoing surgery for lumbar degenerative spinal disorder.Outcome Measures: Patients completed a preference survey to assess different methods of outcome assessment. A 5-level Likert scale ranged from strong disagreement (2 points) over neutral (6 points) to strong agreement (10 points) was used.Methods: Patients self-determined their objective functional impairment using the 6-minute Walking Test application (6WT-app) and completed a set of paper-based patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) before and 6 weeks after surgery. Patients were then asked to rate the methods of outcome assessment in terms of suitability, convenience, and responsiveness to their symptoms.Results: The majority of patients considered the 6WT-app a suitable instrument (median 8.0, interquartile range [IQR] 4.0). Patients found the 6WT more convenient (median 10.0, IQR 2.0) than the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ; median 8.0, IQR 4.0, p=.019) and Core Outcome Measure Index (COMI; median 8.0, IQR 4.0, p=.007). There was good agreement that the 6WT-app detects change in physical performance (8.0, IQR 4.0). 78 % of patients considered the 6WT superior in detecting differences in symptoms (vs. 22% for PROMs). Seventy-six percent of patients would select the 6WT over the other, 18% the ZCQ and 6% the COMI. Eighty-two percent of patients indicated their preference to use a smartphone app for the assessment and monitoring of their spine-related symptoms in the future.Conclusions: Patients included in this study favored the smartphone-based evaluation of objective functional impairment over paper-based PROMs. Involving patients more actively by means of digital technology may increase patient compliance and satisfaction as well as diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of cancer patients in Europe is rising and significant advances in basic and applied cancer research are making the provision of optimal care more challenging. The concept of cancer as a systemic, highly heterogeneous and complex disease has increased the awareness that quality cancer care should be provided by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of highly qualified healthcare professionals. Cancer patients also have the right to benefit from medical progress by receiving optimal treatment from adequately trained and highly skilled medical professionals. Built on the highest standards of professional training and continuing medical education, medical oncology is recognised as an independent medical specialty in many European countries. Medical oncology is a core member of the MDT and offers cancer patients a comprehensive and systemic approach to treatment and care, while ensuring evidence-based, safe and cost-effective use of cancer drugs and preserving the quality of life of cancer patients through the entire ‘cancer journey’. Medical oncologists are also engaged in clinical and translational research to promote innovation and new therapies and they contribute to cancer diagnosis, prevention and research, making a difference for patients in a dynamic, stimulating professional environment. Medical oncologists play an important role in shaping the future of healthcare through innovation and are also actively involved at the political level to ensure a maximum contribution of the profession to Society and to tackle future challenges. This position paper summarises the multifarious and vital contributions of medical oncology and medical oncologists to today's and tomorrow's professional cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In 1948 Ludwik Fleck published a paper in Polish discussing the use of humans in medical experiments, thereby addressing his peers. Though the paper has so far not been translated or studied, it has been taken to indicate Fleck’s deep commitment to ethical questions, notably the question of informed consent. In being written by a former victim of the Nazi policy and a survivor of the Holocaust also acting as an expert witness in the trial of the IG Farben in Nuremberg, the paper is of interest. A scrutiny of Fleck’s text and related sources discloses, however, not only the complexity of the issue at the centre of the Nuremberg trial, but also Fleck’s unexpected stance in seemingly adducing his arguments from both the German defendants and the prosecution, heavily informed by US scientists. Further, the contentious discussion of the past in Fleck’s paper reveals its links to modern bioethical discussion. Though sometimes oblivious of that past, it still faces the same questions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In an attempt to enhance the quality of internal medicine practice and to reform the education of internists across Europe, the European Board of Internal Medicine (formed by the European Federation of Internal Medicine and the European Union of Medical Specialists Section of Internal Medicine) has launched a project aimed at defining core competencies that are common to all internists. The compilation of six core competencies presented in this paper consists of patient care; medical knowledge; communication skills; professionalism, ethical, and legal issues; organizational planning and service management skills; and academic activities. These core competencies are the foundation required for the provision of high-quality medical care everywhere, regardless of the professional traditions and organization of health care in different countries. The authors hope this paper will stimulate constructive discussion and thoughtful debate, and that it will be followed by a collaborative effort to develop and endorse a European consensus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: In 2019, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) authored by Dr. Ismail was retracted due to concerns about data integrity. Since there are no policies in place to investigate other publications of authors of retracted studies, we investigated Dr. Ismail's other trials.Methods: We searched for RCTs authored by Dr. Ismail. We made pairwise comparisons of values in baseline and outcome tables between trials. We assessed whether the distributions of baseline characteristics were compatible with properly conducted randomization, using Monte Carlo simulations and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. We read the publications carefully for unusual features.Results: Dr. Ismail was author in eight published and one unpublished trial. In three of his first author studies we found multiple identical values in the baseline and/or outcome tables from different trials. At least some of the trials were unlikely to have followed a proper randomization process. There were a number of other unusual features in the papers we reviewed.Conclusions: It is probable that other trials published by Dr. Ismail contain questionable data. We call for a thorough investigation of the original trial data and related official documents. Our exercise suggests that the practice to assess research integrity should include all publications of authors with retracted fabricated articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the awarding of the Student Research Paper Certificate of Excellence to sixteen students in recognition of high quality research papers and posters that were presented in a superior manner at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Poultry Science Association. The students are eligible to submit papers for the Alltech Student Research Manuscript Award for 2006.

Abstract: One of the key means by which knowledge is disseminated in the academic discourse community is the spoken presentation of papers at an academic conference. In contrast to the written research article, the spoken presentation remains relatively under-researched from a linguistic perspective, limiting the knowledge available for explicating this kind of discourse in academic language programs. In this paper, we draw on a social semiotic theory of language (Systemic Functional Linguistics) and of gesture, to frame a multi-layered exploration of interpersonal meaning in this register that incorporates attention to generic staging, to expressions of attitude, and to the co-expression of attitudinal language and gesture. The data are a set of plenary presentations at an academic conference, and the study aims to explore means by which the speakers construe a relationship of solidarity with their audiences in the introductory or ‘set-up’ stage of their talk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses the approaches for gluteal tendinopathy which includes education plus exercise and corticosteroid injection.

This paper is focussed on a comparison of the contents of volumes 1 (1953) and 50 (2002) of Acta Metallurgica/Materialia, with the aim of analysing the nature of the change as regards both the numbers and locations of the authors, and the subject-matter covered by the published papers. While much has changed drastically over the past half-century, the basic principles laid down by the first editor and his advisers have not changed in essence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Peer reviews of research articles submitted to journals are an occluded genre, that is, they are not publicly available documents which are part of the research record. When submitting their first scientific papers to international journals for publication, NNSE (non-native speaker of English) novice researchers face the challenging task of framing effective replies to referees’ criticisms, a complex process requiring considerable socio-cultural sensitivity and pragma-linguistic competence. In order to lessen the impact of linguistic and cultural barriers to early publication, it is likely that an awareness of relevant features of peer reviews would be helpful. However, as gatekeeping discourse, peer reviews remain largely under-researched principally due to their hidden status and issues of confidentiality. This study presents the description and analysis of referees’ comments contained in a corpus of 40 peer reviews of short scientific papers known as Letters. In the task of revising their manuscripts for publication, novice researchers need to interpret appropriately the motivation behind referees’ comments, for example, whether they are more directed towards revision of the technical subject matter (ideational), the effectiveness of the writer''s interaction with the reader in the text (interpersonal), or an aspect of the text itself, for example, its format or length (textual). The results of this study highlight the strongly interpersonal orientation of referees’ concerns, with two-thirds of all comments in the corpus focusing on interactional deficiencies of NNSE researchers’ manuscripts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper honours a paediatrician whose career has been patchwork but distinguished, with many facets. It is a light-hearted look at the printed (infinitely preferable to the electronic) word. Although the obvious response is "read everything I have written", this would only drive down the stores of Prozac. Read the scientific literature of course. The oldie reads to stay one jump ahead on the ward round. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews rely on the judgement of others, so should be regarded with suspicion. Do your own research, and do not rely on the thoughts of other people. Read beyond PubMed. "There is more in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than is dreamed of in your PubMed" (Shakespeare). Read the giants of the past. Richard Asher has so much to teach. What are the seven sins of medicine, and how many have you committed? Asher is top read of the talk. Learn from the mistakes of the past. Your patient comes first. Read how the medical profession covered up the death of Steve Biko and never compromise with patient safety and your integrity. Finally, remember thou art mortal - read a real book for pleasure. Kindle reading must be like making love to an inflatable doll (not that I have done either). Choose what you relax with; for me, PG Wodehouse, Jane Austen, Billy Bunter and Wisden. Who said and why: 'Madam, under similar circumstances I would have kicked the Archangel Gabriel!'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The current evidence-based practice (EBP) movement in healthcare emphasizes that clinical decision making should be based on the “best evidence” available, preferably the findings of randomized clinical trials. Within this context qualitative research findings are considered to have little value and the old debate in nursing has been re-ignited related to whether qualitative versus quantitative research findings provides the best empirical evidence for nursing practice. In response to this crisis qualitative scholars have been called upon by leaders in the field to clarify for outsiders what qualitative research is and to be more explicit in pointing out the utility of qualitative research findings. In addition, attention to “quality” in qualitative research has been identified as an area worthy of renewed focus. Within this paper two key problems related to addressing these issues are reviewed: disagreement not only among “outsiders” but also some nursing scholars related to the definition of “qualitative research”, and a lack of consensus related how to best address “rigor” in this type of inquiry. Based on this review a set of standard requirements for qualitative research published in nursing journals is proposed that reflects a uniform definition of qualitative research and an enlarged yet clearly articulated conceptualization of quality. The approach suggested provides a framework for developing and evaluating qualitative research that would have both defensible scholarly merit and heuristic value. This will help solidify the argument in favor of incorporating qualitative research findings as part of the empirical “evidence” upon which evidence-based nursing is founded. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ECG signals recorded on paper are transferred to the digital time database with the help of an automated data extraction system developed here.A flatbed scanner is used to form an image database of each 12-lead ECG signal. Those images are then fed into a Pentium PC having a system to extract pixel-to-pixel co-ordinate information to form a raw database with the help of some image processing techniques. These raw data are then ported to the regeneration domain of the system to check the captured pattern with the original wave shape. The sampling period of each ECG signal is computed after detection of QRS complex. Finally, discrete Fourier transform of the generated database is performed to observe the frequency response properties of every ECG signal. Some interesting amplitude properties of monopolar chest lead V4 and V6 are noticed which are stated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple and inexpensive type of chromatography that is extensively used in forensic laboratories for drugs of abuse analysis. In this work, TLC is optimized to analyze cocaine and its adulterants (caffeine, benzocaine, lidocaine and phenacetin) in which the sensitivity (visual determination of LOD from 0.5 to 14mgmL(-1)) and the selectivity (from the study of three different eluents: CHCl3:CH3OH:HCOOHglacial (75:20:5v%), (C2H5)2O:CHCl3 (50:50v%) and CH3OH:NH4OH (100:1.5v%)) were evaluated. Aiming to improve these figures of merit, the TLC spots were identified and quantified (linearity with R(2)>0.98) by the paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS-MS), reaching now lower LOD values (>1.0μgmL(-1)). The method developed in this work open up perspective of enhancing the reliability of traditional and routine TLC analysis employed in the criminal expertise units. Higher sensitivity, selectivity and rapidity can be provided in forensic reports, besides the possibility of quantitative analysis. Due to the great simplicity, the PS(+)-MS technique can also be coupled directly to other separation techniques such as the paper chromatography and can still be used in analyses of LSD blotter, documents and synthetic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing and publishing scientific papers have become requisites for all scientists (researchers and academics alike) to maintain their professional career. The prospects of writing a scientific paper are often regarded as somewhat daunting to the uninitiated. However a universal, well established structure format known as "IMRAD": i.e. Introduction, Methods, Results And Discussion has been established. This paper details this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Phadebas® Forensic Press Test is routinely used for the detection of saliva. However, assessment of the use of Phadebas® paper for this purpose has not been studied extensively. The suitability of Phadebas® paper as a presumptive screening tool for saliva on forensic exhibits, was investigated by analysing the following: (1) sensitivity, (2) specificity, (3) effects of temperature on sensitivity and specificity, (4) detection of saliva in mixed body fluid samples, and (5) influence of substrate porosity. The results of this study demonstrated that Phadebas® paper is more sensitive to α-amylase activity and less specific for saliva than previously reported. The use of an examination temperature of 37°C had no effect on sensitivity, but increased the incidence of cross-reactivity with other forensically relevant body fluid stains. Blood, urine and vaginal secretions can inhibit the detection of α-amylase activity with Phadebas® paper in mixed stains of saliva and body fluid. Substrate porosity is a weak predictor for the time taken for a saliva stain to achieve a strong positive result on Phadebas® paper. Overall, this study demonstrated that the Phadebas® Forensic Press Test has limitations as a presumptive test for the accurate identification of saliva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the use of theories and evidence is often stressed in the development of health promotion interventions, this does not guarantee the success of an intervention. Thus, we need to reflect on intervention development processes that use different types of theories and evidence. In this paper, we provide a reflective discussion on how we identified evidence-based behavior change techniques and counseling themes for a health promotion intervention. In addition, we discuss the challenges that we encountered and what we learned during the process: a) a lack of previous research and meta-analyses, b) inconsistencies in evidence, c) integrating evidence and theories that have different starting points, and d) collaborating with researchers who represent different evidence and theories. During the process, we benefitted from having the clear goal of conducting evidence- and theory-based work. We solved the challenges by, for example, utilizing different types of evidence and being reflective about the reasons behind any inconsistencies in the evidence. In retrospect, we would have benefitted from closer collaboration between the teams that worked separately with different evidence. These kinds of reflective descriptions of development processes and the challenges encountered during them may help other researchers and professionals avoid encountering the same challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An author’s first paper is often the most difficult to write. However, the appropriate dissemination of the results, including the presentation of findings for peer review, is an important responsibility of all who conduct research. Key issues include the choice of which journal to submit to, and the determination of co-authorship status. Each facet of the paper (Title, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Abstract) requires attention, as does the covering letter to the journal editor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Organizing research data for effective analysis has been insufficiently addressed in the methodological literature. This article proposes that concepts of knowledge organization relating to relevance, precision, recall, coextensiveness, exhaustivity, specificity, and consistency offer a ready-made model that can be applied to research data. The knowledge organization (KO) model is reinterpreted for transferability to quantitative, qualitative, and textual research. In each instance, the model''s applicability is illustrated with examples from the authors'' research. This exploration demonstrates the model''s resiliency in organizing numeric data, coding transcripts, and marking up textual statements. The limitations of the model are noted and compromises are described, providing a valuable approach to meaningful data preparation for researchers, educators, students, and reviewers of research across disciplines. The article concludes that the KO model contributes significantly to the ability of researchers to collect and organize data in a manner most likely to shed light on research problems they address. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The three papers to follow, by Chris Rasmussen and three of his students, build from a task design the authors of this note developed in the 1990s. To introduce these papers, which extend our prior work in new directions, we sketch some background here. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a list of research papers published in two Japanese journals. One of the journals is titled, Journal of the Society of Powder Technology, Japan. It includes research paper related to particle shape measurement using x-ray micro computed tomography, conducted by M. Suzuki, K. Kawabata, K. Iimura and M. Hirota. The other journal is titled, Powder Science & Engineering. It includes research paper related to current clean technology and separation of gaseous contaminants, conducted by H. Emi.

Background: Electronic data collection is increasingly being used for discrete choice experiments (DCEs).Objectives: To study whether paper or electronic administration results in measurement effects.Methods: Respondents were drawn from the same sample frame (an Internet panel) and completed a nearly identical DCE survey either online or on paper during the same period. A DCE on preferences for basic health insurance served as a case study. We used panel mixed logit models for the analysis.Results: In total, 898 respondents completed the survey: 533 respondents completed the survey online, whereas 365 respondents returned the paper survey. There were no significant differences with respect to sociodemographic characteristics between the respondents in both samples. The median response time was shorter for the online sample than for the paper sample, and a smaller proportion of respondents from the online sample were satisfied with the number of choice sets. Although some willingness- to-pay estimates were higher for the online sample, the elicited preferences for basic health insurance characteristics were similar between both modes of administration.Conclusions: We find no indication that online surveys yield inferior results compared with paper-based surveys, whereas the price per respondent is lower for online surveys. Researchers might want to include fewer choice sets per respondent when collecting DCE data online. Because our findings are based on a nonrandomized DCE that covers one health domain only, research in other domains is needed to support our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a bibliography of original research papers about powder process industry already published in Japanese journals including the "Journal of the Society of Powder Technology" and the "Powder Science & Engineering." "Study on Influential Factor in Hardening Phenomena of Coal Ash Bed," K. Higashiyama, H. Kanda, H. Shirai, H. Makino and R. Kurose; "Influence of Humidity on Binderless Granulation in a Spouted Bed," by S. Hatano, K. Kaneko, Y. Oura and S. Mori; "Formation and Reduction of Dioxin," by M. Takeuchi; "Trend of Chemical Accidents," by M. Wakakura.

Slide show presentations have become integral to the workplace, and PowerPoint is ubiquitous since it ships with the Microsoft Office Suite. However, the increasing sophistication of such software may encourage presenters to privilege form over content. It is possible to apply scientific research from Educational Psychology to slide shows so as to not only avoid this fate but also to optimise presentations. This paper applies several Educational Psychology concepts to PowerPoint, most notably those of Mayer's Multimedia Learning Theory, and will emphasise and demonstrate that the quality of a presentation is dependent on the quality, relevance, and integrity of its content. Slide shows should supplement, and not substitute a presentation. Presenters should avoid prolixity, complexity and gaucheness and strive instead for simplicity, brevity, cogency and clarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the measurement equivalence of individual response scale types by using a patient reported outcome measure (PROM) collected on paper and migrated into electronic format for use on the subject's own mobile device (BYOD) and on a provisioned device (site device).Methods: Subjects suffering from chronic health conditions causing daily pain or discomfort were invited to participate in this single-site, single visit, three-way crossover study. Association between individual item and instrument subscale scores was assessed by using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and its CI. Participant attitudes toward the use of BYOD in a clinical trial were assessed through use of a questionnaire.Results: In this study, 155 subjects (females 83 [54%]; males 72 [46%]) ages 19 to 69 years (mean ± SD: 48.6 ± 13.1) were recruited. High association between the modes of administration (paper, BYOD, site device) was shown with analysis of ICCs (0.79-0.98) for each response scale type, including visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, verbal response scale, and Likert scale. Of the subjects, 94% (146 of 155) stated that they would definitely or probably be willing to download an app onto their own mobile device for a forthcoming clinical trial. Forty-five percent of subjects felt BYOD would be more convenient compared with 15% preferring a provisioned device (40% had no preference).Conclusions: This study provides strong evidence supporting the use of BYOD for PROM collection in terms of the conservation of instrument measurement equivalence across the most widely used response scale types, and high patient acceptance of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Researchers administering surveys seek to balance data quality, sources of error, and practical concerns when selecting an administration mode. Rarely are decisions about survey administration based on the background of study participants, although socio-demographic characteristics like age, education, and race may contribute to participants' (non)responses.Objectives: In this study, we describe differences in paper- and web-based surveys administered in a national cancer survivor study of women with a history of cancer to compare the ability of each survey administrative mode to provide quality, generalizable data.Methods: We compared paper- and web-based survey data by socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, missing data rates, scores on primary outcome measure, and administrative costs and time using descriptive statistics, tests of mean group differences, and linear regression.Results: Our findings indicate that more potentially vulnerable patients preferred paper questionnaires and that data quality, responses, and costs significantly varied by mode and participants' demographic information. We provide targeted suggestions for researchers conducting survey research to reduce survey error and increase generalizability of study results to the patient population of interest.Conclusion: Researchers must carefully weigh the pros and cons of survey administration modes to ensure a representative sample and high-quality data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper studied by Gullu and Ercelebi (2007) includes some problems about the use of ANN approach for the aim of their study. In this discussion, some controversial points of the paper are given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction Knowing the best way of structuring your paper when writing it, and the most appropriate journal to send it to, really helps in getting your paper accepted. Also understanding how editors and publishers think and what they expect, and knowing how the peer review process works, is invaluable insight into the publishing process. Results After attending this author workshop, one in the Elsevier Publishing Academy Workshop series, participants will have a clear idea of the steps needed to be taken before starting to write a paper. They will also be able to plan writing manuscripts using the logical step sequence – not the sequence in which the paper will be read. Authors are also made aware of what aspects of their papers Editors, Reviewers, and Publishers look at critically, and to ensure that in taking care of these areas, their papers are much more likely to be accepted. Dealing with referees’ comments and the art of polite rebuttal are also described such that these can be used to improve the submitted paper suitably. Sensitive areas such as publishing ethics, plagiarism, duplicate publishing, etc. are also clearly explained such that participants have a clear understanding of what their responsibilities are, what is allowed, and what is not permitted. Conclusions These insights into the publishing process will enable the participants to be more confident as an author in the world of science publishing, and so should help them get their papers published more easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A poster is a visual communication tool, but crucially, it is absolutely not a research paper directly transposed onto a board. It shows the results of research but it does not explain in detail in the way that a conventional paper does. This paper will explain how poster creation accedes to newspaper article writing theory, while adhering to the IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]