scholarly journals The political economy of academic publishing: On the commodification of a public good

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253226
Author(s):  
Stephan Puehringer ◽  
Johanna Rath ◽  
Teresa Griesebner
Keyword(s):  
Public Funding ◽  
Academic Publishing ◽  
Public Expenditures ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Financial Flows ◽  
Profit Margins ◽  
Public Subsidies ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Gain Access

This paper provides an institutional and empirical analysis of the highly concentrated market of academic publishing, characterized by over proportionally high profit margins for publishing companies. The availability of latest research findings is an important issue for researchers, universities and politicians alike. Open access (OA) publication provides a promising but also costly solution to overcome this problem. However, in this paper we argue that OA publication costs are an important, but by far not the only way for academic publishers to gain access to public funding. In contrast, our study provides a comprehensive overview of the channels through which public expenditure benefits big academic publishing companies. Furthermore, we offer the results of an explorative case study, where we estimate the annual financial flows of public expenditures in Austria for the field of social sciences. In all, these expenditures add up to about 66.55 to 103.2 million € a year, which amounts to a fourth of total public funding for this field. Against this background, we contribute to the debate whether and to what extent public subsidies are justified for economically successful companies.

The quandary between communication and certification

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Ren
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Open Access Publishing ◽  
Academic Publishing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interactive Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Publish Or Perish ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Research Findings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand individual academics’ perception, attitudes and participation in Open Access Publishing and open scholarship and revisit some principles and designs of openness in academic publishing from the perspective of creative end-users, which helps to increase the sustainability and efficiency of open models. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on a case study of China and empirical data collected through semi-structured interviews with a wide range of academics and stakeholders. Findings – A separation between the communication and certification functions of publishing is identified: open initiatives are valued for efficient and interactive communication while traditional publishing still dominates the legitimacy of research publications, which leads to the quandary of individual academics operating within the transitional landscape of scholarly communication. Practical implications – Practical recommendations for sustainable and efficient openness are derived from discussions on the difficulties associated open/social certification and the shifting maxims that govern academics from “publish or perish” to “be visible or vanish”. Originality/value – “Openness” is defined in broad sense integrating Open Access and open scholarship to comprehensively reflect individual academics’ views in the transitional landscape of academic publishing. The research findings suggest that new open approaches are needed to address the evolving tension and conflicts between communication and certification.

The Effects of Teaching Reflection Diaries on In-Service High School Teachers in Japan

Relay Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 80-99
Author(s):  
Naoya Shibata
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Teachers ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Teaching Beliefs ◽  
Experienced Teacher ◽  
Female Teachers ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Illustrative Case Study

Although teaching reflection diaries (TRDs) are prevalent tools for teacher training, TRDs are rarely used in Japanese secondary educational settings. In order to delve into the effects of TRDs on teaching development, this illustrative case study was conducted with two female teachers (one novice, and one experienced) at a Japanese private senior high school. The research findings demonstrated that both in-service teachers perceived TRDs as beneficial tools for understanding their strengths and weaknesses. TRDs and class observations illustrated that the novice teacher raised their self-confidence in teaching and gradually changed their teaching activities. On the other hand, the experienced teacher held firm teaching beliefs based on their successful teaching experiences and were sometimes less willing to experiment with different approaches. However, they changed their teaching approaches when they lost balance between their class preparation and other duties. Accordingly, although teachers’ firm beliefs and successful experiences may sometimes become possible hindrances from using TRDs effectively, TRDs can be useful tools to train and help teachers realise their strengths and weaknesses.

Pure Biologics – From a Bootstrapped Boutique CRO to an Integrated Drug Discovery Public Company

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-63
Author(s):  
Sameer Deshmukh ◽  
Przemysław Jurek ◽  
Filip Jelen ◽  
Sabina Tabaczar ◽  
Tomasz Bakowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Biopharmaceutical Company ◽  
Public Company ◽  
Medium Enterprises

The present article is a case study of a Polish biopharmaceutical company, “Pure Biologics”. The company was founded in 2010 by a group of scientists and, over the last nine years, grew substantially from just a few individuals to nearly one hundred professionals. Initially, a privately-funded civil partnership, Pure Biologics, has been transformed into a publicly-traded company. Such a transformation has been possible not only because of the expertise and growing experience of corporate management, but also the specific economic environment and substantial public funding dedicated to innovative Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

scholarly journals Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4186
Author(s):  
Abdulhakeem Raji ◽  
Abeer Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Voluntary Exercise ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The University

This paper adopted a case study approach to investigate the sustainability practices of a Scottish university in order to understand if sustainability forms part of its central policy agenda. As such, the paper focuses on the levels of awareness and disclosure of their sustainable practices, measuring the impacts and effectiveness of those initiatives. This paper introduces signaling theory to explore the idea that appropriate communication via integrated thinking can close the gap between the organization and its stakeholders. We believe that the provision of this relevant information will lead to better communication between the organization and its stakeholders, supporting a signaling theory interpretation. Therefore, we are suggesting that integrated thinking is an internal process that organizations can follow to increase the level of disclosure as a communication tool with stakeholders. From the literature reviewed, four themes were identified (definition of university sustainability, sustainability awareness, disclosure framework within universities, and level of accountability). The research adopted a pragmatic view and conducted individual interviews with participants belonging to three stakeholder groups (members of the university’s senior management, the governing council, and the student union executive). Although this study focused on just one Scottish university, it should still provide some insight for the better understanding of the underpinning issues surrounding the sustainability accountability practices of Scottish universities in general. The research findings indicated that the university prioritized only two sustainability dimensions—economic and environmental—and that the university still perceived sustainability as a voluntary exercise. Additionally, it is evident that the university had no framework in place for measuring its sustainability delivery—and therefore had no established medium of communicating these activities to its stakeholders. Moreover, research findings showed that the social and educational context of sustainability was lacking at the university. The university has done little or nothing to educate its stakeholders on sustainability.

scholarly journals Non financial compensation for the redevelopment of the historic urban landscape: the case study of Villasor in Sardinia (Italy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Colavitti ◽  
Sergio Serra
Keyword(s):  
Planning Process ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Urban Regeneration ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Urban Fabric ◽  
Financial Compensation ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Italian Experience

Abstract In Europe, the debate on the recovery of the historic centres has been developed, over the years, around the balance between conservation and transformation needs in order to meet the new demands of the contemporary world. In the field of urban planning, the strictly conservative and binding approach has gradually been supported by flexible and consensual mechanisms that act as a stimulus to private initiative in the redevelopment and regeneration of the historic urban landscape. The consolidated Italian experience in the policies for the protection and enhancement of historical settlements is being significantly innovated after the entry into force of the Urbani Code, which extends the character of landscape heritage to the historic urban fabric, transferring to the regional authorities the task of establishing the specific regulations for its use and transformation. The Region of Sardinia has achieved an important role in the implementation of policies for the recovery and redevelopment of the historic centres identified by the Regional Landscape Plan (RLP). The common and consolidated practice is still characterized by the use of traditional regulative instruments, in particular the detailed plan, which provide rules for the requalification of the compromised urban fabrics through a set of rules and guidelines to be applied to the replacement of recent buildings and the renovation of urban patterns that for density, ratios between solids and voids, heights, alignments and elevations are incompatible with the values of the context. The constraint and binding approach is effective in the conservation strategies but often inadequate to implement actions of integrated redevelopment of urban fabric altered by new buildings in contrast with the historic urban landscape features, also due to the global crisis situation and the shortage of public funding. The paper proposes the use of the non-financial compensation tool, based on the granting of bonus development rights to realising on site or in alternative locations, in order to encourage urban regeneration projects that also involve the replacement of buildings incompatible with historical urban landscape morphological patterns. The integration of a methodology for assessing the financial feasibility of the demolition and reconstruction of the incompatible structures in the planning process, as tested in the case study of Villasor municipality, has allowed the elaboration of a model to support the use of a compensation mechanism for the redevelopment of historical settlement values. In this perspective, the paper aims to investigate the opportunities provided by market-oriented and flexible approaches to support and promote private urban regeneration projects. In particular, it illustrates the experimental results of a methodology for the analysis of the urban fabric that takes into account the factors influencing the feasibility of the intervention of demolition and reconstruction of the incompatible buildings. Finally a model for the assessment of any bonus in terms of additional building capacity is suggested, to be granted to private operators as an incentive to ensure the cost-effectiveness of the project.

scholarly journals How do Academic Faculty Members Perceive the Effect of Teaching Surveys Completed by Students on Appointment and Promotion Processes at Academic Institutions? A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyal Eckhaus ◽  
Nitza Davidovitch
Keyword(s):  
Research Performance ◽  
Student Evaluations ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
Senior Faculty ◽  
Statistical Research ◽  
Academic Appointment ◽  
Academic Faculty ◽  
Research Findings

It is commonly thought that the promotion of faculty members is affected by their research performance. The current study is unique in examining how academic faculty members perceive the harm or damage to academic appointment and promotion processes, as a direct effect of student evaluations as manifested in teaching surveys. One hundred eighty two questionnaires were collected from senior faculty members at academic institutions. Most respondents were from three institutions: Ariel University, Ben Gurion University, and the Jezreel Valley College. Qualitative and statistical research tools were utilized, with the goal of forming a model reflecting the effect of the harm to academic appointment and promotion processes, as perceived by faculty members. The research findings show that the lecturers find an association that causes harm to their promotion processes as a result of student evaluations. Assuming that students' voices and their opinion of teaching are important – the question is how should these evaluations be treated within promotion and appointment processes: what and whom do they indicate? Do they constitute a reliable managerial tool with which it is possible to work as a foundation for promotion and appointment processes – or should other tools be developed, unrelated to students' opinions?

Transit networks, social contacts and open data meet public transportation plans for post-COVID-19: A Canadian case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Benning ◽  
Jonathan Calles ◽  
Burak Kantarci ◽  
Shahzad Khan
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Municipal Services ◽  
Transit Network ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
The Impact

This article presents a practical method for the assessment of the risk profiles of communities by tracking / acquiring, fusing and analyzing data from public transportation, district population distribution, passenger interactions and cross-locality travel data. The proposed framework fuses these data sources into a realistic simulation of a transit network for a given time span. By shedding credible insights into the impact of public transit on pandemic spread, the research findings will help to set the groundwork for tools that could provide pandemic response teams and municipalities with a robust framework for the evaluations of city districts most at risk, and how to adjust municipal services accordingly.

Purchasing behaviour and supplier base evolution – a longitudinal case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dubois ◽  
Lars-Erik Gadde ◽  
Lars-Gunnar Mattsson
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
Time Periods

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to describe and analyse the evolution of the supplier base of a buying firm and the reasons behind these changes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a case study of the changes over 52 years in a sub-set of the supplier base of a firm manufacturing fork-lifts. Findings The study shows that some relationships feature substantial longevity. However, the duration of one-third of the total relationships is shorter than five years. There was considerable variation over time in the dynamics of the supplier base in terms of entries and exits of suppliers. Owing to this variation, research findings and conclusions in short-term studies are heavily dependent on the specific conditions at the time of the study. Finally, no less than one-fourth of the terminated supplier relationships were reactivated later. Research limitations/implications The study was designed in a time when purchasing was considered entirely from the perspective of the buying firm. Further studies, therefore, must increasingly emphasise the role of suppliers and the interaction in the buyer–supplier relationships, as well as the embeddedness in networks. Originality/value The findings of the study are unique in two ways. First, they are based on systematic observations over more than 50 years. Second, the study involves the purchases of 11 components representing different technical and economic features. The (few) previous studies are based on much shorter time periods and involves fewer suppliers/components. Moreover, the findings regarding re-activation of terminated relationships represent unique contributions.

A multi-attribute approach to select the best method for repairing river bridge columns

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Salmaninezhad ◽  
S. Mahmood Jazayeri Moghaddas
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Bridge Columns ◽  
Pier Scour ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accuracy And Precision ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Multi Attribute Decision Making ◽  
Weighing Method

PurposePier scour is one of the main causes of damage to the columns of the river bridges. It is essential to select the best method among various repair methods based on different evaluation indices. However, there is no procedure for ranking these repair methods based on their attributes. The present study seeks to set an approach for this ranking.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) model is presented for ranking the repair techniques, in which alternatives are examined using the most important evaluation criteria. In addition, a combination of entropy and eigenvector methods has been proposed for weighting these attributes. A case study is then used to demonstrate the applicability and the validity of the method.FindingsThe execution of the model using two multi-criteria methods yielded similar results, which confirms its accuracy and precision. Moreover, the research findings showed the consistency of the objective and subjective weighting methods and the conformity of the weights obtained for the attributes from the combination of these methods to the nature of the problem.Originality/valueThe selection of the proper method for repairing the bridge columns plays an essential role in success of the bridge restoration. The proposed model introduces an approach for ranking repair methods and selecting the best one that has not been presented so far. Also, the weighing method for attributes is an innovative method for ranking restoration methods that has been proven in a case study.

Corruption and integrity in the urban water and sanitation sector: A case study of Mexico City

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhil Nesi
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Fund Management ◽  
Public Fund ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sustainable Water Management ◽  
Local Actors

Despite considerable public funding, Mexico City faces inadequate and inequitably distributed water infrastructure. Corruption in public fund management and at the interface between institutions and individuals is fed by opaque governing systems. Local actors agree that sustainable water management must begin with systemic changes to enable transparent and participative governance.

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