Data Visualization as Participatory Research: A Model for Digital Collections to Inspire User-Driven Research

The emerging creative practices of digital collections are increasing in prominence thanks to the access to, and appeal of, data visualizations. Interactive data visualizations, such as a map, timeline, chart, graph, or artist’s rendering of data, enable users to pursue their own research interests within a collection and participate in new areas of research. Use of these data visualizations enhances the scope of the collection and enables a modern and diverse thematic collection to emerge. This article considers the question: Does the addition of data visualizations affect how users participate with a research collection? Impacts on collection development, application of user-centered design, and analysis of users’ exploratory strategies are discussed. Examples of data visualizations used in digital humanities projects and digital collections are presented as case studies.     

Getting What You Pay For: Children's Use of Market Norms to Regulate Exchanges

Children are sensitive to a number of considerations influencing distributions of resources, including equality, equity, and reciprocity. We tested whether children use a specific type of reciprocity norm—market norms—in which resources are distributed differentially based strictly on amount offered in return. In two studies, 195 children 5–10 years and 60 adults distributed stickers to friends offering same or different amounts of money. Overall, participants distributed more equally when offers were the same and more unequally when offers were different. Although sensitive to why friends offered different amounts of money, children increasingly incorporated market norms into their distributions with age, as the oldest children and adults distributed more to those offering more, irrespective of the reasons provided.     

A meta-cognitive approach to doping in sports: The effects of thought validation on attitudes related to doping

ABSTRACT

To better understand doping-related attitude change, it is important to consider not only the amount of thinking (i.e., elaboration) done by message recipients, but also the favourability of their thoughts in response to the proposal, as well as the perceived validity in their thoughts. The main goal of the present study was to analyse the effects of a meta-cognitive process (i.e., thought validation) on attitudes related to doping. Thus, we randomly assigned participants to read a message either against or in favour of legalising several doping behaviours. Participants listed their thoughts regarding the proposal and indicated the perceived validity in their thoughts, then reported their attitudes. As hypothesised, the message against legalisation elicited more unfavourable thoughts and attitudes than the message in favour of legalisation. Most relevantly, the effects of the message direction on attitudes were greater for participants with higher (vs. lower) levels of thought validity. Furthermore, consistent with the thought validation process, results revealed that thought favourability was a better predictor of attitudes for participants with higher (vs. lower) perceived thought validity, indicating that perceiving one’s thoughts as valid plays an important role in persuasion. These findings provide novel insights for research and interventions regarding doping in sports.     

Medieval and renaissance glass technology in Valdelsa (Florence). Part 1: raw materials, sands and non-vitreous finds

A significant number of archaeological finds of the 13th–16th century from the Tuscan sites of Germagnana and Gambassi in Valdelsa—FI, was studied by different physico-chemical investigations (SEM–EDS, ICP, Mössbauer spectroscopy, XRD, XRF, TG-DTA) in order to contribute to clarify the production methodology and the pre-industrial glass manufacture technology. The studied samples are mainly non-vitreous finds as production waste, refractory materials, crucibles and raw materials; also vitreous finds as frits, skims, glasses (glass masses, glass working waste and finished products) have been taken into consideration. The obtained petrographic and physico-chemical data strongly suggest that both Gambassi and Germagnana glass manufactures were strictly connected with the sources of vitrifiable materials, situated in Tuscan sand quarries. In particular a comparison between sands from the neighbouring quarries and appropriate finds of the two archaeological sites evidences that the employed vitrifiable materials possibly belong to La Casina La Cava resort. The archaeological classification, based on macroscopic observation and stratigraphic position, was compared and verified with the scientific classification of the examined finds of Germagnana and Gambassi sites based on their composition, morphology and physico-chemical properties.     

Graduate Studies in the UK: Some Impressions and Suggestions

Many western countries are paying increasing attention to the organization and administration of graduate studies. Such attention has developed from primary concerns about completion times, completion percentages, programme quality, and student quality, as well as secondary concerns about supervisors, funding, coursework, inter-organizational co-operation, and policies and practices of both universities and research councils. Using information about British graduate programmes as a basis, the article presents policy issues related to research councils, funding councils, and control, followed by discussion of the themes of the nature of programmes, supervision and evaluation, completion time, quality, and innovation. The final sections address several concerns and offer some suggestions.