Could scientists use Altmetric.com scores to predict longer term citation counts?

Altmetrics from Altmetric.com are widely used by publishers and researchers to give earlier evidence of attention than citation counts. This article assesses whether Altmetric.com scores are reliable early indicators of likely future impact and whether they may also reflect non-scholarly impacts. A preliminary factor analysis suggests that the main altmetric indicator of scholarly impact is Mendeley reader counts, with weaker news, informational and social network discussion/promotion dimensions in some fields. Based on a regression analysis of Altmetric.com data from November 2015 and Scopus citation counts from October 2017 for articles in 30 narrow fields, only Mendeley reader counts are consistent predictors of future citation impact. Most other Altmetric.com scores can help predict future impact in some fields. Overall, the results confirm that early Altmetric.com scores can predict later citation counts, although less well than journal impact factors, and the optimal strategy is to consider both Altmetric.com scores and journal impact factors. Altmetric.com scores can also reflect dimensions of non-scholarly impact in some fields.     

The effects of work – rest duration on intermittent exercise and subsequent performance

This study examined the effects of different work?–?rest durations during 40?min intermittent treadmill exercise and subsequent running performance. Eight males (mean?±?s: age 24.3?±?2.0 years, body mass 79.4?±?7.0?kg, height 1.77?±?0.05?m) undertook intermittent exercise involving repeated sprints at 120% of the speed at which maximal oxygen uptake (v-[Vdot]O_2max) was attained with passive recovery between each one. The work?–?rest ratio was constant at 1:1.5 with trials involving short (6:9?s), medium (12:18?s) or long (24:36?s) work?–?rest durations. Each trial was followed by a performance run to volitional exhaustion at 150% v-[Vdot]O_2max. After 40?min, mean exercise intensity was greater during the long (68.4?±?9.3%) than the short work?–?rest trial (54.9?±?8.1% [Vdot]O_2max; P?<?0.05). Blood lactate concentration at 10?min was higher in the long and medium than in the short work?–?rest trial (6.1?±?0.8, 5.2?±?0.9, 4.5?±?1.3?mmol?·?l^?1, respectively; P?<?0.05). The respiratory exchange ratio was consistently higher during the long than during the medium and short work?–?rest trials (P <?0.05). Plasma glucose concentration was higher in the long and medium than in the short work?–?rest trial after 40?min of exercise (5.6?±?0.1, 6.6?±?0.2 and 5.3?±?0.5?mmol?·?l^?1, respectively; P?<?0.05). No differences were observed between trials for performance time (72.7?±?14.9, 63.2?±?13.2, 57.6?±?13.5?s for the short, medium and long work?–?rest trial, respectively; P = 0.17), although a relationship between performance time and 40?min plasma glucose was observed (P?<?0.05). The results show that 40?min of intermittent exercise involving long and medium work?–?rest durations elicits greater physiological strain and carbohydrate utilization than the same amount of intermittent exercise undertaken with a short work?–?rest duration.     

Questioning Styles and Students' Learning: Four case studies

A study of the relationships between students' questioning and learning styles is being conducted on data collected in two university semesters with a sample of 300 students. This report discusses the results of case studies looking in depth at four of the students. These were involved in further data collection through written and oral questions, interviews and classroom observation experiments. The main aim is to unravel the interrogative bases of the students' learning by looking at the quality and quantity of questions they ask. This means that among other characteristics, the nature and the deliberative or spontaneous use of questions by the four students were investigated. It was possible to distinguish question‐askers by tallying their questions. Their learning styles were characterised using Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory. The study also allowed for snapshots of how particular learners shape questions. Looking at the way in which these questioning styles fit with their orientations to learning, and how this drives learning, informs what teaching might best then ensue.     

Correction to: The State of Current Reading Intervention Research for English Learners in Grades K–2: a Best-Evidence Synthesis

Educational Psychology Review -     

A tale of two narratives: student voice—what lies before us?

As the last century closed, and a bright new millennium dawned, the concept of ‘student voice’ within education emerged as something to be ‘identified’ and ‘captured’. In effect, it became reified and driven by a raft of government and institutional policies and strategic initiatives; initially within the compulsory sector, but soon followed by the post-compulsory sector as the 2000s moved on. In an increasingly quasi-consumerist environment, a mechanism had emerged with potential to ‘measure’ student satisfaction. Institutions quickly took up the ‘call to arms’, assigning responsibilities to ensure there was evidence of ‘student voice’ engagement; but there was no conversation with the ‘students’ about how this was experienced by them. This concept had become a ‘portmanteau’ term; a ‘catch all’ competing between two narratives—student voice as democratic and transformational; and student voice as ‘policy’ and strategic initiative. Formal research that could contribute to this discussion has been sparse and this paper takes a critical stance to the literature and policy, exploring the current status of student voice and proposing a research focus that has the potential to involve students in a discussion about how their voice is heard, and for what purpose.     

Mapping the literature of perfusion.

Perfusionists select and operate the equipment necessary for monitoring, supporting, or temporarily replacing the patient's circulatory or respiratory function. There are over 3,000 perfusionists working in U.S. hospitals, medical and perfusionist groups, and as independent contractors. The purpose of this study was to identify the core literature of perfusion and to determine which major databases provide the most thorough access to this literature. This paper is part of the Medical Library Association Nursing and Allied Health Resource Section's project to map the literature of the allied health professions. It uses a bibliometric methodology to identify core journals. A group of forty-three journals was determined to make up the core journal literature of perfusion. MEDLINE provided the best overall indexing coverage for these journals, but librarians and perfusionists will wish to supplement its use with the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature in order to access the journals written primarily for perfusionists. The study results can guide purchasing and database searching decisions of collection development and reference librarians, encourage the database producer to increase coverage of titles that are unindexed or underindexed, and advise perfusionists of the best access to their core literature.