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In this study, online test scores and paper-pencil test scores of students studying through online learning were examined. Causal-comparative research was used to determine the distribution of students' test scores and to examine the relationship between them. The participants of the research are freshman students studying in 12 faculties and 8 colleges of a state university in Türkiye. The distribution of students' test scores is depicted by means, standard deviation, percentage, and graphs. The correlation coefficient was examined to find and interpret the amount of relationship between the test scores of the students. According to the findings, it was seen that the online test scores of the students were higher than the paper-pencil test scores. At the same time, it was observed that the passing of the course rates in online test exams was higher than in the paper-pencil test exams. It was observed that the relationship between the paper-pencil test scores of the students and the online test scores was lower than the relationship between the paper-pencil test scores and the paper-pencil test scores. There is an inconsistency between students' paper-pencil test scores and online test scores. The rise in students' online test scores to un-proctored online exams as the reason for the inconsistency. Moving online exams to proctored exam environments, using computerized adaptive testing, or including online activities in the assessment may reduce this inconsistency.

In this study, a paper folding activity task, which involved reaching the Pythagorean Theorem with a series of steps was designed. The aim of the task is to reach the Pythagorean Theorem with folding activities by deductive reasoning and logical inference. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the task and to share the patty paper folding task with the teachers. The activity was used with 20 ninth grade students studying in a public school. The patty paper folding activity task was carried out for a total of 6 lesson hours for three weeks. The students did not have difficulty while folding; they generally had difficulties in performing algebraic operations and expressing the concepts mathematically. The students participated in the activity willingly and the patty paper folding task helped students understand why the theorem is true and contributed to meaningful learning in terms of being a explanatory proof.

Purpose: With improvements in computer technologies and test implementations in the computer environment, when advantageous points of computer-based test implementations are considered, it is inevitable to compare psychometric characteristics of paper-and-pencil tests and computer-based tests and students' success. In computer-based tests, individuals' familiarity with computers and competency in using computers, conditions may show diversity depending on the country or region. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of mean differences between PP and CBT using meta-analysis concerning the studies, including samples from Turkey and conducted between 1993 and 2020. Research Methods: In this meta-analysis, 37 findings were included. Cohen's d was used as the effect size. And also, in this study, concerning the equivalence of the PP and CBT forms, it was investigated whether mean effect sizes differ or not according to variables like type of computerized, education level, and subject matter. In this direction, ANOVA and Q values were used. Findings: As a result of the meta-analysis conducted, the general effect size was 0.042. In this direction, it was found that the difference in test implementation methods (paper-and-pencil, computer-based) was negligible. Implications for Research and Practice: Results suggest that CBT can be an acceptable alternative to traditional pencil and paper tests. In this way, results obtained are expected to lead to educational policies and measurement implementations in the future.

This research was carried out to determine whether the comprehension level differs according to the reading environment by examining the studies comparing the comprehension level according to reading from the screen and from the paper by using meta-analysis method. Meta-analysis method was used in this research. The data of the study were obtained from 12 studies (29 comparisons). All of these studies are studies in which Turkish texts are used in reading. The analysis of the obtained data was carried out using the Comprehensive MetaAnalysis software. In the interpretation of the studies, random effects model was taken as basis. As a result of the analyses performed, a significant and medium effect size (g=-0.423, p=0.003) was found in favor of reading from the paper. Therefore, this result shows that comprehension achievement is higher in reading from the paper than reading from the screen. In addition, it was determined that the effect sizes did not differ significantly according to the publication year, grade level, text type and digital tool. It is recommended to perform studies on improving the screen interface and screen reading skills.

Paper folding studies are quite effective in the development of students' visual and spatial skills. The "paper" used in these studies is a genuine tool that can support the development of geometric habits of mind as well as the visual-spatial skills. This is an action research aimed to investigate the potential of paper folding to improve students' geometric thinking skills and to enhance their achievement in national exams. The improvement in their geometric thinking was investigated based on the framework of the Geometric Habits of Mind. This study was carried out with three students studying in the 11th grade. Four geometry questions were asked to students, and they were expected to solve these questions by paper folding. The solution process was video-recorded. Video-recordings were transcribed, and the obtained data were qualitatively analyzed within the framework of the components of the geometric habits of mind. As a result of the study, it was seen that the students were able to reach solutions more easily by concretizing the intangible questions through paper folding. The students were able to comprehend the fact that the main components of triangles do not change; that is, they are preserved (the angles and the sides do not change).

The main purpose of this study is to investigate mathematics teachers' mathematical thinking process while they are constructing the length of [cube root of 2] by paper folding. To carry out this aim, two teachers--who are PhD. students--were interviewed one by one. During the construction, it was possible to observe the consolidation process of Pythagorean and Thales Theorem. All interviews were videotaped and analyzed through descriptive methods, according to abstraction in context, characteristics of consolidation and mathematical habits of mind. It was found that both two teachers constructed the knowledge of Pythagorean and Thales Theorems before the study and also these knowledges were consolidated. In addition, it was determined that these two approaches (abstraction in context and mathematical habits of mind) were close and corroborated each other. Moreover, consolidation process corroborated mathematical habits of mind.

This study aims to examine Turkish exam papers of the students, who study in the secondary school of 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th classes. The exam papers have been examined from various aspects, including the number and type of questions, the language expression and distribution of the questions, the cognitive level (according to the Bloom's taxonomy), the type of texts used, and the visuals use. The samples of the study were selected using convenience sampling method from 17 secondary schools located in the center of Agri Province in Turkey and the exam papers prepared by 36 Turkish teachers who worked at these schools. The tests which were examined included 2633 questions in 161 exam papers. We also developed "the Exam Paper Examination Form" for collecting more data which we analyzed and interpreted by using the document analysis model. According to the results obtained, it has been found that the teachers mostly prefer to use the multiple-choice question type in the Turkish exam papers; the questions are mostly related to grammar and reading; the teachers do not prefer to ask questions on speaking and listening; and except for spelling errors no deficiency is detected in the language of the exam papers. In addition, according to Bloom's taxonomy, the questions are mostly at the comprehension level whereas questions related to the analyzing, evaluating and creating levels that require high level thinking skills are rarely used. Based on the results, suggestions have been presented for Turkish teachers to prepare exams.

This study aims to investigate the similarities and differences between prospective mathematics teachers' creative thinking skills in paper-pencil test and on a GeoGebra-supported environment in terms of problem-posing. This case study used purposive sampling method for determining the participants. Findings revealed that the activities carried out in the GeoGebra-supported environment were insufficient to produce creative problems, and GeoGebra's main utility to prospective teachers was in identifying their mistakes related to mathematical concepts and discrepancies among numerical values of the problems posed. The reasons for the low achievement in posing problem were discussed: These were: (1) lack of problem-posing experience; (2) the structure of problem-posing activity; and (3) prospective teachers' mathematical content knowledge.

This study examined pre-service teachers' views and experiences of building geometric constructions on paper and with the interactive whiteboard. The study group consisted of 26 pre-service elementary teachers in a state university in the Black Sea region of Turkey who took the Geometry Teaching course. The data were obtained from an opinion form consisting of open-ended questions and field notes. Findings revealed that almost all of the teachers had no experience with geometric constructions in their previous education and the majority of pre-service teachers' opinions about geometric construction activities are positive. They experienced more problems when building geometric constructions on the interactive whiteboard so their opinions about building geometric constructions on paper are more positive than building on the interactive whiteboard. Moreover, it was determined that pre-service teachers' views imply that building geometric constructions on the interactive whiteboard makes sense in the affective learning domain, whereas building on paper contributes more to the cognitive learning domain.

This article reports the findings of a study that sought to investigate whether computer-based vs. paper-based test-delivery mode has an impact on the reliability and validity of an achievement test for a pedagogical content knowledge course in an English teacher education program. A total of 97 university students enrolled in the English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education program were randomly assigned to the experimental group that took the computer-based achievement test online and the control group that took the same test in paper-and-pencil based format. Results of Spearman Rank order and Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that test delivery mode did not have any impact on the reliability and validity of the tests administered in either way. Findings also demonstrated that there was not any significant difference in test scores between participants who took the computer-based test and those who took the paper-based test. Findings were discussed in terms of the idea that computer technology could be integrated into the curriculum not only for instructional practices but also for assessment purposes.

In the study, the data for the field of visual arts in BILSEM have been revealed by studying postgraduate theses and articles related to the field of Visual Arts given in Science and Art Centers in between 2007-2017. In the research, the document was examined with the scanning model. In the scope of the research, it has been scanned from Google Scholar with keywords such as "BILSEM", "Art Education", "Visual Arts Education" and "Linear Development" in the YÖK database thesis and related theses and articles between the years 2007-2017 examined in terms of type, subject, sample, university and institute, national/ international, thesis method, data collection tools. In laser scanning, Visual Arts given in BILSEM in 2007-2017 years in Turkey related to Education "Science and Art Centers", "BILSEM", "Arts Education", "Visual Arts Education" and "Linear Development" screening using keywords according to the results of 6 theses (4 Master, 2 PhD) and 8 articles have been found. According to the results of the study, it is seen that there are no postgraduate thesis and articles about Visual Arts Education given in BILSEMs in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and studies have been intensified in between 2012-2017.

The aim of this study was to determine pre-service elementary school teachers' capabilities of deciding the viewpoint and perspective in geometrical drawing. The study examined geometrical drawings the participants did on isometric paper. This is a case study, a qualitative study method, and the study data were analyzed using written documents. The study sample included 34 senior students in the Education Faculty's Elementary School Teaching Program at a Turkish public university. They were selected from approximately 205 pre-service teachers. The students participated in the study on a voluntary basis. The study results revealed that the pre-service teachers generally had weak skills in geometrical drawing. The participants had better skills in building structures which they saw from the air using unit blocks, and forming a structure of which they had the direct views (left and right; front and back) using unit blocks. However, the participants had weaker skills in drawing the direct views of the structures they had built, recognizing the connections between the left-right views and front-back views of the structures and drawing the structures they built on isometric paper in perspective.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop the Inventory of Motive of Preference for Conventional Paper-And-Pencil Tests and to evaluate students' motives for preferring written tests, short-answer tests, true/false tests or multiple-choice tests. This will add a measurement tool to the literature with valid and reliable results to help determine why students prefer certain exam types and their level of preference. Research Methods: In this study, a screening research design was employed during the data collection and the analysis phases. Findings: Cronbach's alpha coefficients were calculated for reliability and it was concluded that the inventory was reliable. First, the exploratory factor analysis was conducted; this was followed by a second confirmatory factor analysis and finally a content validity study to determine the construct validity. A total of 14 items, including 11 items according to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, 1 item based on expert opinion and 2 items according to the results of the confirmatory factor analysis were removed from the survey form of the inventory, resulting in a final form containing 20 items. It was observed that the content validity values of each item in every subtest were sufficient. Implications for Research and Practice: The study results showed that this inventory was an appropriate instrument for evaluating high school students' preference for paper-and-pencil tests. An inventory developed under the scope of this study may be used to determine the factors predicting the examination type preference levels of students by using different samples. These results may be used when deciding the actions to be taken.

This paper focuses on pre-service mathematics teachers' geometrical construction processes while using a duo of artefacts, namely the paper-and-pencil environment (PPE) and a dynamic geometry system (DGS). The participants of this case study were two pre-service mathematics teachers, who had limited DGS experiences in solving geometry tasks. The data were collected through task-based interviews in which the participants were asked to complete angle bisector construction first with PPE and then in DGS, using together with the PPE to support the development of their construction strategies in DGS. Data analysis was carried out to examine (dis)continuities that the pre-service teachers faced while connecting the duos and the feedback received during such process. Findings indicated that the pre-service teachers had difficulties in comprehending ( 1) the concept of robustness of the construction and (2) the dependency relationships between the objects in DGS, which created discontinuities for them to differentiate between a static representation on paper and dynamic representation in DGS. In this, the use of duos and the feedback different artefacts generated -- i.e., direct manipulation feedback, evaluation feedback and tool operation feedback from the DGS, and strategy feedback scaffolded by the interviewer --, promoted their conception of angle bisector construction.

The present review attempted to address the direction of plagiarism literature in Turkish context. 15 studies conducted in Turkey on plagiarism were analyzed through content analysis. The context, purposes, methodological issues and results of researching plagiarism were categorized. The findings of this review indicated that although plagiarism's raising legal and ethical concerns is acknowledged by Turkish researchers, there are limited numbers of studies exploring the plagiarism perceptions, views, situations and reasons of Turkish graduate students and professors.

It was aimed in this study to reveal the general tendency of studies in the field of education by examining the papers in the high-impact A-class SSCI journals, to which qualified papers are accepted from all around the world, in terms of their dependent-independent variables, sample or study groups, research designs, data collection instruments, and data analysis techniques. The descriptive survey model was used in the research. The population of the research was all the journals surveyed in the field of educational sciences by SSCI. The journals and papers examined were selected with the purposive sampling method. 169 papers from six journals were subjected to examination within the scope of the research. Descriptive analysis and content analysis methods were used for analyzing the data. It was consequently seen that the papers used dependent variable of "student" the most which was followed by "teacher." The most studied variable along with "student" was "academic performance." It was found that a quite large number of dependent variables were used in the papers examined. It can be understood that studies on students among all study groups occupied the largest place, which was followed by teachers. It was seen that quantitative data analyses and experimental research studies was addressed more in the papers. Several documents and tests were mostly preferred as data collection instruments. It was noticed that the most used data analysis method was the regression analysis. Finally, some recommendations were developed in accordance with the research results.

Background: This study has two primary objectives. Firstly, it aims to measure the time savings achieved through the digitization of paper forms filled out by nurses in the inpatient care process. Secondly, it seeks to reveal the financial savings resulting from reduced paper consumption due to the digitalization. The Health Information Management System Society (HIMSS)--Electronic Medical Record Adaption Model (EMRAM), which makes stage-based (0--7) evaluations, serves as a tool to measure the rate of technology utilization in public hospitals in Turkey. The study is based on the HIMSS EMRAM criteria for 2018. Bahçelievler State Hospital, a public hospital in Turkey, was chosen as the research facility. In 2017, it was accredited as Stage 6 with HIMSS EMRAM. However, not all its wards have been digitalized. Initially, pilot selected wards were digitized. Therefore, digital and non-digital wards serve together. In this context, 4 wards were randomly selected and time, paper and toner savings before and after digitalization were measured. Method: A table was created in Microsoft Excel,listing the forms used by nurses in inpatient care and the time required to fill them out.The time spent for filling paper-based forms and digital-based forms was measured in randomly selected wards. Result: The analysis showed that digital forms saved more time, paper and toner. For example, filling out the patient history form took 45 min when using paper, compared to 12 min in digital environment. Approximately 27% time savings are achieved only for the patient history form. The total time savings delivered by digitalization for 1,153 inpatients during the year were found as 117 care days, and the savings on total paper consumption was 41.289 pages. For 1,153 inpatients throughout the year, the total time savings from digitalization was 117 care days and the total paper consumption savings was 41,289 pages. In addition, in 4 wards with a total bed capacity of 25, annual paper savings of $1,705.86 and toner savings of $283,736 were achieved. Discussion: This study reveals the benefits of digitalisation in hospitals for nurses. It saves the time that nurses allocate for filling out paper forms with digitalised forms. Thus, it is a good practice example in terms of using the time allocated for form filling for patient care.When we extend this study to Turkey in general, it can be considered that the time savings achieved by nurses by digitizing inpatient forms varies between 10.8% and 13%. The number of nurses working in public hospitals in Turkey is approximately 160,000. Assuming that 60% of the nurses work in the inpatient ward, it is understood that the annual savings achieved by digitizing the forms corresponds to a range of 398--559 nursing hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines listening comprehension skills of visually impaired students (VIS) using computerised adaptive testing (CAT) and reader-assisted paper-pencil testing (raPPT) and student views about them. Explanatory mixed method design was used in this study. Sample is comprised of 51 VIS, in 7th and 8th grades. 9 of these students were interviewed for determining student views about tests. Results indicated that scores obtained from CAT are significantly lower than scores obtained from raPPT. Additionally, a positive and high correlation was found between scores of CAT and raPPT. This result suggests that similar ability estimations were made by CAT and raPPT. Another finding is CAT made more reliable predictions, and was completed in shorter duration using fewer items. In qualitative part, student views were gathered through interviews and content analysis revealed three themes as technical features, test features, and psychological effects. In general, students reported positive views about CAT. VIS prefer CAT due to its listening/control options, shorter test durations, clarity of reading, and fairness of test, elimination of dependency to reader. Study provides implications for test developers and test-users to consider CAT as a multi-accommodation for VIS through its advantages.

Why R? Turkey 2022 was a non-profit conference that aimed to bring Turkish R users together and encourage them to attend the R conferences. The targeted audience of the conference consisted of, data scientists, data analysts, and all R users from academia and industry. The three-day conference, which consisted of several events such as workshops, regular talks, lightning talks, short tutorials, and panels, was free of charge and fully online. This article describes the challenges and benefits, as well as providing an overview of the conference's content and participants' profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The news in the national papers has an important role to inform the people about the content of new primary school curriculum. This study investigated the way of function with the comparison of the studies in the literature. The news concerning the renewed curriculum appearing in the national media in the period between 2004 and 2007 was obtained through document analysis and were compared to scientific studies in terms of consistency. For our purposes, 484 news articles and columns from 14 newspapers which were grouped into 3 categories were examined through document analysis. Consequently, it was found that the highest rate was in the year 2004 and that the rate of concepts decreased as the years passed by. The information on the novel curriculum was brief statements made by officials and was in the form of headings in the early years; yet in the following years such knowledge as the philosophy of the curriculum, its being student-centred as well as details of measurement and evaluation was presented. In the literature, findings related with inadequacy and content/ design categories were seen taking place heavily.

Copyright of Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute Journal is the property of Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this study is to compare primary school 5th-class students' electronic text reading performance, reading speed and reading comprehension with tablet PCs and printed books. This study examined a sample of 20 students. The students were randomly divided into two groups, a control group and a treatment group. The control group students read ordinary printed books, and the students in the treatment group read the same text on an electronic tablet PC display. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools were used for the study. Qualitative data were collected on the reading speed and reading comprehension skills for both groups of students. Statistically, there was no significant difference between the groups in reading speed or the level of reading comprehension. Students' opinions on tablet PCs and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.

The aim of this study is to introduce Theory of Semiotic Mediation, which is a theory regarding mathematics teaching, in Turkey and provide an example for its practice. After describing the main characteristics and concepts of the theory, semiotic potential of a sheet of paper, which was chosen as an artifact of Theory of Semiotic Mediation, was analyzed in paper folding activities in order to discuss the practice of the theory and also the signs were analyzed that occurred in the building and conceptual constructing of quadrilaterals with only one symmetry axe (isosceles trapezoid and rhombus). The study was a case study which was carried out with 35 students who were studying in 10th grade. The students were divided into groups of four and five. Only one groups’ activity was reported in this paper. The analysis of the semiotic potential of paper folding showed that it was an artifact that helps students to reconstruct concepts such symmetry and equality by means of coincide and crease and to think deeply on the characteristics of quadrilaterals like rectangle, square, trapezoid and etc. which students have already known. The paper has properties that can be used as an artifact of the Semiotic Mediation Theory. In order to be used the mentioned theory in classes, it was founded that teachers’ guidance role was quite essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to examine the effects of basic properties, fiber morphological properties, strength properties, wettability and optical properties on offset printing of office papers. Widely used office papers with different brands were obtained from Istanbul-Turkey. Technical characteristics of papers; basic properties, strength properties including tensile, burst, tear, and Z direction tensile strength and optical properties such as gloss, whiteness, opacity, and wettability tests were determined according to TAPPI and ISO standards. The results obtained by the tests are as follows; i) there is a great difference in water resistance between the top and the lowest values (207 %), ii) there is little difference between the highest and the lowest brightness value (3.8 %), other papers values have close to each other, iii) in the printing process there is a little difference between the highest, and the lowest gloss values (36.7 %), although the others are close iv) the highest and lowest values in CIE C* showed that it ranged from the narrowest color gamut to the widest color gamut. By applying the widely used offset printing process to commercially produced office papers, the quality levels were evaluated to raise awareness of consumers and sellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a descriptive content analysis of biology education research papers published in eight major academic journals indexed in Social Science Citation Index [SSCI] of Thomson Reuters® from 1997 to 2014. Total of 1376 biology education research [BER] papers were examined. The findings indicated that most of the papers were published in the JBE and IJSE, and frequently studied topics were environment and ecology, genetics and biotechnology, and animal form and function. The findings were also indicated that learning, teaching and attitudes was in the forefront as the frequently investigated subject matters, undergraduate and secondary school students were mostly preferred as sample group and sample size mostly varies between 31-100 and 101-300. In addition, it was found out that interactive qualitative research designs were mostly preferred. Besides, that single data collection tool was generally used and this data collection tool included questionnaires, interviews and documents. Finally, frequency/percentage tables, central tendency measures, statistical analysis such as t-test and ANOVA/ANCOVA and content analysis were commonly used as data analysis.

Digital technologies have been used for measurement purposes and whether the test medium influences the user is an important issue. The aim of this study is to investigate students' performances and duration differences between online and paper-pencil tests. An online testing tool was developed and administered in order to determine the differences between the traditional paper-pencil tests and online tests concerning students' performances and the duration on tests. This tool enables to add questions that utilize an online database and which are in the form of multiple choice (with 5 or 4 options), true-false, matching, filling in the blanks, with multiple answers, with short answers, with long answers, and it also enables to prepare tests and to turn them into paper-pencil test mode. Performance test was applied with both online and paper-pencil modes on junior students at one of the universities in Turkey. Besides, the online testing tool developed within the context of the study was evaluated by instructors with respect to usability, relevance to the purpose and design. Instructor and student questionnaires are developed to determine the opinions on the online testing tool and online tests. Results showed that there was no significant differences between the performances on online and paper-pencil tests. On the other hand, the time they spent on the online test has been longer than the time they spent on paper-pencil test. Students found the online testing tool easy to use and stated that online test medium is more comfortable than paper-pencil tests. However, they complained about external noises, tiredness, and focusing problems regarding the online examination mediums. Generally, instructors have also appreciated the online testing tool's design and they agree on the fact that it serves for its purposes.

Content analysis of the studies of both Turkish and foreign authors on PBL in science education in national and international journals was made considering such variables as the research subject, method, sample, diversity of data collection tools and the data analysis methods. To this end, content analysis of 104 papers - 42 by Turkish authors and 62 by foreign authors - which were carried out between the years 1986-2012, was made. All these papers were accessed in full text. It was identified that in 40.4% of the studies whose content analysis was made, the focus was on the effect of PBL on learning, while in 35.6% the focus was on concept analysis. It is seen that while Turkish authors worked on teaching studies in 59.5% of their studies, foreign authors focused on concept analysis in 41.9% of their studies. Also while Turkish authors mostly preferred quantitative research methods (61.9%) in their studies, foreign authors preferred qualitative research methods (66.1%). The commonly used data collection tools for Turkish authors were questionnaire and achievement test, while foreign authors preferred interview and alternative data collection tools. In terms of choosing a sample group, it is seen that studies with undergraduate and secondary school students (9-12) were referred more often. The findings of the study reveal that studies on PBL were not very common in our country until 2005; that they reached the highest number between the years 2005-2009, and that foreign authors published the highest number of papers in 2006. While the foreign authors had a superiority over Turkish authors in terms of their papers on PBL in science education until 2005, it is seen that as of 2005, except the year 2006, the number of papers of Turkish authors has been equal to/higher than the number of papers by foreign authors until 2012. Besides, it is also identified that most of these studies were mixed and in the field of chemistry education. It is believed that this study is significant in terms of providing an opinion to young researchers working in the field of PBL and to those who are planning to work in the field.

The Declaration of Helsinki (DoH), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) recommendations, and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines outline the basic principles for ethical conduct and publication of human-subject research, most notably informed consent (IC) and research ethics committee (REC) approval. This retrospective observational study was a first study to investigate the quality of reporting of these protections in a selected sample of medical papers published in Turkey. A total of 573 research articles published in the official journals of six leading Turkish medical schools between January 2018 and December 2020 were searched for information on obtaining (i) REC approval, (ii) written IC from research subjects or their legal guardians/representatives, and (iii) an REC-granted IC waiver when it was found, as stated in the DoH, "impossible or impracticable to obtain consent" from research subjects. Similarly, a total of 166 case reports were searched for a statement about publication-specific IC, as was recommended by COPE. Despite a statistically significant improvement over the years, the overall rates were found to be unsatisfactory. The protections were particularly misused or underused in retrospective research, where the rates of reporting written IC (15.41% vs. 48.61%) and REC approval with date and reference number information (45.38% vs. 61.11%) were significantly lower than in prospective research (p <.05). Both the practices of seeking and granting an IC waiver when no IC was obtained were extremely rare (n = 3). It was also found that the requirement of structured ethical information in research papers was associated with higher levels of ethics compliance, and that medical publishing in Turkey needed specific improvements, including better implementation of the protections already adopted in principle, clearer instructions for authors, more rigorous editorial scrutiny, and greater commitment to rejecting substandard submissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Megaron is the property of KARE Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, online test scores and paper-pencil test scores of students studying through online learning were examined. Causal-comparative research was used to determine the distribution of students' test scores and to examine the relationship between them. The participants of the research are freshman students studying in 12 faculties and 8 colleges of a state university in Türkiye. The distribution of students' test scores is depicted by means, standard deviation, percentage, and graphs. The correlation coefficient was examined to find and interpret the amount of relationship between the test scores of the students. According to the findings, it was seen that the online test scores of the students were higher than the paper-pencil test scores. At the same time, it was observed that the passing of the course rates in online test exams was higher than in the paper-pencil test exams. It was observed that the relationship between the paper-pencil test scores of the students and the online test scores was lower than the relationship between the paper-pencil test scores and the paper-pencil test scores. There is an inconsistency between students' paper-pencil test scores and online test scores. The rise in students' online test scores to un-proctored online exams as the reason for the inconsistency. Moving online exams to proctored exam environments, using computerized adaptive testing, or including online activities in the assessment may reduce this inconsistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify the nest materials, some physical characteristics and the essential composition of the nest of Vespa crabro germanaChrist, 1791. Nest surfaces were observed with a stereomicroscope and a scanning electron microscope. In the inner surface of the V. c. germana nest, the medium thicknesses of the fibers in the envelope and comb varied between 5.30 and 11.90 µm with an average of 9.07 µm. In the outer surface of the nest, the medium thicknesses of the fibers in the envelope and comb were between 4.46 and 11.40 µm with an average of 7.68 µm. The nitrogen and protein concentration of the nest was 0.22 and 1.40%, respectively. The percentages of the fibers, saliva, oil and the water absorption capacity were calculated as 70-75, 25-30, 16-20 and 120-150, respectively. The amount of the elements nickel and copper in the nest was found to be 0.6 and 1.2 ppm, respectively. The major components of the nest were plant fibers, saliva and oil. Consequently, we have found that the ratios and the amounts of physical characteristics, the element composition and the fibers in the envelope and comb of the nest changed with environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many physicians in Turkey are both clinicians and researchers, and publishing their research contributes to better patient care as well as to career advancement. Objective: To identify the barriers faced by Turkish physicians to writing research papers and getting them published. Methods: Respondents were asked, through eight multiple-choice questions, about the difficulties they faced in writing research papers and in getting them published in journals. We also searched published literature for accounts of similar difficulties and answers to the question 'What is your purpose in writing scientific publications?' Results: A total of 18% (155 of 871) of physicians completed the questionnaire. About the difficulties faced in writing, 82 out of the 155 participants, or 57%, reported problems in finding financial support; 58 (40%), in obtaining required permissions and clearances; 65 (45%), in acquiring relevant skills, especially those related to data analysis or statistics; and 42 (29%), in languagerelated skills. About the difficulties in getting their papers published in journals, 85 (60%) said that they tried to overcome the difficulties by searching for appropriate solutions on the internet; 66 (47%) sought help from experienced colleagues; and 47 (33%) needed professional help in English translation and editing. Need for financial support was reported by a significantly (p = 0.04) larger proportion of associate professors or full professors (69%) than that of residents (47%) and fellows (45%). Conclusion: The main problems that Turkish physicians face in preparing scientific manuscripts were lack of financial support, inadequate knowledge of data analysis and statistics, and the paperwork involved in obtaining required approvals and permissions--problems that were common to the departments of internal medicine and of surgery. The primary motivation for writing and publishing was career advancement, especially through promotion to a higher academic rank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 13 July 1974, two constitutional experts, Michael Dekleris and Orhan Aldıkacti from Greece and Turkey respectively, who had been supporting the enhanced intercommunal negotiations, reached a tentative agreement on the Cyprus problem.2 This was to be ratified on 16 July by Glafkos Clerides and Rauf Denktash on behalf of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot Community.3 However, the coup against President Makarios on 15 July by the Greek Junta and the subsequent Turkish invasion on 20 July changed the overall political scene drastically. Not surprisingly, the basis of negotiations for a solution to the Cyprus problem changed from a unitary State to what eventually came to be known as a bizonal bicommunal federation. This paper assesses the results and repercussions of successive rounds of intercommunal negotiations under the auspices of the UN since 1974.4 In addition, certain suggestions are made for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to determine students' perceptions toward web-based versus paper-based homework and identify any differences based on homework performance score and grade point average. A 21-item perception of online vs. paperbased homework survey was administered to 103 students (54 were male and 49 were female) in general physics-1 classes. Results of the study indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference in physics grade point average scores; however, there was a statistically significant difference in homework performance (average) scores based on assigned homework groups. Overall, students' perception of web-based homework testing was positive. Finally, some tentative recommendations are posed.

Although there have been significant advances in fingerprinting techniques, studies on how these techniques affect other criminal evidence are limited. Synthetic cannabinoids (SC), which are illegal substances frequently encountered in crime scenes and are widely used worldwide, are available in various forms in the market (pill, powder, liquid, and herbal product). These synthetic cannabinoid substances have recently been introduced to places such as prisons and rehabilitation centers, primarily via an infused piece of paper. The first seizure of the paper‐impregnated form of AB‐PINACA and AB‐FUBINACA in Turkey was observed in 2014. This study investigates the effects of fingerprint development methods on the concentrations of these SCs impregnated on paper. Therefore, eccrine and sebaceous fingerprints of volunteers were imprinted on the papers before and after they were impregnated with AB‐PINACA and AB‐FUBINACA. Six different fingerprint development methods were applied. Fingerprint development methods were later checked in 384 fingerprints. AB‐PINACA and AB‐FUBINACA infused on papers were extracted by the liquid−extraction method, and concentrations were analyzed via LC‐MS/MS. After applying Thermanin, 1,2‐indandione, iodine vapor, DFO, and 5‐MTN fingerprint development methods, the concentration levels of AB‐FUBINACA were 26.25, 19.60, 21.43, 17.76, and 17.77 ng/cm2, while the concentration levels of AB‐PINACA were 1.1, 0.98, 1.31, 1.28, and 1.22 ng/cm2, respectively. Finally, although the best fingerprint visualization was obtained on papers that were applied the Ninhydrin method, the method failed to detect SCs on papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]