1,720,978 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
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
Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Occupational Health & Safety
No full textA report released by the Productivity Commission — Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Occupational Health and Safety — has identified significant differences in regulation and in the actions of regulators across the jurisdictions that are hard to justify. While OHS regulation plays an important role in promoting safe work practices, excessive regulation can have adverse consequences for productivity and costs for consumers. The report was requested by COAG, as part of the commitment by all governments to remove unnecessary compliance costs, enhance regulatory consistency and reduce regulatory duplication and overlap. The study has been undertaken while governments have been making progress towards a national OHS Act, which should introduce nationally consistent core legislative provisions.Benchmarking; Occupational Health and Safety; business regulation; COAG
Market Mechanisms for Recovering Water in the Murray-Darling Basin
No full textThe Productivity Commission has made recommendations on how the Australian Government’s buyback of water entitlements in the Murray Darling Basin could be improved, in a report released today. The buyback and a larger irrigation infrastructure program are being used to recover water for the environment, and ease the transition to the much lower water diversion levels expected under a Basin Plan. The report raises some concerns about aspects of the design and sequencing of the strategy, noting problems in having commenced the buyback before the Basin Plan is ratified. However, Commissioner Neil Byron said ‘There is still much that can be done to improve the recovery and management of water for the environment in the Basin’.water management; agriculture; water entitlements; water markets; water purchases
Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Planning, Zoning and Development Assessments
Full text linkThis Productivity Commission research report, released on 16 May 2011, has identified wide-ranging differences in the ways all levels of government plan and zone land uses and assess development proposals. In Performance Benchmarking of Australian Business Regulation: Planning, Zoning and Development Assessments – a report commissioned by COAG – the Commission compared the regulatory frameworks, land supply processes, developer contributions, assessment and referral processes, and the impacts of planning and zoning on competition in retail markets of the jurisdictions. Governance, community engagement and transparency and accountability were also explored. The planning task is also suffering from ‘objectives overload’, according to the Commission. A growing number of issues and policy agendas impact on land-use considerations, including population pressures, climate change and risks posed by fires and floods. The many cases where the costs of a land use are borne by people in localised areas, while the benefits are shared across a whole city or region — such as major residential developments or waste disposal sites — pose a core challenge. The report identifies numerous ‘leading practices’ which can contribute to smoother processes and improved outcomes, such as: ensuring that local plans are more quickly brought up to date with the strategic city plans; completing structure planning of greenfield areas before development commences; ensuring alternative development and rezoning assessment mechanisms are transparent and independent and have clear criteria for triggering them; engaging the community and business as partners and clients in planning. Although each jurisdiction is home to at least one leading practice, the report concludes that there are opportunities for all jurisdictions to improve the way they operate in this important area, in order to reduce burdens on business and costs to the community, as well as to increase competition and improve the liveability of cities.planning; zoning; development; planning and zoning systems; land development; gaming; COAG; regulatory reform agenda
Australian’s Urban Water Sector
No full textThe Productivity Commission’s inquiry report — Australia’s Urban Water Sector — was released in October 2011. In recent times, the urban water sector has faced drought, growing populations and ageing assets. Governments have largely responded with prolonged and severe water restrictions and investments in desalination capacity. The costs to consumers and the community have been large. Water restrictions are likely to have cost in excess of a billion dollars per year (nationally) from the lost value of consumption alone. Inefficient supply augmentation in Melbourne and Perth, for example, could cost consumers and communities up to $4.2 billion over 20 years. Large government grants for infrastructure may have led to perverse outcomes. Conflicting objectives and unclear roles and responsibilities of governments, water utilities and regulators have led to inefficient allocation of water resources, misdirected investment, undue reliance on water restrictions and costly water conservation programs. Therefore, the largest gains are likely to come initially from establishing clear objectives, improving the performance of institutions with respect to roles and responsibilities, governance, regulation, competitive procurement of supply, and pricing, rather than trying to create a competitive market as in the electricity sector. To implement the recommended universal reforms, governments should: clarify that the overarching objective for policy in the sector is the efficient provision of water, wastewater and stormwater services so as to maximise net benefits to the community; ◦ensure that procurement, pricing and regulatory frameworks are aligned with the overarching objective and assigned to the appropriate organisation; put in place best practice arrangements for policy making, regulatory agencies, and water utilities; and put in place performance monitoring of utilities and monitor progress on reform.urban water; drinking water; waste water; water utilities; COAG; National Water Initiative; water reform framework; water security; water policy; water catchments; water resource planning; water supply services; water management practices
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