Piracy on the OA High Seas

Protecting intellectual property in all its variations is a serious international issue and challenge. While the theft of journal articles may not always be visible, there increasingly is evidence that it is occurring for both commercial publishers and open access publishers. The implications of massive downloading of journal content for unauthorized purposes will differentially impact the sustainability of the business model employed by the publisher. The resulting extremely serious implications, risks, and impacts are identified and considered in a high-hearted manner that contrasts with similar aspects previously encountered in managing unwanted journal donations.     

A Matter of Size

Customer expectations from a journal publisher can be affected by the size of the publishing firm. The economies of scale, efficiencies, branding, and value added services are explored in relationship to expectations of the author customer, the reading customer, and the paying customer. When the imperative to sell is removed, there are differences in quality perception for traditional commercial publishers versus open access mega journals. Regardless of the size of the publisher, those involved in the publishing world are committed to ensuring research results are shared and accessible to their readers.     

The prevalence and impact of child maltreatment and other types of victimization in the UK: Findings from a population survey of caregivers,children and young people and young adults

Objectives

To measure the prevalence of maltreatment and other types of victimization among children, young people, and young adults in the UK; to explore the risks of other types of victimization among maltreated children and young people at different ages; using standardized scores from self-report measures, to assess the emotional wellbeing of maltreated children, young people, and young adults taking into account other types of childhood victimization, different perpetrators, non-victimization adversities and variables known to influence mental health.

Methods

A random UK representative sample of 2,160 parents and caregivers, 2,275 children and young people, and 1,761 young adults completed computer-assisted self-interviews. Interviews included assessment of a wide range of childhood victimization experiences and measures of impact on mental health.

Results

2.5% of children aged under 11 years and 6% of young people aged 11–17 years had 1 or more experiences of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, or neglect by a parent or caregiver in the past year, and 8.9% of children under 11 years, 21.9% of young people aged 11–17 years, and 24.5% of young adults had experienced this at least once during childhood. High rates of sexual victimization were also found; 7.2% of females aged 11–17 and 18.6% of females aged 18–24 reported childhood experiences of sexual victimization by any adult or peer that involved physical contact (from sexual touching to rape). Victimization experiences accumulated with age and overlapped. Children who experienced maltreatment from a parent or caregiver were more likely than those not maltreated to be exposed to other forms of victimization, to experience non-victimization adversity, a high level of polyvictimization, and to have higher levels of trauma symptoms.

Conclusions

The past year maltreatment rates for children under age 18 were 7–17 times greater than official rates of substantiated child maltreatment in the UK. Professionals working with children and young people in all settings should be alert to the overlapping and age-related differences in experiences of childhood victimization to better identify child maltreatment and prevent the accumulative impact of different victimizations upon children's mental health.     

Early Journals and Their Influences on the Development of Gerontology

This examination of early gerontology journals identifies the multidisciplinary backgrounds of contributors, methods of investigation, nascent theory development, and formative themes and controversies. Through use of content, thematic, and critical analyses of second year issues of The Gerontologist, Educational Gerontology, Research on Aging, Journal of Applied Gerontology, and Canadian Journal on Aging, this study highlights the influence of these journals on the formation of the discipline of gerontology. The analyses indicate that education and awareness of ageism, policy planning to address changing demographic patterns, cultural diversity, and disciplinary development were key themes in these early publications. The study also reveals that researchers and scholars in the social sciences and health sciences established the foundations of the discipline. Controversies were evident in various debates about knowledge formation and dissemination. The early journals further included diverse perspectives, theories, research methods, directions, and critiques of issues of age, aging, and the aged.     

An international perspective on civic participation in Irish post-primary schools: results from ICCS

Ireland was one of the 38 countries/education systems that participated in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) in 2009. This is the first international comparative study in this area in which Ireland has participated since 1971. The study measured the civic knowledge of 14-year-olds and their attitudes towards, and beliefs about, various civic and citizenship issues. The current paper focuses on indicators of students' and (to a lesser extent) parents' participation in school life. Although active participation in school is emphasised in, for example, the Education Act of 1998, little empirical work in Ireland has defined or examined actual levels of participation in post-primary schools, or students' views of their opportunities to participate, and ICCS provides information on these issues in an international comparative context. Findings indicate that despite a relatively strong civic knowledge base among students in Ireland, levels of participation compare less favourably with other countries. Results are discussed in the wider context of the Irish education system.     

The heart of the matter: academic and public libraries adapt to pandemics through time and technology

Abstract

Delaney Daly is earning a Master of Library Science degree at the Texas Woman’s University School of Library and Information Studies. She will graduate in December of 2020 and works at Vail Public Library in Vail, Colorado.