Self-concept assessment for young children: Development of a self-report, peer comparison measure

The present investigation concerned the development of the Primary Self-Concept Inventory (PSCI), a group-administered self-report self-concept inventory for children of ages 5 through 8. Replicated analysis of the factor structure of the PSCI data indicated that a seven-component pattern provides an appropriate fit. As a result of this analysis, seven subscales were formed. Acceptable test—retest reliability estimates were obtained for administrations separated by a 6-month interval. On the basis of these results, the PSCI was accepted as a research tool, and recommendations for further investigation of the inventory were made.     

The NLM Gateway: something old, something new

The NLM Gateway is a single Web interface for searching multiple NLM databases. While the majority of the available databases can be accessed directly via their own Web sites, such as PubMed, there are three databases that are unique to the NLM Gateway, including the ever-expanding OLDMEDLINE files. Thus, the Gateway is a necessary tool for librarians and researchers to be familiar with and have handy.     

Searching Down the Fisheries Information Web: An Initial Reflection

The complex web of information ranges from pure science to applied techniques to management policies. All are important, yet have varying levels of accessibility and authority. Often the apex of the peer-reviewed journal article is considered the most important level discouraging scientists and managers, especially those in developing countries, from populating the other layers of the web that may be considered grey. We are particularly interested in how information produced in developing countries fits into this information web. To do so, we focused on one topic, mangroves, using it as a means to exemplify the complexity of the web of information and reveal publication patterns. Using search tools, we identified 2000–2005 mangrove-related publications regarding Africa and India, analyzed them by author’s location and affiliation, publication format, and availability. Our preliminary analysis suggests that grey literature remains difficult to discover, the peer-reviewed journal is the most popular means of scientific communication, and open archives are just starting to have an impact on scholarly communication. The web of information would be strengthened by improving the discovery of the grey literature through greater visibility and accessibility.     

Leibniz's women

Enlightenment natural philosophers were linked to one another in an extended correspondence network, but the female participants in this international Republic of Letters are rarely mentioned. Gottfried Leibniz relied on several such women not only for financial patronage, but also for intellectual stimulation. Although this hardworking and underpaid librarian at the Hanoverian Court is now one of the world's most famous mathematical philosophers, the women on whom he depended for ideas as well as support have been largely forgotten.     

The first President of the Royal Society

Few people know the name of the Royal Society's first President, even though he features prominently in Thomas Sprat's famous allegorical frontispiece. In promotional images, his individual identity is irrelevant for proclaiming the Society's allegiance to Francis Bacon and commitment to experimental investigation. By contrast, William Brouncker's name does appear on Peter Lely's large portrait, which hung at the Royal Society. Brouncker was a gifted mathematician as well as a conscientious administrator, and Lely's portrait reproduces the diagram of one of his innovative algebraic proofs.     

Literature review on the use of action research in higher education

This literature review considers the use of action research in higher education. The review specifically looks at two areas of higher education activity. The first concerns academic teaching practice and includes a discussion of research and pedagogy practice, and staff development. The second considers student engagement. In both of these core features of higher education, action research has proven to be a central approach to the investigation, reflection and improvement of practice. Each of these main foci includes a discussion of the limitations of the literature. The review illustrates the extent and range of uses to have benefited from an action research approach.     

Brokering to support participation of disadvantaged families in early childhood education

This paper discusses findings from an evaluation of the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Early Childhood Education (ECE) Participation Programme that targeted local areas where there are high numbers of children starting school who have not participated in ECE. The aim of the programme is to increase participation of these low‐income ‘priority’ children in ‘quality’ ECE. In this paper, two policy initiatives and features that supported participation in ECE are analysed. Engaging Priority Families (EPF) involves a coordinator working with families to encourage ECE participation, home learning and a positive transition to school. Targeted Assistance for Provision (TAP) grants are intended to increase local supply by helping establish new services and child spaces in communities where they are needed. The study used mixed methods: data on enrolments, surveys of Participation Programme providers, interviews with programme staff, surveys of families engaged in each initiative and interviews with a small group of families. The results show that cost, availability and cultural relevance of ECE services are the main barriers to participation of ‘priority’ families. Through brokering, both initiatives helped address complex social issues faced by the families by connecting families with health, housing and social agencies, and brokering understanding of ECE. The results support the argument that national policy initiatives and local actions can help address inequities in participation in ECE associated with socioeconomic status.     

Self-defining as sexually abused and adult sexual risk behavior: results from a cross-sectional survey of women attending an STD clinic

Objective

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with increased sexual risk behavior in adulthood, and this association may be mediated by traumagenic dynamics constructs (i.e., traumatic sexualization, trust, guilt, and powerlessness). However, few studies have investigated whether such relationships hold for women who do not identify as having experienced CSA despite meeting objective criteria that CSA occurred. This study sought to determine whether individuals who met research criteria for CSA and who self-defined as sexually abused differed on traumagenic dynamics constructs and current sexual risk behavior from individuals who met research criteria for CSA and who did not self-define as sexually abused.

Methods

Participants were 481 women recruited from a publicly funded STD clinic. Participants completed a computerized survey assessing childhood sexual experiences and adult sexual risk behavior.

Results

Of the total sample, 206 (43%) met research criteria for CSA. Of the women meeting research criteria for CSA, 142 (69%) self-defined as sexually abused. Women who met research criteria for CSA reported more traumatic sexualization, more trust of a partner, more powerlessness, less sexual guilt, more episodes of unprotected sex, more sex partners, and greater likelihood of sex trading, compared to women who did not meet research criteria for CSA. Among women meeting research criteria, those who self-defined as sexually abused did not differ from those who did not self-define on any of the traumagenic dynamics constructs or on current sexual risk behavior, controlling for CSA characteristics.

Conclusions

Individuals who were sexually abused as children by behavioral research criteria are at risk for engaging in sexual risk behavior as adults, regardless of whether or not they perceive the experience to be CSA. Future research is needed to understand how non-definers perceive these childhood sexual experiences.