1,720,968 research outputs found
Reasons and consequences of foreign farmland acquisitions in Latvia
Full text linkThis thesis describes farmland acquisitions by foreign investors in Latvia and explores the historical land
reforms and regulations of the land market. Furthermore, the study explores what has caused Latvian
farmland to become an attractive investment target for foreign companies, and how these investments affect
the countryside and the Latvian farmers. In order to comprehend the economic, social and cultural impacts
on the farmers, I have attempted to describe their lifeworlds, by the use of narrative analysis. There is a
particular focus on how local farmers experience foreign investments and bureaucratic interventions. The
study was conducted in the Alūksne municipality, close to the Russian and Estonian border.
The thesis shows how Latvian farmland became an investment target through a land privatisation process,
based on a neoliberal market oriented discourse, in the 1990’s. Furthermore, this process increasingly
commoditised land and transformed its social and cultural meaning. The investors seldom use farmland for
agricultural production, but rather regard it as a source for long-term profit; leasing out the land to local
farmers. This has a negative impact on the local economy and creates few employment opportunities.
Besides the economic changes local farmers are subjected to constant bureaucratic interventions and policy
changes; thus experiencing a high degree of colonisation of their lifeworlds
An Interdisciplinary Assessment of the Mud Crab Scylla serrata as a Sustainable Livelihood Resource in Southwest India
Full text linkFishing and aquaculture are important income-generating activities for coastal communities in India. However, the challenges of climate change and overexploitation have prompted the exploration of new, alternative, sustainable, target species that previously have received little attention. This thesis considers the potential of the mud crab Scylla serrata as a sustainable livelihood resource for local communities in southwest India where currently crab fishing and, particularly, farming is less common compared to southeast India. As fisheries and aquaculture are inherently complex social-ecological systems affected both by biological and socio-economic factors, this thesis has taken an interdisciplinary approach to identify the main barriers and drivers to small scale mud crab farming in southwest India, in particular, Karnataka. By applying social science approaches, this thesis revealed that the main barriers to mud crab aquaculture for fishers in Karnataka are poor access to land and lack of financial support. Whereas already established mud crab farmers in Andhra Pradesh on the southeast coast, reported a limited supply of crab seedlings and increased water temperatures causing mass mortality to be their main challenges. Biological studies confirmed the significant adverse effects of ocean warming on mud crabs. Increased water temperatures were linked to decreased microbial diversity of the mud crab gut microbiome, which can potentially affect crab health status. Meanwhile, the location (east or west coast) viii and habitat (wild sites or crab farms) did not affect the gut microbial composition. Exposing juvenile crabs to simulated climate change conditions indicated that not only warming, but freshening as a result of projected increased rainfall, causes an increase in oxygen consumption in crabs, potentially negatively affecting their physiological health. By analysing the overall findings with the help of systems thinking within a social-ecological systems framework, this study identified four key points of intervention, which could improve the sustainable use of this species as a livelihood resource - adaptation to climate change conditions, improved supply of crab seedlings and access to land for aquaculture purposes, and changes in local governance systems
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
Resilient Coasts survey result infographics
No full textThe infographics summarise the main results of the survey conducted as part of the project Resilient Coasts: Optimising Co-Benefit Solutions (Co-Opt) in four coastal locations in the UK - St Andrews, Airth, Pensarn and Hesketh Bank. Co-Opt (2021-2025) is an interdisciplinary research project involving the University of St Andrews, University of Liverpool, National Oceanography Centre and Cranfield University.The postal survey aimed to explore the perceptions of coastal flood risk management and various coastal schemes in four coastal locations in the UK. - Airth, St Andrews, Pensarn and Hesketh Bank. The Co-Opt project aims to highlight what is required to support the implementation of green/nature-based solutions for flood risk management.The survey was part of a mixed-method approach, and the full study is published as Apine, E. & Stojanovic, T. (2025). Community acceptance of nature‐based solutions for coastal flood risk management. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.7018
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
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
Community acceptance of nature‐based solutions for coastal flood risk management
Full text link1. Coastal areas are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels and more frequent storm events, necessitating urgent adaptation strategies. Various adaptation approaches exist, including hard engineering solutions and nature-based solutions, but whether these strategies are implemented often depends on social acceptance by local communities. Understanding the factors that influence community acceptance, such as trust, knowledge and perceived effectiveness, is vital for coastal risk management.2. This study employed a mixed methods approach across four diverse case study sites in the United Kingdom—St Andrews (Scotland), Airth (Scotland), Hesketh Bank (England) and Pensarn (Wales). We employed a postal survey and focus groups to gather both quantitative and qualitative data, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of local perceptions and values.3. A total of 328 valid responses were gathered across four sites, with variations in response rates and demographic characteristics, notably age and education. Awareness of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) was low in Hesketh Bank, Pensarn and Airth, only respondents in St Andrews were more familiar with the term. Qualitative analysis identified 68 community and individual-level factors, scheme characteristics and sociopolitical factors that influence social acceptance of coastal flood risk schemes.4. Participants emphasised the importance of local knowledge and landscape values but expressed low trust in government authorities and a lack of confidence in influencing local decisions. The study highlights the complexity of community acceptance of NbS for coastal flood risk management, indicating that local perceptions are influenced by a combination individual factors such as trust; the characteristics of schemes; and the ways in which governance systems interact with local communities. Context is also important with certain factors being site specific.5. Synthesis and applications. Community acceptance plays a crucial role in implementing coastal schemes, highlighting the importance of addressing the interests, values and experiences of local communities. Building trust and engaging stakeholders early in the planning stages to overcome potential push back due to uncertainties is critical. Collaborative and whole-systems approaches are also essential to ensure that the benefits of NbS are effectively communicated and integrated
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