1,720,983 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
MALAWI AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY EXCHANGE AND SPATIAL RICE MARKET INTEGRATION
Full text linkThere has been a growing debate regarding the role of the government and the effects of agricultural policies and interventions on agricultural markets. This therefore prompted this study to analyse the role of Malawi Agricultural Commodity Exchange (MACE) project as a market-enhancing intervention on aggregate market performance in Malawi using cointegration methods. MACE was introduced to improve agricultural market functioning through market information system. The study specifically examined the extent of spatial rice market integration, causality relationships among spatially separated markets and the dynamic adjustments of rice price series. The study used monthly price series data from 1994 to 2007 obtained from the ministry of agriculture. The data was divided into three sets; full sample, Pre-MACE and Post-MACE. Stationarity tests were done and it was noted that Salima and Bangula for full sample and Chitipa for Pre and Post-MACE price series were stationary in levels implying that these markets did not share the long-term trend with the major urban centres in Malawi in their respective samples. Cointegration results have shown that spatial rice market integration in Malawi is on average marginally improving. Compared to Pre-MACE period, cointegration and interdependence among markets appeared to be increasing during the Post-MACE era. Cointegration has also revealed that rice markets have been operating as a unified market system over the period of study. However, the study left out other factors affecting market integration due to financial and time constraints hence this improvement can not be fully accredited to MACE intervention. Nevertheless, since the aggregate picture observed in this study is an improvement of market integration the study recommends a promotion of MACE intervention to reach even more remote areas. The project needs to consider collecting and disseminating other market information such as trade flows, transaction costs and transfer costs. The study also recommends that further studies on market integration should take care of other structural determinants of market integration such as marketing infrastructure e.g. transportation, government policies and should consider application of the threshold autoregressive models (catering for transaction costs).Crop Production/Industries, Marketing,
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
MALAWI AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY EXCHANGE AND SPATIAL RICE MARKET INTEGRATION
Full text linkThere has been a growing debate regarding the role of the government and the effects of agricultural policies and interventions on agricultural markets. This therefore prompted this study to analyse the role of Malawi Agricultural Commodity Exchange (MACE) project as a market-enhancing intervention on aggregate market performance in Malawi using cointegration methods. MACE was introduced to improve agricultural market functioning through market information system. The study specifically examined the extent of spatial rice market integration, causality relationships among spatially separated markets and the dynamic adjustments of rice price series. The study used monthly price series data from 1994 to 2007 obtained from the ministry of agriculture. The data was divided into three sets; full sample, Pre-MACE and Post-MACE. Stationarity tests were done and it was noted that Salima and Bangula for full sample and Chitipa for Pre and Post-MACE price series were stationary in levels implying that these markets did not share the long-term trend with the major urban centres in Malawi in their respective samples.
Cointegration results have shown that spatial rice market integration in Malawi is on average marginally improving. Compared to Pre-MACE period, cointegration and interdependence among markets appeared to be increasing during the Post-MACE era. Cointegration has also revealed that rice markets have been operating as a unified market system over the period of study. However, the study left out other factors affecting market integration due to financial and time constraints hence this improvement can not be fully accredited to MACE intervention.
Nevertheless, since the aggregate picture observed in this study is an improvement of market integration the study recommends a promotion of MACE intervention to reach even more remote areas. The project needs to consider collecting and disseminating other market information such as trade flows, transaction costs and transfer costs. The study also recommends that further studies on market integration should take care of other structural determinants of market integration such as marketing infrastructure e.g. transportation, government policies and should consider application of the threshold autoregressive models (catering for transaction costs)
Klima-smart landbruk i Malawi : teknologivalg og muligheter under varierende nedbørforhold
Full text linkPhd thesis 2018:47Is agriculture becoming climate-smart? Can recurrent weather events such as droughts explain increased use and adoption of agricultural technologies that are perceived climate-smart? I have merged a four-wave household panel data of nine years (2006-2015) with daily rainfall data (2003-2015) in this thesis to examine farmer uptake and opportunities of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies in Malawi. Specifically, I have tested how exposure to dry spells influences use of CSA technologies and how adoption affects maize productivity in the face of weather shocks.
CSA holds potential to minimize negative effects of weather shocks, particularly among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Smallholder farmers in SSA have limited adaptation options against weather shocks such as floods, hailstorms, droughts and prolonged mid-season dry spells. CSA technologies provide such farmers with options to hedge against weather-related crop production losses. An empirical question however is whether farmers respond to exposure to weather risks by adopting CSA technologies and how adoption protects them against weather-related yield losses. I have addressed this empirical question in my thesis through four related specific questions. One, what are the impacts of exposure to recent dry spells on use of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies? Two, how do recent dry spells and farm input subsidies affect adoption of drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties? Three, what is the impact of DT maize varieties on maize productivity under rainfall stress? Four, what are the farm-level impacts of farm input subsidies vis-à-vis climate-smart technologies?
In paper one I examined the impact of early-season and late-season dry spells on use of ISFM technologies focusing on organic manure and maize-legume intercropping. Results showed an increase in use of organic manure and maize-legume intercropping over time. There was also an increase in adoption of DT maize varieties from 2006 to 2015 as reported in paper two. Previous exposure to one-year lag of both early- and late-season dry spells was associated with high likelihood of using maize-legume intercropping and organic manure. Similarly, the likelihood of adopting DT maize varieties was positively influenced by exposure to recent dry spells and access to seed subsidy. There was, however, inconsistent impact of two-year and three-year lags of both early- and late-season dry spells on use of maize-legume intercropping and organic manure.
The results in papers one and two imply that farmers build weather expectations from previous weather conditions and respond to weather risks by investing in CSA technologies. Farmers’ response is influenced by perceived benefits of the technologies under changing weather. The results also indicate that immediate dry spells are more influential in building such weather expectations than long-term weather conditions and hence more significant in enhancing use of CSA practices. In addition, the results reveal that agricultural extension services and farm input subsidies play important roles in promoting use of CSA technologies. Farm input subsidies for example, directly influences adoption of DT maize varieties through provision of cheap seed and indirectly by providing farmers with experience of DT maize varieties under weather risks.
In papers three and four, I have argued that CSA technologies have potential to protect farmers from drought-related yield losses. Evidence from paper three showed that average maize yields of adopters of DT maize varieties were significantly higher than that of non-adopters in the sample areas. The literature review in paper four provides further evidence that adoption of CSA technologies such as organic and inorganic fertilizer and conservation agriculture provides stable and long-term maize productivity effects. These results suggest that consistent and appropriate use of CSA technologies in SSA countries can help reduce the risk of low crop production under weather shocks.
In paper four I have also argued that integrating farm input subsidies and CSA technologies is potentially a magic bullet. Many countries in SSA are implementing large-scale farm input subsidies but the impact on maize productivity is modest mainly because of declining soil fertility and frequent dry spells. In addition, poor timing of input delivery, beneficiaries receiving less than the required amount of inorganic fertilizer and targeting errors have contributed to modest impact of input subsidies. While recent reforms in Malawi FISP are working towards improving on timing of input delivery and targeting errors, soil fertility concerns remain unaddressed in FISP implementation strategies. Addressing soil conditions by integrating subsidized inorganic fertilizer with organic fertilizer and CA has potential to enhance the impact of FISP. This approach is potentially drought-resilient, soil fertility enhancing, and increases the efficiency with which subsidised inputs are used. Consequently, the impact of FISP on maize production is likely to be higher, more consistent and enduring and provide the government with an exit strategy.Blir landbruket mer klimasmart? Kan gjentatte klimasjokk som tørke forklare økt bruk og opptak av landbruksteknologier som oppfattes som klimasmarte? Jeg har kombinert fire runder av bondehushold panel data som går over ni år (2006-2015) med daglige nedbørsdata (2003-2015) i denne oppgaven for å undersøke opptak og muligheter for klima-smarte landbruksteknologier (CSA) i Malawi. Nærmere bestemt har jeg testet hvordan eksponering for tørkeperioder påvirker bruk av CSA-teknologier og hvordan adopsjon påvirker maisproduktivitet i møte med klimasjokk og -variasjoner.
CSA har potensial til å redusere negative effekter av klimaendringer, særlig blant småbønder i Afrika sør for Sahara (SSA). Småbønder i SSA har begrensede tilpasningsalternativer ved klimavariasjoner som oversvømmelser, haglstormer, og tørkeperioder. CSA-teknologier gir slike bønder muligheter til å bli mindre sårbare for klimabaserte avlingsskader. Et empirisk spørsmål er imidlertid om bønder reagerer på eksponering mot værrisiko ved å ta i bruk CSA-teknologier og hvordan adopsjon beskytter dem mot værrelaterte avkastningstap. Jeg har studert dette empiriske spørsmålet i avhandlingen min gjennom fire relaterte konkrete forskningsspørsmål: En, hva er virkningen av eksponering for nylige tørkeperioder ved bruk av integrerte teknologier for bevaring av jordas fruktbarhet (Integrated Soil Fertility Management - ISFM)? To, hvordan påvirker eksponering for tørkeperioder og tilgang på subsidiert gjødsel og såkorn adopsjon av tørketolerante (drought tolerant – DT) maissorter? Tre, hva er virkningen av adopsjon av tørketolerante (DT)-maissorter på maisproduktivitet under varierende nedborforhold? Fire, hvordan påvirker subsidiering av kunstgjødsel og såfrø opptak av klimasmarte landbruksteknologier?NORADacceptedVersio
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
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
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