Citation Analysis of Graduate Dental Theses References: Implications for Collection Development

This study, conducted at the Indiana University School of Dentistry Library using citation analysis, examined graduate dental student theses citations to determine the nature of materials cited, journal ownership, journal citation frequency, and citation age distribution. The results were compared to other scientific discipline citation analyses. Study results indicated that for the period studied, masters dental students, like medical and science students, cited recently published scholarly dental journal literature. The majority of the journals cited were owned by Indiana University system libraries. Areas for further research include faculty resource usage, e-journal impact, and interdisciplinary resource use.     

International Perspectives on the Image of Archivists and Archives

Abstract

There has been little systematic research about the image of archivists and archives. This study considers how this topic has been handled in an eight month span of The New York Times from late 1992 to mid 1993. While the news media’s coverage is present, it is clear that archives are treated as curiosities or when they relate to political disputes, are associated with prominent figures, or have interesting or different views to offer on important topics.     

Integrating Federated Searching into Your Information Literacy Curriculum: A How-To Guide

Building on previously published research analyzing federated searching in light of the ACRL Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education, the author presents ideas for the integration of federated searching into existing curricula, regardless of learning level.     

Any reward will do: Effects of a reverse-reward contingency on size preference with pet dogs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Canis lupus familiaris</Emphasis>)

The reverse-reward contingency (RRC) task involves presenting subjects with a choice between one plate containing a large amount of food and a second plate containing a small amount of food. Subjects are then required to select the smaller of the two options in order to receive the larger-magnitude reward. The RRC task is a commonly used paradigm for assessing complex cognition, such as inhibitory control, in subjects. To date, the RRC task has not been tested with pet dogs as subjects, and it may provide insights to their ability to perceive quantities of differing magnitudes. Nine dogs were tested in an RRC task involving three conditions. In Condition 1, plates of food were presented, and the dogs were allowed to consume their choice. In Condition 2, plates with different-sized symbols resembling the quantities of food in Condition 1 were presented, and dogs received food quantities of the same size as their choice (e.g., a larger-magnitude reward for selecting the plate with the larger shape). In Condition 3, the same plates were presented, but dogs received a reverse-sized quantity of food, relative to their choice (e.g., a smaller-magnitude reward for selecting the plate with the larger shape). A novel addition here to the traditional RRC task was the inclusion of a third, empty (control) plate that was present throughout all conditions, and no programmed consequences were provided when that plate was selected. Our results were consistent with the previous RRC literature: All dogs developed and maintained a preference for the larger stimulus option across conditions. The use of symbolic representations did not ameliorate performance on the RRC task. Applied implications are discussed.     

An integrated curriculum approach to increasing habitual physical activity in deprived South Asian children

Integrating physical activity (PA) within a school curriculum is a promising approach for increasing PA in children. To date, no research has examined its effectiveness in increasing the low levels of PA witnessed in deprived South Asian (SA) children. The study aims to ascertain whether an integrated school-based curriculum and pedometer intervention could increase PA in children from deprived SA backgrounds. Following ethical approval and informed consent, 134 deprived SA children (63 boys, 71 girls, control (n?=?40, mean age?=?11.12 years, SD?=?0.32 years) and intervention (n?=?94, mean age?=?9.48 years, SD?=?0.62 years)) from a primary school in England, UK, completed a 6-week integrated PA intervention based on virtually walking from their school (middle of the country) to the coast and back (March–July 2013). Habitual PA was determined at baseline and post 6 weeks intervention for both groups, and determined weekly during the intervention in the experimental group. The results indicated that average daily steps were significantly higher at post 6 weeks compared to baseline for the intervention group (intervention mean change?=?8694 steps/day, SD?=?7428 steps/day vs. control mean change?=??1121 steps/day, SD?=?5592 steps/day, 95% CI of difference, 6726–7428 steps/day, P?=?.001, d?=?1.76). In addition, significant decreases in BF% and waist circumference were observed in the intervention group post 6 weeks (mean change for BF%?=??4.5%, mean change for WC?=??1.7?cm, P?=?.001). School-based integrated curriculum and pedometer interventions provide a feasible and effective mechanism for increasing habitual PA in primary school children from deprived SA backgrounds.     

Gaps in affiliation indexing in Scopus and PubMed

Objective

The authors sought to determine whether unexpected gaps existed in Scopus''s author affiliation indexing of publications written by the University of Nebraska Medical Center or Nebraska Medicine (UNMC/NM) authors during 2014.

Methods

First, we compared Scopus affiliation identifier search results to PubMed affiliation keyword search results. Then, we searched Scopus using affiliation keywords (UNMC, etc.) and compared the results to PubMed affiliation keyword and Scopus affiliation identifier searches.

Results

We found that Scopus''s records for approximately 7% of UNMC/NM authors'' publications lacked appropriate UNMC/NM author affiliation identifiers, and many journals'' publishers were supplying incomplete author affiliation information to PubMed.

Conclusions

Institutions relying on Scopus to track their impact should determine whether Scopus''s affiliation identifiers will, in fact, identify all articles published by their authors and investigators.     

Developing values in primary classrooms and the place of the humanities

ABSTRACT

In this article, I discuss how the context of children’s classroom activities and the quality of their participation and agency are key to learning around values. These pedagogical approaches lie in a socio-cultural theoretical framework which I use to show how ‘empowered’ participation in classrooms and in enquiry activities in curriculum areas is bound up with learning democratic values. Focusing on humanities subjects, I show how such values-based democratic pedagogical approaches in these areas of the curriculum (along with others) can be transformative, promoting values education, personal agency and social change.