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Since the abstract can be found at the beginning of most scientific articles and is an essential part of the article, several attempts have been made to explore the rhetorical moves of abstracts in various research fields. These studies dealt only with accepted articles since they can be easily accessed. Although the findings of such works have some pedagogical implications for academic writing courses for young researchers who are relatively new to their fields, they do not contribute enough to the transparency of the peer review processes conducted in research fields. Increasing transparency requires considering rejected articles since they help to clarify the decision criteria in the peer review. Based on 591 abstracts of accepted or rejected articles submitted to Journal of Visualization (JOV), the present study aimed at exploring the differences between the accepted and rejected abstracts. The results show that there are significant differences in the structures of the abstracts. Since we also successfully develop a classification model for the decision using a machine-learning technique, the findings of this study have some implications for developing a semi-automatic reviewing system that can reduce the reviewer’s burden and increase the review quality. Graphical abstract

The development of navigation tools for people who are visually impaired had become an important concern in the research area of assistive technologies. This paper gives a comprehensive review of different articles published in the area of navigation solutions for people who are visually impaired. Unlike other review papers, this review considers major solutions that work in both the indoor or/and outdoor environments which are based on different technology. From the review, it became clear that the navigation systems proposed for the target users lack some core features that are quite important for independent navigation. Also, there can be instances in which humanitarian conditions also have to be considered in the navigation system design. Based on these findings, a set of recommendations are also given which can be considered in the future design of navigation systems for blind and visually impaired people.

This paper studies electrical engineering learners’ preferences for learning methods with various degrees of activity. Less active learning methods such as homework and peer reviews are investigated, as well as a newly introduced very active (constructive) learning method called “slectures,” and some others. The results suggest that graduate students’ perception of the usefulness of the activity increases with its level of activity. For undergraduate students, an increased perception of the usefulness of the activity was observed for lightly active but structured learning methods. Group-based analysis focusing on two types of learners, defined as “instructor-dependent” and “instructor-independent” according to their perception of the usefulness of the classroom lectures, was also performed. The results suggest that instructor-independent learners may benefit more from active learning methods than instructor-dependent learners. For example, instructor-independent undergraduate learners were found to perceive the homework assignment as being more useful than the lectures. Such a preference was not seen in the average group data. In fact, no learning method was found to be perceived as more useful than the lectures, on average. Thus this paper illustrates the pertinence of group-based data analysis.

Courses at the Master's level in automatic control and signal processing cover mathematical theories and algorithms for control, estimation, and filtering. However, giving students practical experience in how to use these algorithms is also an important part of these courses. A goal is that the students should not only be able to understand and derive these algorithms, but also be able to apply them to real-life technical problems. The latter is achieved by assigning more time to the laboratory tutorials and designing them in such a way that the exercises are open for interpretation; an example of this would be giving the students more freedom to decide how to acquire the data needed to solve the given exercises. The students are asked to hand in a laboratory report in which they describe how they solved the exercises. This paper presents a double-blind peer-review process for laboratory reports, introduced at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Linkoping University, Sweden. A survey was administered to students, and the results are summarized in this paper. Also discussed are the teachers' experiences of peer review and of how students perform later in their education in writing their Master's theses.

This pioneering Special Issue aims at providing the state-of-the-art on open energy data analytics; its availability in the different contexts, i.e., country peculiarities; and at different scales, i.e., building, district, and regional for data-aware planning and policy-making. Ten high-quality papers were published after a demanding peer review process and are commented on in this Editorial.

The subject of this study was the product development project creating a new innovative proof-of-concept (POC) prototype device that could control a connected industrial overhead crane in order to perform automatic or semi-automatic high precision lifts within a limited time frame. The development work focused on innovating a new measuring concept, which was parallel to finding suitable sensors for the application. Furthermore, the project resulted in a closed loop control system with Industrial Internet connected sensors and a user interface for factory workers. The prototyping journey is depicted to illustrate the decisions made during the product development project to contribute to both the pragmatic and the process discussion in the field of Industrial Internet. The purpose of this research was to explore and generate hypotheses for how new applications should be developed for heavy industry connected devices. The research question is: what are the implications of applying agile product development methods, such as Wayfaring, to heavy industrial machinery and Industrial Internet -based problems? The methodologies used in this paper, in addition to developing the device, are case study research and hypotheses generated from case studies. The hypotheses generated include that it is also possible to prototype large size connected machinery with low-cost and in a short time, and investment decisions for heavy Industrial Internet products become easier with concrete data from proof-of-concept prototypes by creating knowledge about the investment risk and the value proposition.

This study describes an effective web-based learning strategy, peer review, used by 143 computer science undergraduate students in an operating systems class at a Taiwanese university. Peer review, based on social constructivism, can be easily implemented via the authors' well-developed web-based peer review (WPR) system. Through peer review, the authors hope to form an authentic learning environment similar to an academic society in which a researcher submits a paper to a journal and receives reviews from society members before publication. Students using this learning strategy are expected to develop higher level thinking skills. The WPR system functioned in the following roles in this study: (1) an information distribution channel and management center for assignment submissions and peer review; (2) a forum for peer interaction and knowledge construction; and (3) storage for knowledge construction procedures. An evaluation of learning effects and students' perceptions about peer review during the spring of 1998 revealed that students not only performed better under peer review, but also displayed higher level thinking skills, i.e., critical thinking, planning, monitoring, and regulation. Students perceived peer review as an effective strategy that promoted their learning motivation. However, merely being an effective reviewer or an effective author may not excel in a peer review environment. The most effective individual appears to be the strategic adapter who effectively constructs a project, adjusts to peers' comments, and serves as a critical reviewer as well.

The Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS) is continuing its efforts to maintain the internationally recognized status of the IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NUCLEAR SCIENCE as a leading archival journal in its field. As an example of this effort, NPSS policy now not only requires that all papers appearing in the TRANSACTIONS undergo a peer review, but also recognizes that an effective peer review process requires time to execute.

Peer review, a subject of perennial interest to authors and editors, is once again in the headlines. This time the subject merited the interest of the U.S. Congress, which wondered if the National Science Foundation's use of the peer review process in helping award grants is fair and efficient. The premise of the Congressional look-see was that perhaps Congress itself should assume more of a role in the review process. Underlying the probe was the feeling that the peer review process is not perfect, that reviewers can be biased, that they may be in conflict of interest, or that they may misuse their anonymity. While all of these suppositions may, on occasion, be true, no one has yet proposed a clearly superior system. Harold Davis, editor of Physics Today, in commenting on the Congressional probe, puts the onus on the agency program officers to deal with the hazards of conflict and bias that may occasionally arise ? a delegation of responsibility with which we must agree. (There is a clear parallel between refereeing papers and awarding grants ? in neither case does the final decision rest with the reviewers.)