1,720,954 research outputs found
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Developing a project management framework for supporting the sustainability of emerging contractors in the Free State
Full text linkThesis (PhD Management Sciences (Project management))--Central University of TechnologyThe purpose of this study was to develop a project management framework that could be used to support the sustainability of emerging contractors in the Free State. Emerging contractors are a key vehicle within the construction industry used by the African National Congress Government to redress the economic marginalisation of previously disadvantaged population groups during the apartheid era. While not sparing resources and policy to assist emerging contractors’ businesses to survive and grow, government efforts do not seem to be yielding the desired results as the sustainability of emerging contractors remains threatened by early and high business failure rates. A major concern is that emerging contractors continue to deliver projects in the construction industry that do not conform to cost, time, scope and quality specifications which are considered generally to be the key measures of project success. Therefore, this shortfall places the sustainability of emerging contractors in question since their inability to deliver successful projects hampers their chances of obtaining further business in the construction industry. Moreover, the construction business by nature is project based and, therefore, requires the use of a project management approach. However, it is often reported that emerging contractors lack knowledge and skills in project management and construction and are thus not using a project management approach in their construction businesses which are constrained further by the limited resources available to emerging contractors. Drawing on pragmatism, an explanatory, sequential, mixed-methods research design was adopted for the study. The quantitative data were analysed statistically, while the qualitative data were transcribed and analysed thematically. In the study, the key components required to develop a project management framework that would be useful for emerging contractors in establishing the sustainability of their construction businesses were identified and emphasised. The findings of the study showed that the project management framework developed could support the sustainability of emerging contractors. The findings showed further that there was a statistically significant relationship between components of the project framework (i.e., project lifecycle, project control cycle, tools, and templates) measured and the components of sustainability (i.e. social, economic, and environmental). It was discovered that the project management framework included sufficient elements to prompt some change in how emerging contractors use project management processes in the construction industry. It is recommended in the study that emerging contractors adopt and use the developed project management framework to ensure their sustainability in the construction industry
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
FORMAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT ADOPTION READINESS OF EMERGING CONSTRUCTION FIRMS IN SOUTH AFRICA:
Full text linkPublished ThesisThe drive towards Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment in this industry has been marred by evidence of poor quality construction, delays in project execution and completion leading to cost overruns and general public dissatisfaction with Emerging Construction Firms’ (ECFs’) structures. Since some of these challenges are attributed directly to poor project management practices and dearth of project management skills by most ECFs, there is scope to examine the interface between construction entrepreneurship and adoption of project management practices/techniques mindful of the ECFs’ involvement in government’s construction programmes and projects.
It is against this background that the current study explored the formal project management adoption readiness of ECFs in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. The thesis statement of this study is that since organisational culture, organisational structure and project management skills constitute the foundation for successful project management, any effective model on project management readiness of ECFs should strongly dovetail with their business strategy as well as these organisational variables.
Drawing on a survey design, data were collected from 334 ECFs graded at category 1 to 5 by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality of the Free State province of South Africa.
The key findings from the empirical study are:
Although majority of the ECFs surveyed have high levels of qualification in general education, only a few actually have high level of project management qualification.
Majority of the ECFs surveyed also consider project management skills core skills in undertaking projects in order to achieve successful project outcomes. The current organisational culture and structure of the ECFs surveyed largely support the adoption and implementation of project management techniques and tools.
The study recommends project management, construction and business education training for ECFs. In addition, the study recommends research into actual project management adoption of ECFs as this study was only limited to exploring adoption readiness
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
Author-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.
No full textAuthor-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.</p
- …
