Why European Universities and Funding Agencies are Committing to Open Access

New opportunities presented by technological developments are being realised but more can be achieved in opening access to scientific reports and data. Funding agencies and universities are beginning to realise the benefits from an open access model for the dissemination of research results. European funding agencies and universities are following two strategies towards open access, the deposit of research reports in repositories and the conversion of journals to an open access business model. Various public statements have been made in support of open access, and several organizations-such as JISC in the UK-are undertaking work to assist all stakeholders in scholarly communication in introducing beneficial changes.     

A National Profile of Research Degree Awards: Innovation, Clarity and Coherence

In 1993 the Government expressed its concern that:'the traditional PhD is not well-matched to the needs of careers outside research in academia or an industrial research laboratory' (OST, 1993, p. 3).
This government concern appeared to encourage innovation in developing the doctorate to meet a wider range of career needs.
By contrast, in 1996, the Harris Committee Report recommended that standardisation of the forms and nomenclature of postgraduate courses, including research degree courses, 'could bring national coherence and hence clarity in an international marketplace' (Harris, 1996, p. 38).
In this article we have developed a national profile of research degree awards using data from individual universities. This profile allows us to explore empirically issues of variety and standardisation in research degrees and seek ways of reconciling the need for innovation with the need to protect coherence and clarity.     

Mixed-methods pre-match cooling improves simulated soccer performance in the heat

This investigation examined the effects of three pre-match and half-time cooling manoeuvres on physical performance and associated physiological and perceptual responses in eight University soccer players during a non-motorised treadmill based individualised soccer-specific simulation [intermittent soccer performance test (iSPT)] at 30°C. Four randomised experimental trials were completed; following 30-min (pre-match) and 15-min (half-time) cooling manoeuvres via (1) ice slurry ingestion (SLURRY); (2) ice-packs placed on the quadriceps and hamstrings (PACKS); (3) mixed-methods (MM; PACKS and SLURRY concurrently); or no-cooling (CON). In iSPT first half, a moderate increase in total (Mean?±?Standard Deviation: 108?±?57 m, qualitative inference: most likely, Cohen’s d: 0.87, 90%CL: ±0.31), high-speed (56?±?46 m, very likely, 0.68?±?0.38) and variable run (15?±?5 m, very likely, 0.81?±?0.47) distance covered was reported in MM compared with CON. Additionally, pre-match reductions in thermal sensation (–1.0?±?0.5, most likely, –0.91?±?0.36), rectal (–0.6?±?0.1°C, very likely, –0.86?±?0.35) and skin temperature (–1.1?±?0.3°C, very likely, –0.88?±?0.42) continued throughout iSPT first half. Physical performance during iSPT first half was unaltered in SLURRY and PACKS compared to CON. Rectal temperature was moderately increased in SLURRY at 45-min (0.2?±?0.1°C, very likely, 0.67?±?0.36). Condition did not influence any measure in iSPT second half compared to CON. Only MM pre-match cooling augmented physical performance during iSPT first half, likely due to peripheral and central thermoregulatory factors favourably influencing first half iSPT performance. Further practical half-time cooling manoeuvres which enhance second half performance are still required.     

On passion and sports fans: a look at football

The purpose of the present research was to test the applicability of the Dualistic Model of Passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) to being a sport (football) fan. Three studies provided support for this dualistic conceptualization of passion. Study 1 showed that harmonious passion was positively associated with adaptive behaviours (e.g. celebrate the team's victory), whereas obsessive passion was positively associated with maladaptive behaviours (e.g. risking losing one's job to go to a game). Study 2 used a short Passion Scale and showed that harmonious passion was positively related to the positive affective life of fans during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, psychological health (self-esteem and life satisfaction), and public displays of adaptive behaviours (e.g. celebrate the team's victory into the streets), whereas obsessive passion was predictive of maladaptive affective life (e.g. hating opposing teams' fans) and behaviours (e.g. mocking opposing teams' fans). Finally, Study 3 examined the role of obsessive passion as a predictor of partner's conflict that in turn undermined partner's relationship satisfaction. Overall, the present results provided support for the Dualistic Model of Passion. The conceptual and applied implications of the findings are discussed.     

Accessibility requirements take on new significance for publishers

Conclusion Publishers may wish to ignore disabilities legislation since it doesn’t apply directly to them, but their customers will not be able ignore the new laws when making purchasing decisions. Thus, as a practical matter each publisher must develop a game plan for how it will position itself to remain competitive in a marketplace where the timely availability of their print works in digital formats is becoming a Sine qua non on purchasing checklists. How individual publishers choose to tackle the new challenges will be determined by a number of variables including the type of content they publish (humanities, math, science, technical), the production systems they use, the length of their press runs, the shelf-life of their products, the level of service they are prepared to provide, the risks they are willing to take, and the dynamics of the markets they serve. A publisher’s strategy will need frequent review and modification because the variables involved in the accessibility environment are changing rapidly. New developments are occurring all the time in the legal environment, in production technologies, in assistive technologies, in distribution technologies, in digital rights management technologies, as well as in file standards. Solutions will need frequent tuning. For publishers, accessibility challenges do not stop with providing alternate formats for printed works. Those delivering their content over private networks via course management systems and over the Internet find that there are other accessibility requirements and standards to be met. It will behoove publishers to develop and implement informed operating policies and protocols that assure that onan ongoing basis its products and services meet applicable accessibility requirements and thus can fully compete in an increasingly demanding marketplace.