Documenting Collections: Cornerstones for More History of Science in Museums

Historians of science have recently become increasingly involved with collections and scientific instruments. This creates opportunities for a more significant role of history in museums of science, as well as more meaningful and contextualized exhibitions and educational programmes. However, complementing the mainstream focus on universal scientific principles with history requires structural and cultural changes in museums’ approaches and practices. In this paper we draw from recent collaborative work with historians of science at the University of Lisbon to reflect on the challenges museums face as they prepare for a more meaningful historical approach to science. We argue that documentation is crucial both before objects enter the museum and as regular collections practice. We propose a conceptual and methodological framework comprising two operational levels: documenting individual objects and documenting collections.     

The effect of Alaska's home visitation program for high-risk families on trends in abuse and neglect

OBJECTIVES: At 6 sites serving 21 communities, Alaska implemented Healthy Families Alaska, a home visitation program using paraprofessionals designed to decrease child abuse and neglect. The primary study objective was to compare changes over time in Child Protective Services outcomes by Healthy Families Alaska enrollment status. METHODS: Enrollment status was linked to birth certificates for birth years 1996-2002 which in turn was linked to the Alaska Child Protective Services database for outcome years 1996-2004. All children were followed through the study databases until age 2 years. RESULTS: There were 40,099 children born during 1996-2002 to residents of Healthy Families Alaska communities and 985 were enrolled in the program. Physical abuse referrals among enrolled children decreased from 73 to 42 per 1000 child-years of follow-up from 1996-1998 to 2000-2002 (p=.005); all of this decrease occurred among children who received 20 or more home visitations. This decrease may have been unrelated to program impact as a similar decrease in referral was seen among unenrolled high-risk children. Compared to unenrolled high-risk children, enrolled children had a modest decrease in the proportion with substantiated neglect but no difference in the proportion with neglect referral or physical abuse referral or substantiation. CONCLUSIONS: Little evidence exists that Alaska's home visitation program had a measurable impact on child maltreatment outcomes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Within Alaskan communities that had a home visitation program targeting families at high risk for child abuse, changes in Child Protective Services outcomes among children less than 2 years of age were followed over time by program enrollment status. Enrollment was associated with a substantial decrease in physical abuse referrals, but a similar decrease was seen among unenrolled high-risk children. No improvement was seen in physical abuse substantiation. A greater number of home visitations was not associated with fewer abuse outcomes. This work supports most of the recent literature, which questions the field effectiveness of home visitation programs. In combination with other studies, the current work may lead decision-makers and funding agencies to re-examine the usefulness of home visitation programs, particularly those using a methodology similar to that implemented in Alaska.     

The incidence of infant physical abuse in Alaska

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of and risk factors associated with infant (< 1 year of age) physical abuse in Alaska. METHODS: A population-based retrospective cohort study for the 1994-2000 resident birth cohort was conducted by linking data from birth certificates, Child Protective Services, a statewide hospital-based trauma registry, hospital discharge data, and the Alaska Infant Mortality Review (including death certificates). The main outcome measures were the incidences of overall physical abuse and abuse resulting in hospitalization or death. A case of child abuse was defined as an instance of substantiated physical abuse to an infant identified in the Child Protective Services database or an infant death with homicide identified on the death certificate as the manner of death. RESULTS: During the 7-year study period, there were 70,842 births and 325 cases of physical abuse including 72 that led to hospitalization (n = 58), death (n = 4), or both (n = 10); respective incidences for all abuse and abuse leading to hospitalization or death were 4.6 and 1.0 per 1000 live births. Following multivariate analyses, the risk factors with the highest population attributable risks were maternal or paternal education < or = 12 years, unmarried mother, and maternal prenatal substance use. To determine if the study methodology was likely to have missed cases of severe abuse, we examined information for all 216 infants hospitalized for trauma during the study period who did not have identification of abuse in one of the study databases; of these, at least 39 had injuries inconsistent with the reported mechanism (a long bone or skull fracture that reportedly resulted from a fall of less than 3 feet or from a caretaker's arms or for which the caretaker denied a history of trauma). Conclusions: Alaska has one of the highest documented infant physical abuse incidences reported in the literature and abuse is associated with potentially modifiable-primarily social-risk factors. Despite this high incidence, substantial under-reporting of hospitalized cases likely occurs.     

Films and Film-Makings: The Current Scene

I.C. Jarie's Movies and Society (Basic Books, $10.00)

Gone Youngblood's Expanded Cinema (Dutton, $9.95)

Robert Gessner's The Moving Image (Dutton $8.95)

Robert Richardson's Literature and Film (University of Indiana Press, $4.95)

Wolf Rilla's A-Z of Movie-Making (Viking/Studio Press Book, $6.95)