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The focus of this article is to consider visual portrayals and representations of disability. The images selected for analysis came from online university prospectuses as well as a governmental guidance framework on the tuition of dyslexic students. Greater understanding, human rights and cultural change have been characteristic of much UK governmental policy regarding disability, and legislation has potentially strengthened the quest for equality of opportunity. However, publicly available institutional promotional visual material appears to contradict policy messages. To interrogate this contradiction, this article presents a tripartite critique whereby three researchers provide a self-inventory of their backgrounds and theoretical and ontological positioning, before presenting their differing interpretations of visual representations of disability. Following an agreed methodological and analytical framework, they addressed the question: what do visual representations of dyslexia and disability look like and what messages do they convey? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the Internet resource State Papers Online, the Government of Britain, 1509-1714, located at http://www.gale.cengage.com.

This study examined cancer research stories on the BBC web archive (July 1998-June 2006). There were about 260 BBC stories per year, of which about 170 were classed as relevant to reports of cancer research. The stories focused heavily on breast cancer, and over one-third of them mentioned this (compared with a cancer disease burden of 13%); the next most covered sites were lung and prostate cancers, although the former was much less mentioned than its cancer disease burden of almost 20% would have suggested. The focus of the stories was often on new or improved drugs or vaccines (20% of stories), with lifestyle choices (12%), genetic developments (9%), and food and drink (8%) also featuring fairly prominently. The BBC stories cited about 1380 research papers that could be identified as journal articles. About three-quarters of the cited papers were in the field of cancer. The papers of these authors came from over 60 countries, and 40% were from the United Kingdom and 36% from the United States. UK cancer research was heavily overcited, by about 6:1, relative to its presence in world oncology research and US research was cited about in proportion. That of most other countries, especially Japan, Germany, and Austria, was relatively undercited. These cited papers also acknowledged more funding bodies. Most of the BBC stories were put in context by external commentators, of whom the large majority was from the UK's cancer research charities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Archives: Historical Manuscripts Commission (NA:HMC), in its annual Accessions to Repositories exercise, collects information from over two hundred record repositories throughout the British Isles about manuscript accessions received in the previous twelve months. The information is then edited and used to produce a number of thematic digests which are distributed for publication in a number of learned journals and newsletters, as well as being made available in full on the Commission's website (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk). The information is also added to the indexes of the National Register of Archives (NRA), the central point for collecting and disseminating information about the location of manuscript sources relating to British history outside the public records. The NRA, which currently contains over 44,000 lists and catalogues of archives, can be consulted at the National Archives, Kew, Richmond TW9 4DU, United Kingdom. Alternatively, searchers may access the indexes to the NRA and certain linked online catalogues via the website. Limited and specific enquiries can be dealt with by post, or email (nra@nationalarchives.gov.uk). Readers should note that dates for records in this digest are given when known, but that these are covering dates which do not necessarily indicate the presence of records for all intervening years. Records have been included in the digest regardless of whether the deposit has yet been fully catalogued, and readers are advised to check with the relevant repository as to whether this, or any other factors, may prohibit access to the documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Inaccurate product information on retail websites lead to dissatisfied customers and profit losses. Yet, the effects of product information failures (PIFs) remain under-explored, with the mobile commerce channel commonly overlooked. This paper aims (1) to investigate the negative effects of PIFs on shoppers' attitudes and behaviours in a mobile context. The authors further (2) evaluate the impacts of the cause and duration of a PIF, changes of expectations towards the retailer after a PIF occurred and how previous mobile shopping experience in general decreases the effects of PIFs. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a scenario-based experiment with a one-factorial between-subjects design. The six most common PIFs of an international leading online fashion retailer are operationalized and tested against a control group. The final sample consists out of 758 mobile shoppers from the UK. Findings: The results demonstrate that the perceived severity of PIFs based on showing customers incorrect information is higher when key information is lacking. Further, when the cause of a PIF is attributed to the retailer, it results in higher recovery expectations towards them. The results also reveal that respondents who have shopped mobile before perceive PIFs as less severe than inexperienced ones. Originality/value: This research expands the online service failure literature by examining PIFs and its effects in the specific context of mobile commerce. The authors also provide recommendations for a better management of PIFs like the incorporation of PIFs information into reporting packs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Online shoppers make product purchase decisions based on product information shown on a retailer's website and potentially in comparison to that seen on competitors' websites. Insufficient, poor quality or missing information about a product can lead to reduced retailer sales. Measuring online product information quality (PIQ) is therefore an essential element in helping retailers maximize their potential success. This paper aims (1) to identify directly quantifiable PIQ criteria, (2) to assess the effects of PIQ and (3) to evaluate the moderating effect of product involvement. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a scenario-based experiment within 3,544 do-it-yourself (DIY) online shoppers from the United Kingdom (UK). Within an 8 × 2 × 2 between-subjects design, the authors manipulated the factors PIQ criteria (8), PIQ level (2) and product type (2). Findings: The findings support that poor PIQ has a negative impact on consumers online shopping outcomes. The authors also found that the effects of PIQ differ between the various criteria, the product category and the level of consumer involvement in the selling process. In the context of product depiction, title readability and product attribute comparability with other retailers' websites a high level of PIQ is required. Moreover, high involvement products need a higher level of PIQ than low involvement products. Originality/value: This research expands website quality and service failure literature by introducing PIQ criteria and its effects in the context of online retailing. The authors also establish actionable managerial recommendations to assist retailers to embrace and utilize PIQ to better understand their own potential website and thus business improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the factors affecting the representation of females on governing bodies of UK universities. Applying resource dependence and stakeholder theory, the paper argues that it is in the interests of the organisation that there should be an equitable gender balance on the governing bodies of universities. Using data from university websites and the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the authors observe the proportion of female members of UK university boards to be 32%, higher than the corporate sector and similar to Parliament, but unsatisfactory, given that it fails to reflect the percentage of female staff and students at UK universities. The principal findings of the research are that a gender imbalance persists across the sector with some differences between different types of university. For example, there are lower levels of overall female board membership for ‘New’ (post 2000) universities, but lower female outsider members in pre-92 universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper's aim is to provide a review of the literature concerning interlending and document supply and related matters. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the reading of over 150 journals, as well as monographs, reports and web sites. Findings – The Finch report in the UK recommends the Gold route to open access and with this a tipping point would appear to have been reached for open access – at least where authors are funded. More papers from the 12th ILDS conference are reviewed. Originality/value – The paper represents a useful source for librarians and others concerned with interlending and document supply as well as such related matters as resource sharing and open access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an investigation of a Higher Education institution's webpages for prospective students. The study is used to illuminate how different conceptions of internationalisation are, or are not, represented to home and international students in university marketing. Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is used to investigate the webpages' discursive strategies through detailed analysis of linguistic features and images. The research explores how discourses frame or sideline conceptions of internationalisation, and it shows that in this case the dominant discourse of internationalisation is a narrow and exclusionary one. The paper concludes that in the webpages of this non-elite university a broader version of internationalisation is being marginalised in a neoliberal climate perhaps because it cannot be quantified, does not fit the individual consumer model, and so is squeezed out under the pressures of other discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Webportals – websites that operate as front doors or guides into government on the web – are central to government web strategy and presence. However, little is known about their success in enabling people to quickly and accurately access public sector information and services. In these days of Google and generic web search engines, government webportals are not the only way to find government on the web. This paper argues that an effective evaluation of government webportals requires shifting from a website perspective to a whole-of-web (or web ecology) perspective. This perspective is illuminated by an online quasi-experiment of the effectiveness of the British government's webportal, www.gov.uk. Participants' performance in using the webportal to find information about public services were compared with those using commercial web search tools (such as Google). There was mixed evidence that the portal provided greater accuracy in finding public service information, but no evidence for greater speeds. The findings suggest that government web strategy focus less on creating large webportals and more on small functionally-defined web units that offer enhanced opportunities for commercial search engine discoverability and flexibility for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on transport records deposited in 2002. T he following classified list of major archive collections acquired by British repositories during 2002 has been compiled by the Historical Manuscripts Commission. Some collections may not yet be available for research, and enquiries should be directed to the relevant repositories. The commission seeks each year to collect information relating to manuscript accessions from over 200 repositories and record offices throughout the British Isles. The information is published on the commission's Web site (virww.nationalarchives.gov.uk) and in a series of thematic digests which appear in learned journals and newssheets.

Purpose As libraries are required to become more accountable and demonstrate that they are meeting performance metrics, an assessment website can be a means for providing data for evidence-based decision making and an important indicator of how a library interacts with its constituents. The purpose of this paper is to share the results of a review of websites of academic libraries from four countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia and the USA.Design/methodology/approach The academic library websites included in the sample were selected from the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, Research Libraries of the United Kingdom, Council of Australian University Libraries, Historically Black College & Universities Library Alliance, Association of Research Libraries and American Indian Higher Education Consortium. The websites were evaluated according to the absence or presence of nine predetermined characteristics related to assessment.Findings It was discovered that “one size does not fit all” and found several innovative ways institutions are listening to their constituents and making improvements to help users succeed in their academic studies, research and creative endeavors.Research limitations/implications Only a sample of academic libraries from each of the four countries were analyzed. Additionally, some of the academic libraries were using password protected intranets unavailable for public access. The influences of institutional history and country-specific practices also became compelling factors during the analysis.Originality/value This paper seeks to broaden the factors for what is thought of as academic library assessment with the addition of qualitative and contextual considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this practice briefing paper is to provide an exploratory review of the sustainability agendas being addressed and publicly reported by the UK's leading data centre operators. Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a short discussion of the characteristics of sustainability and an outline of the origins and development of data centres within the UK. The paper draws its empirical material from the most recent information on sustainability posted on the UK's leading data centre operators' corporate web sites. Findings – The findings reveal that all the UK's leading data centre operators provide only limited information on their commitment to sustainability with the dominant focus being on its environmental dimension and with little attention being paid to social and economic issues. More critically the authors argue that these commitments are driven more by the search for efficiency gains, that they are couched within existing business models centred on continuing growth and that as such the UK's leading data centre operators are pursuing a "weak" rather than a "strong" model of sustainability. Practical implications – The paper suggests that leading data centre operating companies may need to extend their sustainability reporting and to introduce external assurance procedures. Originality/value – The paper provides an accessible review of the sustainability agendas being pursued by the UK's leading data centre operators and as such it will interest academics, students and practitioners interested in both sustainability and data centre operations and developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which diversity policies are represented to prospective employees on UK company web sites. Design/methodology/approach – An analysis was conducted of the diversity pages and careers pages of the web sites of companies in the Times Top 20 Big Employers (2009) and Times Top 25 Big Employers (2010) lists; 28 web sites were studied. The analysis focused on the language that was used to describe diversity, the diversity strands that were represented and the images used. Findings – The paper shows how most of these companies have sophisticated and comprehensive web sites that use the language of diversity and of the business case. Messages about diversity are embedded not just in the diversity pages but also reflected across the careers pages. Young women are used as the "face" of the company while older men are less visible. The message conveyed on many web sites is of the importance of shared values and acceptance of superficial differences. Originality/value – The paper adds to research on discourses of diversity and the limitations of the business case, showing how diversity is valued, provided it can be accommodated within existing company culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison websites, also known as aggregators, have become a prominent aspect of e-business. They enable users to specify their requirements and then select from a range of sellers usually ranked according to price. Comparison websites also appeal to sellers as they refine users who are then more likely to buy. This paper analyses comparison websites using Amit and Zott's value creation in e-business model, with a specific focus on the service sector, drawing on secondary material and case studies from the UK. The paper also outlines the limitations of the value creation model, implications for practitioners and outlines areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective Knowledge Management (KM) has been known to offer identifiable benefits to organisations, though improved efficiencies and competitive advantage. As part of a project examining the phases of KM as they apply to information technology projects, Urwin and Burgess (2009) proposed a conceptual model that documented the stages of knowledge management from conversion of tacit to explicit knowledge, storage of this knowledge, its subsequent retrieval and absorption by recipients and their eventual application of the knowledge in (practical) action. Preliminary results from a study of project managers suggested that knowledge management often 'fell at the first hurdle' through ineffective storage and subsequent ability to access especially complex knowledge. This paper examines concepts related to knowledge management and how they can be applied to community based organisations (CBOs), specifically in relation to how they set up and maintain their websites. This occurs by applying the KM conceptual model to all phases of the use of websites by small Community Based Organisations (CBOs), which are non profit, non government organisations that serve local community needs. As with many similar sized organisations, many small CBOs are restricted by a lack of resources and relevant expertise when setting up their websites. Interviews with small CBOs in Australia, New Zealand and the UK suggested that even the most basic knowledge related to website operations is being lost in the organisations and that the cause of this is the failure of the CBOs to store the knowledge effectively. The paper also examines the reasons for these losses and the strategies adopted by the CBOs to overcome these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison websites have become a fundamental part of UK retail financial services. These websites appeal to both buyers and sellers. They offer buyers the ability to enter their details once and then quickly compare a range of products, usually ordered by price. For sellers, they offer a supply of potential customers who have refined their needs through the comparison process, and are thus more likely to complete a purchase. This paper analyses the role of comparison websites, drawing on case studies from three major providers of UK financial services comparisons. The paper also analyses the criticisms made of comparison websites, draws out implications for practitioners and consumers and outlines areas for future research.Journal of Financial Services Marketing (2009) 14, 173–186. doi:10.1057/fsm.2009.15 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Against a background of social concern about the commercialisation of childhood, the purpose of the paper is to analyse the commercial activity on the favourite web sites of UK children and report the views of a sample of parents and children. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reviews the theory underpinning current debate over risks to children from online commercialism and summarises the key provisions laid out in current international regulatory guidelines. The broad principles of protection from harm and deception are identified. This review is used to frame a research design encompassing web site observation and qualitative data collection from children and parents. Findings - A great deal of advertising is poorly labelled and deceptively integrated into content. Most sites visited by children are created for an adult audience which means 25 percent of adverts were for dating, gambling, loans, surgery and age-restricted products. There was also evidence of pester power, dubious "free" offers and incitement to make impulse purchases using mobile phone credit. Research limitations/implications - Surveys of commercial activity on children's web sites must be ongoing as technology, advertising techniques and regulation change at a fast pace. Practical implications - Companies which attract a child audience (inadvertently or not) should revise their strategy for selling advertising space. Advertisers should review potentially deceptive techniques such as advergames, product placements and embedded commercial content. "Wish lists" should be reviewed in the light of guidelines on pester power. Online payment methods available to children should be reviewed. Originality/value - This is one of the first overall assessments of the commercial content of UK children's web sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This paper aims to provide an overview of the published literature and current use of social software by libraries primarily in the UK and USA. Design/methodology/approach — The paper's approach is a literature review and desk research. Findings — Libraries are experimenting considerably in this area and many Web 2.0 applications have been developed by libraries and librarians over the past few years. These tools offer the potential to enhance library services. Research limitations/implications — The area is one of rapid change, so the findings will date quickly. Practical implications — An overview of which technologies are being used most widely and might offer the most potential for library staff considering experimenting in this area. Originality/value of paper — Web 2.0 is an area with which many library staff need to become familiar quickly. This paper provides a useful overview of the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the current LIS literature relating to Interlending and Document Supply and related issues such as open access. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on a reading of about 150 journals together with reports, blogs, web sites, etc. Findings – This paper argues that the tipping point for open access has already arrived and is now acknowledged widely. Now new tensions and complications are emerging to do with funding and control. Significant changes in UK copyright law, specifically contract no longer trumping copyright will have widespread ramifications. Originality/value – This paper is the only review of the LIS literature that focuses on Interlending and Document Supply and related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the impact of the Internet, specifically Web 2.0, on children in Great Britain. They found that the easiest way of understanding Web 2.0 is by understanding first Web 1.0. They suggests the application of Index Medicus, followed by www.hotreference.com which is a free tool to compile or online a list of references into a paper. Another example would be browsing Web pages.

The article offers information on the notice board of the book "Sartre Studies International" including internet sites, the Sartre Society in Great Britain, and the Sartre bibliography.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the literature concerning interlending and document supply and related matters. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the reading of over 150 journals, as well as monographs, reports and web sites. Findings – Important developments in ILL include OCLC's launch of an ILL resource particularly useful for public libraries. More on pay per view (PPV) and patron driven acquisition (PDA). The perils of journal usage measurement are identified in an important article and more on open access in the UK with more responses to the Finch report. Originality/value – This is the only regular literature review that focuses on document supply and related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of UK universities' websites. The area of branding in higher education has received increasing academic investigation, but little work has researched how universities demonstrate their brand promises through their websites. The quest to differentiate through branding can be challenging in the university context, however. It is argued that those institutions that have a strong distinctive image will be in a better position to face a changing future. Employing a multistage methodology, the web pages of 20 UK universities were investigated by using a combination of content and multivariable analysis. Results indicated 'traditional values' such as teaching and research were often well communicated in terms of online brand but 'emotional values' like social responsibility and the universities' environments were less consistently communicated, despite their increased topicality. It is therefore suggested that emotional values may offer a basis for possible future online differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The internet is initially hailed as the future of recruitment and is expected to replace other media as the preferred recruitment method, but the adoption of online recruitment has not been as comprehensively predicted. In addition, empirical research regarding online recruitment from an organisational perspective is sparse. This paper aims to examine the reasons behind an organisation's decision to use online recruitment, and reports on the development of a model of the factors affecting the adoption of this recruitment method. Design/methodology/approach - The paper uses in-depth interviews and a survey of human resource (HR) managers with recruitment responsibility. The factors that affect the adoption of online recruitment are explored, and related to Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory (DIT) and Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Findings - Factors related to the adoption of corporate web sites and commercial jobs boards are found to be different, with positive beliefs/relative advantage, subjective norms and negative beliefs emerging in the case of corporate web sites and positive beliefs/relative advantage and compatibility for jobs boards. These results provide some fit with both Ajzen's and Rogers' factors. Originality/value - This paper addresses an important area that is under-researched academically and provides a basis for further research into how organisations may adopt online recruitment successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy has been and continues to be one of the key challenges of an age devoted to the accumulation, processing, and mining of electronic information. In particular, privacy of healthcare-related information is seen as a key issue as health organizations move towards the electronic provision of services. The aim of the research detailed in this paper has been to analyse privacy policies on popular UK healthcare-related websites to determine the extent to which consumer privacy is protected. The author has combined approaches (such as approaches focused on usability, policy content, and policy quality) used in studies by other researchers on e-commerce and US healthcare websites to provide a comprehensive analysis of UK healthcare privacy policies. The author identifies a wide range of issues related to the protection of consumer privacy through his research analysis using quantitative results. The main outcomes from the author's research are that only 61% of healthcare-related websites in their sample group posted privacy policies. In addition, most of the posted privacy policies had poor readability standards and included a variety of privacy vulnerability statements. Overall, the author's findings represent significant current issues in relation to healthcare information protection on the Internet. The hope is that raising awareness of these results will drive forward changes in the industry, similar to those experienced with information quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of weblogs by political parties in the 2005 general election campaign. It seeks to identify why, why not, and how parties used their weblogs during the election campaign. Design/methodology/approach - The weblogs of the five political parties which had a weblog were assessed, and eight party e-campaigners were interviewed. Findings - The findings contrast with those of studies of the 2004 US presidential campaign where blogs appeared to play a significant campaigning role. Rather, in the UK, party blogs were essentially used as one-way communication channels which added colour to party web sites. As a result, such weblogs may have encouraged visitors to return because of some form of voyeurism, but they were not either effective conversational, campaigning, or promotional tools. Research limitations/implications - The paper is based on a UK general election of an experimental political communication channel. Practical implications - Suggests the key elements required for the effective use of weblogs. Also suggests that individual candidate weblogs may be a more appropriate channel to reach electors than party-controlled weblogs. The motivation for using a weblog seems to be essentially a judgement that it might be worthwhile experimenting with one, However, until there is significant evidence that weblogs can have a tangible effect, it is likely that they will remain merely part of the background to a UK general election campaign. Originality/value - The paper provides a means of judging the value of weblogs within political communication by political actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The easy exchange of rich information between often geographically dispersed parties is an important precursor of successful tourism transactions. Internet-based technologies, in particular the World Wide Web, offer possibilities to both buyers and sellers to exchange information without the constraints of geography and time diminishing its richness. The disabled, representing a significant part of any marketplace, may, however, have difficulties accessing the content of the Web and therefore sharing the benefits of rich information exchange. This is the principal concern of ‘Web content accessibility’. Focusing on the tourism sector, in particular UK-based hotels, this paper examines the accessibility of their websites. However, recognising that it is not just access to information that is important for the disabled, but also the quality of that information, the paper also examines the extent to which the information contained on websites serves their particular needs. Utilising the accessibility testing software ‘Bobby’, disappointingly low levels of Web content accessibility were found amongst the sample of websites. Against a framework of information needs developed from criteria provided by disability organisations, the sample also revealed disappointingly low levels of specific (relevant) information for the disabled. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Health Education Trust (HET) was created to promote the development of health education for young people in the UK through work with young adults and children to encourage the growth of healthy lifestyles. This paper reviews the work of the HET Web site, www.healthedtrust.com The Trust has recently developed its Web site with the aim of facilitating easy access to practical information, policy updates, research news and examples of good practice for all who are interested and concerned about young people's health issues. Through utilising the Web site it is hoped that beneficial information and ideas will be spread more quickly and put into practice elsewhere, thus enabling swifter progress towards healthier lifestyles for our children. This paper describes current Web site activities, which in themselves, provide a keyhole through to exploring the rapidly evolving field of activities, both central and national, all geared towards addressing the health and wellbeing of young people today and for tomorrow. The paper will be useful to any professionals who have a role to play, or an interest, perhaps as a parent, in the area of nutrition and lifestyle education for young people. The more information available and general "noise" relating to good nutrition, healthy lifestyles and the practical means to achieving these, the more likely we are to achieve better health for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a case history drawn from a larger investigation that profiled "successful" Asian entrepreneurs in order to encourage future entrepreneurship within the broad Asian community in the UK. Asian entrepreneurs were chosen for the larger study due to their propensity to engage in entrepreneurial activities in the UK in comparison to other ethnic communities. Ten case histories were developed via personal interviews with entrepreneurs in the Asian Eye "Rich-List" of the 100 wealthiest Asians in the UK and data was supported with information from Web sites, newspapers etc. One case history is presented in this paper in order to explore the richness of the qualitative data and this serves as a learning vehicle for future ethnic businessmen and women working at the marketing/entrepreneurship interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the major issues arising from the UK local authority e-voting pilots. The formal evaluation reports on all the UK e-voting pilots conducted in 2002, which provided actual case data. Identified issues are categorised into four high-level areas: legal, social, political, and voter education. Each category is presented and the major issues discussed. Verification of the initial findings is achieved through a web site review of the Local Authority web sites involved in the 2003 e-voting pilots. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper describes and discusses critically a unique experiment in using a combination of broadcast television and an interactive Web site to reach people interested in business and management. The Open University's Business School, in collaboration with the BBC mounted the project, called The Business Café . The paper outlines the contents of the nine broadcasts and the site, which changed weekly. Developing the broadcasts and maintaining the site required complex procedures and teamwork. The broadcasts attracted an audience of 300,000 UK viewers and the Web site recorded over 60,000 visits during the series. The stakeholders and others who offered much constructive criticism, identified more project outcomes during an evaluation. Useful lessons emerged, in particular about cross-team working and about learning from asynchronous networks like the Web. Web site:http://www.open.ac.uk/businesscafe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Agenda 21 treaty adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development set out new goals for the provision and management of information in a sustainable society. New information and communications technologies (ICTs) have the potential to be used as tools for managing information and consequently have a role in sustainable development. This paper considers the use of ICTs to manage local information areas and the extent to which these new technologies are compatible with the broader goals of Agenda 21 such as social inclusion and public participation in decision making. The use of the Worm Wide Web by local authorities in the UK to manage local information and promote Agenda 21 is explored through a critique of website contents. It is concluded that, although the use of ICTs is not incompatible with the broader aims of Agenda 21, and has many possible positive applications, current use of the Worm Wide Web by local government in the UK does not yet fulfil this potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Internet users know that Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that covers a wide range of information to which volunteers from around the world contribute. However, few know that this resource has other values. This paper presents, in summary, some experiences in which Wikipedia is used as a working tool in student education. Ranked 5th in the top of the most visited web pages, teachers from various higher education institutions in the UK and USA chose Wikipedia to teach students how to search for accurate information and how to use it ethically in writing articles. The study states that there are also some restraints from professors and librarians about the use of Wikipedia in scientific research. However, the educational projects described were successfully completed, and the reference librarians chose to use these experiences to develop information literacy programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In this paper, the authors aim to examine the impact of resource capabilities on customer loyalty of UK hotels. Understanding this impact will help organisations to improve customer satisfaction in order to obtain improved customer loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use a relatively innovative data source, namely online ratings. They measure resource capabilities of a firm using customer ratings in terms of various operational criteria. Similarly, customer loyalty is measured using guests' ratings on their intention to use the same service (stay again in the same hotel) and their intention to recommend the service to friends. The authors employ structural equation modelling to test research hypotheses. Findings – The authors' results indicate that there is a significant positive influence of resource capabilities on customer loyalty. They further find that the significant influence of resource capabilities on customer loyalty does not differ across hotels with various star ratings. Research limitations/implications – The authors looked at the online guest ratings available on a particular website, but it is only one of the many websites offering online hotel reservations, and not all customers that made hotel reservations using this e-booking facility would be inclined to leave feedback after their stay in the hotel. This limitation can be partially overcome by pooling similar data from a number of online hotel booking sites. Practical implications – The most important managerial implication is that good resource capabilities of firms translate well into customer loyalty. Thus, managers should ensure good performance in terms of various hotel attributes – cleanliness, quality of room, facilities, and customer service – and also ensure that customers perceive good value for their money while staying in the hotel. Originality/value – The authors applied structural modelling framework to verify the resource capability – performance link in the context of hotels. They used a relatively novel data source – online guest ratings of hotels – to understand the relationships between resource capabilities and customer loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of the Internet has been proven to provide significant, wide-ranging benefits for disabled people research, however, such as a large scale global study commissioned by the United Nations, has determined a low level of accessibility. These findings have been supported by further multi-disciplinary work.While in other jurisdictions there have been definitive rulings on the need for the provision of accessible websites, a UK court has yet to lay down such a duty in relation to a website. It is accepted that there are a number of wide ranging issues interacting in this multi-faceted area, such as standardisation, industry self-regulation and the determination of an international consensus on what constitutes accessible design. However, this paper will focus upon the Equality Act 2010 and the changes it makes which could impact upon the creation of a definitive precedent.The Equality Act 2010 amended and combined pre-existing anti-discrimination provisions into one overarching piece of legislation. An analysis can be undertaken of how this legislation through its reasonable adjustment duty, public sector duty and the potential to validate regulations may be able to bring clarification in the area of website accessibility.Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in its Article Nine specifically applies to access to the Internet. Given the international nature of website accessibility and the innovative provisions contained in the Convention, its impact on website design and inclusion could potentially be far-reaching. This article analyses the area of website design in the light of these recent legislative developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Using data from online guest ratings, the purpose of this paper is to explore how the performance of hotels in terms of various criteria influences loyalty behavior of customers. Design/methodology/approach – Ratings of 333 hotels in the UK were collected from the web site www.laterooms.com and statistical analysis performed. Findings – The criterion related to marketing management (Value for money) was found to be the most important criterion influencing loyalty behavior of customers in UK hotels. Further, it was found that good performance of hotels in terms of physical-product management can significantly influence the intentions of business guests to stay again, whereas leisure guests expect good performance both in terms of physical-product management and people and process management. While guests of independent hotels value performance in terms of people and process management, guests of chain hotels value both physical-product management and people and process management. Finally, it was found that the significance of criteria related to physical-product management and people and process management generally varies across star ratings. Practical implications – Expectations of guests have been found to be quite different across various categories – star classifications, chain and independent hotels, and leisure and business guests. This implies that a general solution may not satisfy guests belonging to all these categories. For example, business and leisure guests perceive facilities differently and hence hotel managers need to provide different kinds of services to satisfy them. Similarly, the finding that business guests attach higher importance to criteria related to physical-property management, in deciding their intention to stay again in the UK hotels, compared to people and process management, has interesting practical implications. This indicates that good performance of hotels in maintaining room quality and cleanliness can significantly influence the intentions of business guests to stay again. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to statistically analyze online guest ratings. It extends the applicability of the frameworks developed in the earlier literature by employing them with the new data source (online ratings). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper seeks to report the results of a study, which investigated the use of the internet by political parties and individual candidates in Scotland as part of their campaign for election to the UK Parliament in 2010. Design/methodology/approach – Three methodologies were used in gathering data: the content of the web sites of 18 parties and 12 candidates was analysed in order to identify the ways in which participation by the Scottish electorate was encouraged via the provision of information and of opportunities for interaction, debate and feedback; the extent to which parties and candidates adopted and used social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, during the campaign was investigated and measured; and using e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, a series of enquiries based around topical campaign and policy issues was directed at parties and candidates to measure the speed and extent of response, as well as any efforts made towards the creation of an ongoing relationship with potential voters. Findings – Party and candidate web sites were being used extensively for information provision, income generation and the recruitment of members and volunteers. However, Scottish political actors were reluctant to encourage online contact and debate, and were unwilling to answer contentious policy questions online. Social media applications were adopted by a significant number of parties and candidates, but were used primarily for the one-way flow of information to known associates and party activists. Originality/value – This study forms part of an ongoing series of investigations by the authors, which has examined the use of the internet by political parties and candidates during parliamentary election campaigns in Scotland. These are the only such studies which have looked specifically at the Scottish political arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]