Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Research Productivity In The Realm Of Evaluative Scientometrics, Jiban K. Pal, Soumitra Sarkar

Journal Articles

The combination of a variety of inputs (both tangible and intangible) enables the numerous outputs in varying degrees to realize the research productivity. To select appropriate metrics and translate into the practical situation through empirical design is a cumbersome task. A single indicator cannot work well in different situations, but selecting the 'most suitable' one from dozens of indicators is very confusing. Nevertheless, establishing benchmarks in research evaluation and implementing all-factor productivity is almost impossible. Understanding research productivity is, therefore, a quintessential need for performance evaluations in the realm of evaluative scientometrics. Many enterprises evaluate the research performance with little …

Evaluation Of Institutional Research Productivity, Jiban K. Pal, Soumitra Sarkar

Journal Articles

The quantification of scholarly performance has become an obvious necessity in many academic pursuits. Evaluation of research output is therefore an integral element of R&D institutions worldwide. However the quality-weighted dimensions of quantity are gaining momentum. Consequently, a good number of evaluative studies on publication productivity have been made available in scientometric literature. This paper critically scrutinises the literature on research productivity concerning scientific institutions (include universities and departments) in an informational context. It provides a thorough review to map the quantum of knowledge relating to ‘institutional research productivity’ correlating the Indian vista. It is, however, indicative to find the …

Recherche Formative Exhaustive Sur Les Croyances, Les Pratiques Et Les Comportements En Matière De Santé Au Mali, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

Breakthrough RESEARCH, in conjunction with the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche sur l’Information en Population et Santé (CERIPS), designed and conducted a mixed method formative study to inform USAID Mali’s health and nutrition programming for the next five years. This project aimed to increase demand for and use of health, nutrition, water and sanitation services; increase individual and household adoption of healthy behaviors; and improve household and community capacities to plan, finance, and manage their own health and health systems. This formative research comprised three phases of data collection to reveal the contexts of health behaviors and determinants, motivators, and …

Comprehensive Formative Research On Health Beliefs, Practices, And Behaviors In Mali, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

Breakthrough RESEARCH, in conjunction with the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche sur l’Information en Population et Santé (CERIPS), designed and conducted a mixed method formative study to inform USAID Mali’s health and nutrition programming for the next five years. This project aimed to increase demand for and use of health, nutrition, water, sanitation and health services; increase individual and household adoption of healthy behaviors; and improve household and community capacities to plan, finance, and manage their own health and health systems. This formative research comprised three phases of data collection to reveal the contexts of health behaviors and determinants, motivators, …

Editorial Board

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Department Chair, Greg M. Shaw

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Editor's Introduction, Megan Baker, Oscar Romero

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Author Biographies

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, And The Supreme Court, Graham Dano

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This article breaks down the implications of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's health problems-all the more relevant due to her recent hospitalization in May 2020-and shows how the Democratic Party has been outmaneuvered by the Republicans in terms of SCOTUS control. The path to reestablishing a Democratic Supreme Court, as formerly seen from the 1940s-1970s, depends on the defeat of President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election.

Damn All The Eggs That Ever Was: Meritocracy And Its Failures On The Younger Family, Graham Dano

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

In this article, Lorraine Hansberry's magnum opus book about structural racism in 1950s America, "A Raisin in the Sun", is discussed in detail, and how the book itself is a rebuke to those Americans who insist that our country is a meritocracy for all races and ethnicities. The lived experiences of the Younger Family, the African-American protagonists of the book, are filled with not only elements of structural racism, but the reactions of their neighbors and acquaintances to this racism as well.

Pro-Slavery Rhetoric In The Constitution, Jonathan Panton

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Prior to the Thirteenth Amendment, the United States Constitution did not merely allow slavery: the document protected slavery. At the time of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Continental Congress vigorously debated the “peculiar institution” of slavery. The lofty ideals of the Declaration proclaimed the “inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” By the time the Constitution was adopted in 1789, the delegates all but abandoned such lofty goals to set forth an administrative guide for government. The Constitution was a pro-slavery document because of the ⅗ clause and it enabled slavery.

Public V. Private Organizations, Oscar Romero

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

People always hear on the news politicians arguing with each other on the effectiveness of government. They both agree that government agencies can do a lot better than what they are doing right now, but disagree on how to resolve it. The left argues for providing more funding to these public agencies to have better performance; however, that will require an increase in taxes which most Americans do not want. The right argues for privatizing these public agencies so that there is no bureaucratic involvement in the procedure, as well as this, will determine which agencies succeed and which ones …

Vox Populi Non Est Vox Dei, Oscar Romero

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

When determining where the meaning of truth lies in this world, the first question to ask is this: what truth is the world looking for? For medical scientists, they look for the truth to longevity. For philosophers, they look for moral truths. For political scientists, they look for the truth of power. What does power do, and how is it used are questions to ponder when investigating this truth; however, one must first answer the question of where does power lie. Some political scientists, such as Francis Lieber, reminds us how history relates the concept of power with God, the …

Framing Economic Populist Rhetoric: The Economically Aggrieved Find A Voice, Jordan Baker

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

The use of economic populist rhetoric seems to be a growing trend in America. Current literature situates a positive relationship between economic insecurity and support of populism, however the strength between the two is debated. Furthermore, much is focused on individual or country level economic insecurities as it relates to populist support, but little is focused on economic insecurities at levels in between the individual and countries. Even less is written on how often populists employ economic populist messaging, as it relates to the economic insecurities in which they are speaking. In order to determine if a relationship between the …

Beyond The Year Of The Woman, Pooja Patil

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Women make up about 50% of the American population but currently only 24% of Congress. This persistent underrepresentation is a matter of concern because Congress often votes on issues that disproportionately affect women. Prior research has established a consistent set of variables that factor into the supply of and demand for women in elected offices, namely incumbency, party, district characteristics, candidate characteristics and voter stereotypes. In 1992, deemed the “Year of the Woman” where a record number of women won seats in Congress, an increased number of those candidates embraced stereotypically female strengths and employed those in their campaign strategies. …

Socioeconomic Declinism And Right-Wing Populist Support, Kayley Rettberg

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper focuses on resolving the false dichotomy between the economic grievance and cultural backlash theses commonly presented in the literature on Right-Wing Populist attitude formation. It elaborates on Gidron and Hall’s social integration thesis by introducing the socioeconomic declinism thesis, which combines social, cultural, and economic factors when measuring Right-Wing populist attitudes. The interaction between the cultural backlash, social integration, and economic grievance theories provides a more holistic account of why right-wing populist attitudes form. This study pulls from the European Social Survey Round 8 to conduct a large-N statistical analysis of two compiled indices—the socioeconomic integration index and …

Iraq Programme Report 2020, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

In 2020, UNMAS Iraq prioritised the following areas of support:

• Support government and national mine action entities with managing, regulating, and coordinating a mine action response through Technical Support (TS) initiatives;
• Deliver Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) at the community and national level; and
• Provide Explosive Hazard Management (EHM) response in support of humanitarian and stabilization efforts.

Due to the nature of threats posed by EO, UNMAS and its implementing partners are among the first responders allowing the humanitarian community and local authorities to intervene quickly and efficiently to help civilians.

A significant mine action capacity gap remains in Iraq. …

Palestine Programme Eore Portfolion 2019-2020, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

The persistent conflict faced by the Palestinian population has resulted in large areas of the Palestine being contaminated by various ERW. The key threats differ regionally between Gaza and the West Bank Areas A, B and C. Whereas Gaza has been continually exposed to ERW including Israeli Aerial Bombs; the West Bank is contaminated with a mixture of mines. ERW and Riot Control Agents such as tear gas.

The UNMAS Palestine programme has worked hard to mitigate the impact of the Palestine Israel conflict in Gaza. Unfortunately, the presence of ERW is indiscriminate in Gaza and there is a possibility …

Landmine Monitor 2020, Icbl-Cmc

Global CWD Repository

This is the 22nd annual Landmine Monitor report. It is the sister publication to the Cluster Munition Monitor report, first published in November 2010.

Landmine Monitor 2020 provides a global overview of the landmine situation. Chapters on developments in specific countries and other areas are available in online Country Profiles at www.the-monitor.org/cp.

Landmine Monitor covers mine ban policy, use, production, trade, and stockpiling; includes information on developments and challenges in assessing and addressing the impact of mine contamination and casualties through clearance, risk education, and victim assistance; and documents international and national support for mine action. This report focuses on …

The Impact Of A Candidates [Sic] Race On Voter Opinion, Yssis Patterson

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

INTRODUCTION: Race has always played a significant role in politics. Identifying what degree race and/or political party identification has will help to further determine and explain the outsized significance of these factors in modern American politics.

HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that a candidate's race would have a significant impact on the way that a voter votes. Based on a candidate’s initial appearance and biographer, a voter may prefer one candidate over another simply based on an isolated variable.

METHODS: For this study, we conducted two surveys through Amazon M Turk. We asked a series of questions based on two candidates of …

The Effects Of Educational Attainment Of State Legislators On State Appropriations To Public Higher Education, Nathan J. Gruber

Graduate Research Papers

Elected officials come to office from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, and researchers have sought to discover how these characteristics affect the policy making process. There is a gap in the literature pertaining to whether educational attainment of policymakers influences education policy. This research analyzes the educational attainment of state lawmakers and whether higher levels of educational achievement influence the legislative support of public universities as measured by budget appropriations to those schools. Results show there is a statistically significant positive relationship between educational attainment of lawmakers and support of post-secondary education. Future studies should consider developing an improved …

Reduced Frontopolar Brain Activation Characterizes Concussed Athletes With Balance Deficits, I. Helmich, J. Coenen, S. Henckert, E. Pardalis, S. Schupp, H. Lausberg

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Athletes with sport-related concussions (SRC) often demonstrate deficits in postural stability. Lower cerebral blood flow in frontal cortices has been documented in athletes with symptoms after SRC, however, it is unclear if functional brain oxygenation during postural control tasks is reduced in symptomatic athletes after SRC in the same manner. We therefore compared brain oxygenation patterns in frontal cortices of symptomatic and asymptomatic athletes with SRC during postural control tasks with the hypothesis that symptomatic athletes are characterized by reduced functional brain oxygenation during postural control. Methods: 62 concussed athletes (n = 31 symptomatic, n = 31 asymptomatic) were …

Martuwarra Country: A Historical Perspective (1838-Present), Martuwarra Riveroflife, Magalie Mcduffie, Anne Poelina

Nulungu Reports

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of Intelligence Analytic Methodology: From A Perspective Of National Security Intelligence Analysis, Jin-Hu Gao

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]The thesis reviews the evolution of the intelligence analytic methodology and illuminates its development path，which aims at providing reference for the improvement in intelligence analysis.[Method/process]Through the elaboration of methodological evolution，the thesis proceeds to distinguish the national security intelligence analysis from the information analysis，summing up the influence of the analytic methodology on analysis.[Result/conclusion]Intelligence analysis is far more complex than conventional information analysis，while the latter is unable to cope with the intricate issues in national security intellgience analysis.Therefore，new analytic methodology should be constructed on the basis of falsificationism and cognitive psychology.

Innovation Strategy Of Intelligence Service To New Think-Tank, Xiao-Bin Huang, Jing Lin

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]Libraries and information organizations have a close connection with the construction of new think-tanks.We should look for ways to improve the services of the libraries and information organizations，so that they can better serve our think tanks.[Method/process]This paper analyzes the research progress of Chinese libraries and information organizations participating in the construction of new think-tanks.It also mentions about think tank demand for intelligence information.[Result/conclusion] Puts forward various countermeasures of service think tank: improve the quality and efficiency of information resource construction，using intelligent intelligence service technology，help think tank personnel training and management，provide embedded SDI service and tracking service，innovation think tank knowledge service， …

Innovation In The Teaching Reform Of Literature Retrieval Course For Postgraduates In The New Era, Shu-Qing Li, Jie Cao, Ling-Bo Liu

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance] Literature retrieval course is of great positive significance for postgraduates to write academic papers and carry out scientific research. Based on summarizing a large number of relevant literature researches，this paper summarizes the relevant teaching reform contents in detail under the background of big data and mobile Internet，with a view to providing ideas and inspiration for the teaching reform and innovation of literature retrieval course for postgraduates in China.[Method/process]By means of literature research，this paper summarizes the current situation of the development of literature retrieval course for postgraduates in China，and analyses the teaching characteristics of literature retrieval course for postgraduate from …

The Study Of Aviation S&T Dynamic Information Work In The Big Data Era, Zi-Xi Wang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

To begin with，in order to exploring aviation S&T dynamic information work in the big data era，the new characteristics of aviation S&T dynamic information in the big dataera are analyzed，framework of dynamic information study modes suitable for new era is established，and work contents of each phase of the framework are defined.Moreover，specific measures for all parts including monitoring & acquisition，analysis & output，dissemination & feedback of aviation S&T dynamic information are probed in-depth from the practical operation perspective，which enriches the mode framework to be more practical and of better guidance.Last but not least，in face of dynamically evolving the big data era environment，this paper …

Animal Welfare Science And “A Life Worth Living” For Wild And Captive Elephants, Lindsay R. Mehrkam, Otto Fad

Animal Sentience

Baker & Winkler (2020) propose restoring elephants to a state of “wildness” and a “life worth living” by reintroducing captive elephants to the hands of indigenous mahout cultures and practices. To evaluate this proposal, we must define operationally a number of critical concepts in a species-centric, individualistic way, avoiding human-centric opinions and romanticized notions of the wild. Animal welfare science can help create greater synergy between ex-situ zoological institutions and in-situ elephant conservation, and welfare efforts that respect and value the cultures of both species.

Motivated Viewing: Selective Exposure To Political Images When Reasoning Is Not Involved, Clarisse Warren, Stephen Schneider, Kevin Smith, John Hibbing

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Motivated reasoning is an important element of politics especially in these highly polarized times. People selectively expose themselves to information in a fashion that makes it possible to embrace arguments consistent with their existing biases and ignore arguments inconsistent with those biases. Often overlooked in the research on motivated reasoning and selective exposure to information, however, is that a substantial portion of politics is about affective responses—that which makes people feel good and that which makes people feel bad. In this paper, we introduce a novel indicator of people's tendency to prolong exposure to favored political images or to truncate …

Ideological Asymmetries In Social Psychological Research: Rethinking The Impact Of Political Context On Ideological Epistemology, Ingrid J. Haas

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Ideological asymmetries in social psychological research: rethinking the impact of political context on ideological epistemology.

Conclusion

In sum, while I agree with many of the arguments raised by Clark and Winegard (this issue), we should continue to de-bate the degree to which liberals and conservatives are equally motivated by tribalism, especially in the context of contemporary American politics. While there is no doubt that personal political views influence the questions that scientists deem important, I do wonder to what extent the ideological biases recently observed in the field of social psychology generalize to the social sciences as a whole (and …