1,720,998 research outputs found
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe 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
Get PDF“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
Get PDFWe 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
New Zealand Year 7 & 8 students' visualisation process during algebra problem-solving
No full textFull Text is available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland only.Visualisation has commonly been perceived as a helpful problem-solving tool. When students experience difficulties during problem-solving, they are often encouraged by their teachers to “draw a picture”. However, the “draw a picture” strategy can be perceived by students in many ways and does not necessarily contribute to successful problem-solving. To provide further insight into the visualisation process during algebra problem-solving, this thesis investigates the role of visual representation within the context of algebra problems to determine whether the “draw a picture” strategy should be considered as a helpful problem-solving tool. It reports on how students describe the visualisation process during algebra problem-solving, the impact of using visual representations during algebra problem-solving, and how different types of visual representations contribute to successful or unsuccessful algebra problem-solving. Despite individual differences, the findings of this study indicate that visual representations can be used as a helpful problem-solving tool, but only when it used appropriately and in appropriate situations. Students need to be able to identify whether visual representations are suitable for the problem type and be able to create visual representations that can be used effectively during algebra problem-solving. Therefore, it is important to develop a good understanding of visual representations so that meaningful connections can be made between “draw a picture” and creating helpful visual representations that can contribute to successful algebra problem-solving
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe 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
Likes, Shares and the Young Scholar: An Exploration of Social Media and Academic Engagement
No full textSocial media has become integral to students' lives, influencing their academic engagement. While social media offers various supports for learning, it also comes with concerns, distractions and misuse. This study used a mixed methodology to explore how students perceive social media's role in their academic engagement. 74 responses were collected through an anonymous questionnaire; among them, 64 responses were complete and used for analysis. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and comparative statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Social learning theory and engagement theory were theoretical frameworks for my research. My research found consistency in social media usage patterns among undergraduate and postgraduate students. Furthermore, students see social media as a double-edged sword; however, they also acknowledge certain benefits, such as facilitating communication and collaboration with classmates, resource finding and sharing, motivation and clarification, and self-directed learning. Students' primary purpose of using social media remains entertainment regardless of study level and age. The findings suggest that educators might inspire students to use social media for self-directed learning along with tips to manage their distractions
Mathematics Learner Identity Development Through a Science Programme: A longitudinal study of primary aged children in New Zealand
No full textFull Text is available to authenticated members of The University of Auckland only.This study examined what happened to learners’ mathematics learner identities when
they participated in a mathematics-focused science learning programme. The research
followed the journey of 7 primary aged students of different year levels. Mathematics learner
identities were examined through the narrative stories that students told. The study used Sfard
and Prusak’s (2005) definition of identity as “a set of reifying significant, endorsable stories
about a person” (p.14). The study was longitudinal and covered the course of approximately
one school year. Two main findings arose from this study: First, that students told contrasting
stories within their mathematical identities and that within these contrasting narratives some
stories that students told about mathematics appeared particularly resistant to change. Second,
that although students greatly enjoyed their science experiences they appeared to struggle with
connecting their “science” experiences with their mathematics identity. To address these two
points I suggest that schools and teachers need to continue to deliver clear messages to students
about what it means to do mathematics and what it means to be a mathematician. Furthermore,
an additional step should be taken by schools and educators to help students make connections
by explicitly teach them how to apply the skills they have already gained to other learning
experiences and areas of their lives
New Zealand University Bridging Mathematics Courses: Success for Whom?
No full textThis thesis explores the experiences and insights from a group of university bridging students in New Zealand. These were students who failed their first attempt at passing a mathematics course (or paper) on the bridging programme (a pre degree or foundation certificate) and who were invited to repeat the same course the following semester.
For some of these students, learning mathematics in school was a longstanding battle, particularly for students with learning challenges or learning disabilities. Further, to enter a university degree programme these students were first required to complete a bridging programme that includes passing at least one bridging mathematics course.
Following an interpretivist methodology, I conducted and analysed nine semi structured interviews with seven bridging mathematics students from one university, and four bridging mathematics or statistics teaching teams from two universities. Theories and concepts from the fields of disability studies, particularly disability studies in (mathematics) education were used to help interpret the data.
The main findings of the study were: 1) Students described four main influences on their learning journeys and identity formation. The influences included the practices and actions of people such as teachers and parents, high stakes assessments in the last 3 years of high school, the removal of these students from their peer year levels either by retention or streaming, and labelling practices that utilised an ableist discourse. 2) The students created strategies to camouflage their actions in class or masked their struggles within the demands of learning mathematics. 3) Whilst students finally gained university entrance by passing the gateway mathematics course, this in no way guaranteed their future success in degree courses that required mathematics.
Understanding these students’ experiences and insights will enable universities to design bridging courses so as not to repeat the experiences that these students endured in their schooling. I argue that with the growth in numbers of previously marginalised students planning to enter universities, institutions need to rethink what success might look like for students entering bridging programmes who desire to then move into degree programmes with quantitative demands in their courses. To enable success in those follow-up programmes, institutions will also need to consider what strategies are in place to support the mathematics that may be required
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