1,721,001 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
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
Assessing the technological pedagogical content knowledge proficiency of preservice science teachers
Get PDFAbstract : The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice science teachers’ proficiency levels regarding their practical knowledge of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK-P). An explanatory sequential mixed-method design was followed in this study and 103 participants from the University of Johannesburg formed the sample. This study commenced by identifying the different proficiency levels of the preservice science teachers using a 17-item questionnaire developed by Yeh, Lin, Hsu, Wu and Hwang (2015). Rasch’s analysis was employed to analyse the data. The mean score and standard deviation for the frequency with which the preservice science teachers select an option corresponding to a proficiency level was calculated. Reliability (internal consistency) for the instrument was established. After calculating the proficiency level of the preservice science teachers, five preservice science teachers were purposefully selected for interviews in order to probe deeper into their understanding of the instructional scenarios that were provided to them in the questionnaire. The findings of the study showed that preservice science teachers have a proficiency level of 3 for their knowledge on TPACK-P. An indication was gained of infusive application where preservice science teachers use Information and Communication Technologies to guide, self-explore and independently construct their science knowledge.M.Ed. (Science Education
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
Grade 12 physical and life sciences learners’ understandings about scientific inquiry
Get PDFAbstract : In recent decades, the teaching and learning of science as inquiry has become the international position for curriculum reforms in science teaching and learning for K-12 internationally and R-12 in South Africa. Within the parameters of science education, scientific inquiry is multifaceted in that it is a “means”, a pedagogic approach for science teaching by science teachers, and also an “end”, a learning outcome for science learners. In recognition of the latter aspect, this study investigated Grade 12 Physical and Life Sciences learners’ views and understandings about scientific inquiry and how these understandings compare and contrast in differently resourced school types within three education districts of the city of Johannesburg and its environs. A directed qualitative content analysis approach, based on a conceptual framework of eight knowledge aspects about the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI), was employed in analysing grade 12 learners’ understandings about the nature and manner in which scientists investigate the natural world. Purposive criterion sampling was employed to select 90 Grade 12 learners from six high schools in Johannesburg as participants for the inquiry. Responses from questionnaires and transcribed text from semi-structured interviews were coded using a hybrid of open and “a priori” codes: no response, naïve, informed or mixed understandings, based on the conceptual framework of the aforementioned eight aspects about scientific inquiry and previous studies. Chi-square tests of association were used to compare learners’ understandings for significant differences in the three differently resourced school types. Findings from the analysis of data revealed that the best understood NOSI aspect was that “conclusions should be consistent with the data collected”, where 44.4% of the 90 Grade 12 learners (40 learners) provided informed responses. On the other hand, the least understood aspects were the aspects “multiple methods” and “data versus evidence”, where only 1.1% (1 learner) expressed informed understandings in phase 1 of the study. These findings indicate that the majority of the participant Grade 12 science learners held mostly mixed and naïve understandings about the eight aspects which characterise the NOSI; chi-square test of association (X2) for categorical variables revealed a significant difference in learners’ NOSI understandings about only one aspect “explanations are developed from a combination of collected data and what is already known” for the differently resourced school types, X2 (4), N = 90 (19.22), p =.01. For the remaining seven NOSI aspects, though differences were seen in learners’ understandings in the different school types, the observed differences were not significant...M.Ed. (Science and Technology Education
Enhancing the pedagogical practice of South African physical sciences teachers in inquiry based teaching through empowerment evaluation
Get PDFAbstract : The purpose of this study was to capture, portray and develop the pedagogical practice of Physical Sciences teachers in inquiry-based teaching using an empowerment evaluation approach. This mixed methods design study is a multiple case study in inquiry-based teaching of three Physical Sciences teachers in South Africa. This research intended to help answer the question: How can an empowerment evaluation approach influence and shift the practice of Physical Sciences teachers towards an inquiry-based pedagogy? The objectives of the study were: (a) to establish the current pedagogical practice of South African Physical Sciences teachers in inquiry-based teaching, (b) to determine the challenges experienced by Physical Sciences teachers in implementing an inquiry-based teaching approach, and (c) to examine shifts in the pedagogical practices of Physical Sciences teachers in inquiry-based teaching using an empowerment evaluation approach. The data collection methods were semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and the Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test - Physical Sciences (POSTT-PS) instrument. Baseline results from the first phase of the study revealed that teachers in township schools practiced predominantly structured investigations when doing practical work. Another finding in this phase was that teachers prioritize the data collection phase in inquiry over other stages during their inquiry-based teaching. The research revealed that inquiry-based teaching in township schools is hampered by a lack of resources, unprepared learners, insufficient time and the pressure of summative assessments. The teachers were eager to shift their pedagogical practice to that of inquiry. In phases two and three, an empowerment evaluation approach was applied to support teachers in shifting their practices towards inquiry-based teaching. Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts, techniques, and findings to foster improvement and self-determination (Fetterman, 2001:3). It focuses on helping people help themselves and improve through self-evaluation and reflection. The use of self-evaluation as a means of assisting teachers to improve their pedagogical practices provides a non-threatening environment for reflection and experimentation. Empowerment evaluation allows the participating teachers to craft a solution to their local challenges. Over a longitudinal period, the study revealed shifts in each of the following teacher practices:..Ph.D. (Education
- …
