What is protective space? Reconsidering niches in transitions to sustainability

The transitions literature emphasises the role of niches, defined as a protective space for path-breaking innovations. Surprisingly, the concept of protection has not been systematically interrogated. Our analysis identifies effective protection as having three properties in wider transition processes: shielding, nurturing and empowerment. Empowerment is considered the least developed in current niche literature. It can be understood as either processes that make niche innovations competitive within unchanged selection environments (fit-and-conform) or as processes that contribute to changes in mainstream selection environments in ways favourable to a path-breaking niche innovation (stretch-and-transform). Adopting a more constructivist perspective, we subsequently argue that analysis of these properties needs to be complemented with particular attention for the politics involved in their construction. Attention to empowerment confirms the view that niche actors need to link to wider processes of social change, and suggests how this arises. The paper ends with an outlook upon two promising research avenues: (1) the reconstruction of niche development in light of the present framework; (2) analyses of the diverse (political) narratives seeking to empower niches across time and space.     

Knowledge sources, patent protection, and commercialization of pharmaceutical innovations

This paper investigates different types of innovations (from radical to incremental) in the pharmaceutical industry by studying bibliometric data of drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), looking at time-to-market aspects, knowledge sources of these innovations, and protection strategies. Scientific knowledge stemming from the public sector is found to be important for all innovations. Nevertheless, radical innovations build on a higher degree on basic research, and they build on a significantly higher share of own prior scientific research than do incremental innovations. Furthermore, each drug is shown to be accompanied by, on average, about 19 journal publications and 23 additional patents. Additional patent filings peak when the commercialization of the drug is in reach. Firms do not differ among the various types of innovations regarding the amount of additional patent filings, but rather with the speed of filing these patents. Finally, this work contributes to the improvement of future econometric analyses that aim to link bibliometric indicators such as patent or publication counts to firm success.     

Exploring usefulness and usability in the evaluation of open access digital libraries

Advances in the publishing world have emerged new models of digital library development. Open access publishing modes are expanding their presence and realize the digital library idea in various means. While user-centered evaluation of digital libraries has drawn considerable attention during the last years, these systems are currently viewed from the publishing, economic and scientometric perspectives. The present study explores the concepts of usefulness and usability in the evaluation of an e-print archive. The results demonstrate that several attributes of usefulness, such as the level and the relevance of information, and usability, such as easiness of use and learnability, as well as functionalities commonly met in these systems, affect user interaction and satisfaction.     

中国中小企业在WTO环境下的应对策略

通过对中国中小企业现状及加入WTO后可能遇到的情况的调查分析，结合WTO基本规则和其他国家的经验，指出中国中小企业在新环境下遇到的问题和面临的新挑战，并针对这些挑战提出了中国中小企业在新环境下相应的对应策略。     

面向专业实践的网络信息搜索与推送*--以信息管理类专业为例

在数字网络环境下,立足于高等学校专业实践教学改革,进行专业实践中的社会化信息需求分析,在基于网络的专业实践信息获取中,进行面向专业实践的二元信息搜索架构;通过工具选择和利用,在基于搜索信息内容聚合和集成的基础上,按实践专业和主题进行归类,实现面向专业实践环节的信息推送。     

谈论证和探讨地理问题的能力培养——以近年来全国各地高考地理试题为例

论证和探讨地理问题是高考能力考核的较高目标。本文从能够发现或提出科学的具有创新意识的地理问题;能够提出必要的论据,论证和解决地理问题;能够用科学的语言、正确的逻辑关系,表达出论证和解决地理问题的过程与结果三个方面来论证和探讨地理问题的能力培养。