The research and publication programs of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc.

In 1973, the Board for International Broadcasting assumed responsibility for the operation of the joint corporate entity, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc. Broadcasting news, entertainment, and public affairs programs to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union since 1950 and 1953 respectively, RFE/RL, Inc. has also maintained the largest research and analysis activity on these countries in the Free World. This information has been made widely available through serial and monographic publications, notably in the two weeklies Radio Free Europe Research (Eastern Europe) and Radio Liberty Research Bulletin (Soviet Union). Contract and independent researchers make use of rich archival and current affairs library research facilities in New York and Munich. As Federal funding has been maintained and expanded in recent years, facilities and capabilities have been greatly extended.     

新千年图书馆员的全职能素质要求

在论述图书馆与图书馆员将知识与大众给合到一起的从业观念;图书馆员vs.知识媒体vs.读者服务所担负的社会责任;图书馆的服务与图书馆员的角色在于社会记忆、信息传播和知识管理;图书馆演化与图书馆员的角色变化从对知识媒介的加值服务到对人的知识服务;图书馆员的素质坐标及图书馆员的素质塑造等的基础上，指出当前对图书馆员的素质要求以心理素质和沟通能力最为重要。     

Digitization or equality: When government automation covers some,but not all citizens

This paper presents an empirical study of automation in government digital systems. Previous studies have found that automated systems are not suited to cover all citizens equally and may cause administrative burdens on excluded citizens. The case presented in this study is the automated system for awarding child benefits in Norway. Based on data from the national registry, most recipients are awarded the benefit automatically. However, some citizens are not covered by the automation and must apply manually. The theoretical framing of the study combines modern and classic views of how citizens access public services by combining theory from recent literature on administrative burdens and the older theory of access. The data analysis is done with process mining, an innovative method of sorting and understanding data. The findings support previous findings of how registry data and automated computer systems in government can create inequality in service quality. Furthermore, the findings also show that low-income citizens are disproportionally required to apply manually. The study addresses questions concerning why automated systems fail to cover all citizens and the potential challenges generated by this exclusion when governments rely on computer systems in delivering welfare programmes. These are important considerations, as government digitalisation is increasingly innovating with automated systems to deliver public services.     

The coexistence of natural and supernatural explanations across cultures and development

Although often conceptualized in contradictory terms, the common assumption that natural and supernatural explanations are incompatible is psychologically inaccurate. Instead, there is considerable evidence that the same individuals use both natural and supernatural explanations to interpret the very same events and that there are multiple ways in which both kinds of explanations coexist in individual minds. Converging developmental research from diverse cultural contexts in 3 areas of biological thought (i.e., the origin of species, illness, and death) is reviewed to support this claim. Contrary to traditional accounts of cognitive development, new evidence indicates that supernatural explanations often increase rather than decrease with age and supports the proposal that reasoning about supernatural phenomena is an integral and enduring aspect of human cognition.     

New Orleans Early Intervention Study of Children with Visual Impairments

There is widespread agreement that early intervention for children with visual impairments and their families is important and beneficial. However, few con- trolled prospective studies of the effectiveness of various types of early intervention have been completed with these children. This randomized study evaluated the immediate and long-term effects of a comprehensive, weekly homebased intervention for infants and toddlers with visual impairments, compared with a low-intensity treatment through parent group meetings offered approximately 12 times per year. In annual assessments conducted for t h e years after the intervention was begun, there were negligible statistically significant or practical differences between groups based on a variety of measures of child and family functioning. In light of the cost-effectiveness analyses reported, questions are raised about the type of early intervention that should be provided to children with visual impairments.     

Bullying,education and earnings: Evidence from the National Child Development Study

We explore the effect of bullying at school on the educational attainment of a sample of individuals drawn from the British National Child Development Study (NCDS). Our empirical findings suggest that school bullying has an adverse effect on human capital accumulation both at and beyond school. Moreover; the impact of bullying on educational attainment at age 16 is found to be similar in magnitude to class size effects. Furthermore, in contrast to class size effects, the adverse influence of bullying on educational attainment remains during adulthood. In addition, being bullied at school influences wages received during adulthood as well as indirectly influencing wages via educational attainment.