1,720,980 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
Risks and benefits of the eradication of African customs by modernity
No full textMagister Legum - LLMAfrican customs define the African people. Despite their varying cultures, Africans possess similar features which make it easy for them to identify each other. Before colonisation, African tribes sometimes fought amongst themselves. However, they still preserved their customs. The colonial era affected Africans by bringing them under the influence of foreigners who were unaware of the significance of indigenous customs. The colonial experience initiated the eradication of African customs, which is continued by modernity/globalisation. This mini thesis examines the risks and the benefits that modernity/globalization poses to the survival or eradication of indigenous African laws. It argues that there is a link between colonialism, globalisation, and modernity, and their effects on the African continent, specifically on African customs. Modern Western ideals have both positive and negative effects on social and emotional wellness, with some advancing economic progress while others slow it down. The thesis finds that most natives who mindlessly adopted Western ideas are currently experiencing a cultural identity crisis. It suggests that because culture is unique and profitable for communities to progress from a particular stage of advancement to the next, positive aspects of culture such as communal welfare should be protected by African governments
Judicial balancing of cultural relativism and universalism of human rights in post-Apartheid South Africa
No full textMagister Legum - LLMGlobalisation did not only bring about major political, social and economic changes; it also strengthened the global reach of universalism of human rights. The concept of universal human rights is presently reconstructing the world order and reshaping national constitutions worldwide. Universalism is based on the ideology that human rights should be recognised universally and applied to all cultures. In opposition, cultural relativism posits that the notion of universal human rights is a Western idea that should not apply to all cultures of the world, as every culture has its own moral standards that are perceived as acceptable or unacceptable in the specific contexts of the people identifying it. The concept of universal human rights has been embodied in constitutions of almost all countries. In particular, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa has been influenced by a universalist approach to human rights
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
Criminalisation of sex work as a human rights violation against women in South Africa
Full text linkMagister Legum - LLMThere is considerable and often emotive debate around the topic of sex work. Sex work is either
criminalised, decriminalised, or legalised depending on the country. In South Africa, sex work is
criminalised in section 20 (1) (Aa) of the Sexual Offences Act (previously Immorality Act) 23 of
1957. This dissertation asks whether the criminalisation of sex work is a human rights violation
by investigating how it negatively affects the human rights of female sex workers. It focusses on
the disadvantages of criminalising sex work and the effectiveness of South Africa’s legislative
framework on sex work. It analyses the criminalisation of sex work in South Africa in the
context of gender inequality, constitutional texts, policy documents, and South Africa’s
commitment to international human rights instruments.
This dissertation uses a qualitative method involving literature review and content
analyses of case law and legislation. It reveals a relationship between the criminalisation of sex
work and the violation of sex workers’ human rights. It further finds that criminalisation of sex
work contributes to women’s human rights violations. Due to fear of criminal prosecution,
criminalisation hinders female sex workers from accessing justice and healthcare services.
The dissertation recommends reform of South Africa’s legal framework to give effect to
the objectives of the Bill of Rights and international human rights treaties. Specifically, section
20(1) (Aa) of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957 should be repealed, and legislation should be
adopted to enable sex workers enjoy the full protection of the law
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
Women’s right to abortion versus paternal rights in South Africa
No full textThe right to abortion is regulated by various sections of the Constitution, including section 12(2)(a), which provides that everyone has the right to make decisions regarding their reproductive health, as well as section 27. The aforementioned right is further provided for by the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996. This Act was enacted for the sole purpose of regulating the termination of pregnancy in South Africa. Despite the fact that the right to abortion is legally protected, there is great stigmatisation surrounding abortion, women are shunned and shamed for legally seeking an abortion. This unfortunately leads to unsafe abortions performed by unqualified persons at some backroom in Soweto, increasing the number of deaths arising from unsafe abortions. Almost thirty years after the enactment of the Termination of Pregnancy Act. An Act which sought to protect women’s reproductive rights and affirm their right to freedom of choice
Statutory laws of intestate succession in south-east Nigeria: addressing the gaps of legal pluralism
No full textThis research investigates the regulation of intestate succession in Anambra and Ebonyi states of South-East Nigeria. It highlights the difficulties suffered by women and children who are disinherited under customary law and unveils the inadequacy of constitutional provisions and intestate succession laws regulating the property rights of women and children. It also shows that irrespective of court decisions, lack of awareness and the customary practice of male primogeniture hinder the inheritance rights of women and children. It argues that in the South-East, women and children are disadvantaged by both state and customary intestate laws because these laws do not guarantee their full right to intestate property, compared to adult males. This fosters inequality and hinders women’s economic development.
The research historically traces the customary rule of male primogeniture, reveals the unsuitability of this rule in modern times, and makes a case for a balancing of constitutional values with the changing nature of customary law. Using case analysis and comparative research methods, it shows the need to define the interaction of legal orders in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution. This need includes a gender sensitive Bill of Rights, a defined right to culture, and the jurisdictional expansion of customary courts. The research also analyses unreported customary law judgments on intestate succession in South-East Nigeria with the aim of uncovering the approach of customary courts to intestate distribution of property in Igbo land compared to superior courts. Furthermore, it compares Nigerian and South African intestate succession laws in order to draw lessons for law reforms.
Ultimately, the research finds that the inadequacies of Nigeria’s legal framework on intestacy deprive women and children of property rights in intestate situations in South-Eastern Nigeria. It therefore recommends a review of the legal framework on intestacy, a synergy of plural succession laws through a federal intestate succession law, an enforceable right to culture, and an expanded jurisdiction of customary courts in Nigeria’s Constitution
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
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