Changes in the Most-Cited Scholars and Works Over 25 Years: The Evolution of the Field of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Cohn and Farrington’s work in citation analysis has examined scholarly influence within criminological research for over 25 years. The current analysis tracks the ten most-cited scholars and each scholar’s most-cited works in four international criminology journals and six American criminology and criminal justice journals over twenty-five years and five time periods—1986–1990, 1991–1995, 1996–2000, 2001–2005, and 2006–2010. This approach extends the traditional approach to citation analysis by documenting increases and decreases in individual citation careers as well as in the most-cited scholarly contributions of the most-cited scholars during a period of significant growth in criminology. The most-cited works mostly fall within the areas of developmental and life-course criminology and criminal careers, reflecting the importance of these topics in criminology.     

Reviews

Foster , John , L. (Editor ). (1977). Reluctant to Read? Edinburgh Reading Tests - Stages 1 and 4 - Godfrey Thomson Unit. Dubin , F. and Olshtain , E. (1977). Facilitating Language Learning. Skitt , Frank . (1978). Themes for Language Learning.     

Books and articles of academic interest

Books and articles of academic interest     

Adapting the delivery of learning materials to student preferences: Two studies with a course model based on ‘cases’

Current printed courses of the Open universiteit (Ou) have been designed according to a variety of course models; for example the ‘learning unit model’ or the ‘textbook‐workbook model’ (van den Boom & Schlusmans 1991). Considering the potential of the ILCE approach (Valcke & Martens, this issue), one can imagine new and innovative course models that build on the interactivity and flexibility possibilities of such an environment An essential feature of the ILCE approach is that developers can consider student differences when designing and producing learning materials.

In this article we will explore the problem of adapting the delivery of learning materials to student characteristics in relation to a course based on ‘cases’ in the law domain. Two different study modes are researched: a study mode that starts with the theory and next moves to practical work with the cases versus a study mode that starts with the practical work and next moves to the theoretical base.

Two studies are presented. Within the exploratory study, the research questions focus on the potential interrelations between student characteristics and the preference/choice for one of the two study modes. From the results can be concluded that almost all students from the Open universiteit prefer a theory‐based study mode, because they have a relatively large amount of experience with this study mode and because they find it a successful study mode.

In the second study, an experimental design is adopted with students studying in one of four different conditions: two study modes of printed learning materials and two study modes of interactive learning materials. In contrast with the exploratory study students clearly indicate a more diverse preference for certain study modes. Students also differ in their preference for the delivery mode. However the more traditional study and delivery mode (theory‐based and printed learning material) remains more popular. Again this might again be due to the greater experience students have with this approach. Only two student characteristics are significantly related to opting for the practice‐based study mode: the experience level with a study mode and one's prior knowledge with the subject matter. Comparable results were detected regarding the preferred delivery mode: students with little prior knowledge more readily prefer a printed book, probably because they have a better overview.     

Mapping Visual Culture in Comparative Education Discourse

It would be fascinating to map out the political implications of scopic regimes, but it can't be done too reductively. The perspectivalist regime is not necessarily complicitous only with oppressive political practices. Under certain circumstances it may be emancipatory; it really depends on how it is used. [1] [1] M. Jay (1988) Scopic regimes of modernity, in: H. Foster (Ed.) Vision and Visuality, pp. 3‐28 (Seattle, WA, Bay Press). View all notes

     

Navamaga: a new path to new lives

A project in Sri Lanka sponsored by USAID AND the Overseas Education Fund (OEF) used nonformal training to prepare development workers to help women's groups orgnize income-generating projects. OEF and the Women's Bureau developed a 2-phase program for a toatl of 2 months training, which was separated by a 5-month period of field work. By the time the project came to an end in June 1982, development officers had helped rural women set up 2000 income-generating activities in Sri Lanka. their net profit was US $32,000 per month or an average of US $16 per woman. The profits from their activities surpassed the cost of the training project in less than a year. In the following year another 2000 activities were successfully started, so that beneficiaries, as of June, 1983 totalled over 22,000 people--4000 rural wmen and their families. The project, therefore, had a positive impact in a variety of areas: increased agricultural population, increased employment, increased participation of women in economic activities, development of institutional capability in rural areas, raised income of the rural poor and enhancement of health and nutrition.