Open Access journals published by Norwegian institutions – status and prospects

More than 70 fully open-access, peer-reviewed journals are currently being published by government-funded service providers at eight Norwegian institutions. The service-providing staff is typically working within a research library, with the editor-in-chief affiliated to the same institution. In autumn 2020, Universities Norway (a cooperative body for accredited universities and university colleges in Norway), commissioned a report on this part of the national publishing landscape. The report was published in June 2021. As representatives of the committee writing the report, we present an overview of the Diamond Open Access publishing landscape in Norway and discuss our recommendations for strengthening the quality and robustness of the institutional service providers (ISPs). In brief, we suggest that the various ISPs merge and establish a board with an executive officer responsible for prioritizing technical upgrades and for establishing common standards and systems of quality assurance. Library staff at the various institutions should however still function as primary contacts for the editors and owners of the various journals, but operate according to clear guidelines and within a multi-institutional collegium.

Smallholder farmers’ perception of climate change and adaptation strategy choices in Central Ethiopia

Purpose Smallholder farmers have always been profoundly the first to be impacted by climate change, and therefore, farmers understanding of climate change and accessibility to alternative adaptation strategies are crucial for reducing the effect of climate change. The purpose of this study is to assess the perception of farmers to climate change, adaptation strategies and determinants of adaptation choice in central Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach The study used data from randomly selected 240 farm households. Descriptive statistics were used to describe farmers’ perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies. Also, a multivariate probit model was used to identify the major factors affecting farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies to climate change in central Ethiopia. Findings Smallholder farmers perceive climate change in the past two decades in response; the majority (91.47%) of farmers used adaptation options. Improved crop varieties and input intensity, crop diversification, planting date adjustment, soil and water conservation activities and changing of the crop type were used as adaptation options in the study area. A few of these strategies were significantly confirmed a complementary and supplementary relationship. The study identified sex, family size, agroecology, climate information, crop-fail history and formal extension service as significant determinants for farmers’ adaptation choices as these variables significantly affected more than two farmers’ adaptation strategies simultaneously. Research limitations/implications Farmers’ choice of adaptation was highly constrained by institutional factors and all these identified factors can be possibly addressed through a better institutional service provision system. It is, therefore, recommended that local administrators should explore the institutional service provision system for a better farm-level adaptation while considering demographic characteristics as well. Originality/value This study identified factors affecting farmers’ several adaptation strategies at a time and provides information for the policymaker to make cost-effective interventions for better farm-level adaptation practices.

Analysis on Management’s Managerial Competence and Its Influence on Pos-PAUD Service Quality

Pos-PAUD is one form of non-formal PAUD unit as the development of Integrated Services Post (Posyandu) activities. Previous researches’ results state that Pos-PAUD service quality is far from what is expected since the village society-built institution has many limitations. Its management’s academic qualification and competence is not required as demanded by the law. This research aims at mapping Pos-PAUD management’s managerial competence and its influence on its institutional service quality. The research was conducted with a correlational quantitative research design. The research population was the Pos-PAUD management in Malang City of about 156 people. The research samples were 65 people determined based on the proportional random sampling technique. The data were collected using a questionnaire technique. The questionnaire validity was tested using Pearson’s Product Moment technique, while questionnaire reliability was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and regressive analysis techniques using SPPSS 23.00 for windows. The result of descriptive analysis shows that management’s managerial competence and institutional service quality are not maximal yet since there is unmet indicator. The hypothesis test result shows that Fcount is 162.407 (Sig F = 0.000). Ftable at significance level 5% is 3.14. Since Fcount > Ftable (162.407 > 3.14) and Sig F < 5% (0.000 < 0.05) thus Ho is rejected, which means that management’s managerial competence significantly influences Pos-PAUD service quality. This research result may be taken as the base to design Pos-PAUD management’s competence building activity that is currently seldom performed and as the base of development of Pos-PAUD service quality improvement model.

First-Generation Students in Service-Learning Programs

First-generation students count for roughly one-third of the students enrolled in higher education in the United States. However, the retention and graduation rates for first-generation students are much lower than their continuing-generation peers. In this chapter, the authors employ a strengths-based approach to explore institutional service-learning models that lead to improved outcomes for first-generation students. By connecting extant research to practical applications at the institutional level, the authors provide readers with multiple models from which to develop a service-learning program based on first-generation students' assets and strengths rather than their perceived deficits.

Forget Cleaning the House and Doing the Service, Keep Your Sanity: One Scientist’s and Mother’s Story of Not Just Surviving, but Thriving during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Here, I describe my personal journey as a STEM professor during the pandemic, and my struggles and successes with online teaching, research, and dealing with COVID-19, as a single mother of three children. I share my story and advice—dirty dishes, imperfections, and all. My message, based on the lived experiences of myself and many of my colleagues, evidence-based facts, and research is simple – we must learn to say no and focus our energy and strength on those things that will directly advance our promotion and that we are passionate about, not on the endless, discounted service roles we typically do. I recognize our ability to do so varies across differences of rank, race, gender, sexuality, and age. I also shed light on research on gendered institutional service and caregiving disparities, the physiology of stress and disease, systemic racism, and the disproportionate, amplified impacts the pandemic is having on women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) faculty. Gender and racial inequalities, stress, service, and caregiving demands have exponentially increased with the pandemic, which will result in long term health and economic impacts far beyond COVID-19, unless great institutional changes are made. I highlight what my institution has done well, has struggled with, and what still needs to be done. In addition to the typical extensions in the R&T (Rank and Tenure) process, which notably take women and BIPOC faculty farther away from their research and higher wages, I outline more important institutional strategies and adaptations that are needed for the viability and health of women, BIPOC, and caregiving faculty, and hence higher education as a whole. Importantly, those institutions that will fare the best will be those that take care of their faculty and students and provide truly meaningful assistance in more than just their mission statements and rhetoric.

First-Time Fathers’ Attitudes Towards, and Experiences With, Parenting Courses in Denmark

Several studies report that men, just like women, go through a complex emotional upheaval when they are about to become parents and that men need support to be able to tackle parenthood in the best way possible. This qualitative study addresses the extent to which parenting courses attended by both the mother and the father constitute an appealing institutional service for first-time fathers and whether they find them useful in tackling the challenges they face during the pregnancy and after the birth. The article explores difficulties with recruiting fathers to such courses and ensuring their continued attendance since men’s masculinity dilemmas can affect the extent to which they are willing to seek help and to complete such courses. The findings indicated that fathers’ sense of responsibility and awareness of their role as a father in their child’s life was strengthened, and overall, they were satisfied both with the topics addressed during the course and with the teaching. Strong networks were formed among some of the parents at the parenting course. Caution is called for when drawing general conclusions about the benefits of such courses for first-time parents, as they are seldom attended by parents with minority ethnic backgrounds or by vulnerable and underprivileged parents.

Support for Good Peer Review in OJS-based Journals

How can a library publishing service with limited resources help editorial teams of peer-reviewed journals in their work? This paper focuses on the technical aspects of the peer review workflow that, if set up and adhered to properly, can contribute to improving the standard of the peer review process – and to some degree also the quality of peer review. The discussion is based on the work done at Septentrio Academic Publishing, the institutional service provider for open access publishing at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

Marvell, Writer and Politician, 1621–1678

Marvell was by birth implicated in an English colonial project—the centralizing dominion over the regions—that prepared him well for national and international service. His lasting ties to his native Yorkshire (especially Hull) let him long represent centre to periphery, and periphery to centre, whether in politics or in poetry. After an education capped by service as travelling tutor on the Continent, Marvell returned in the late 1640s to an England still in the toils of revolution. Over the next decade he worked his way ever nearer the House of Cromwell. First elected as Cromwellian placeman in 1659, Marvell continued as MP until his death in 1678. His institutional service is much more fully documented than his well-guarded private life. But the complexity of his lyrics informs the complexity not only of his works as satirist and controversialist but also his busy London career and his voyaging on embassy.

Getting service at the constituency office: Analyzing citizens’ encounters with their Member of Parliament

In this paper, we present an analysis of how constituents procure services at the constituency office of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom. This paper will investigate how several previously documented interactional practices (e.g. entitlement) combine at the constituency office in a way that secures service. From a corpus of 12.5 hours of interaction, and using conversation analysis, we examine constituents’ telephone calls and meetings with constituency office staff and the MP, identifying practices constituents use. First, constituents opened encounters with bids to tell narratives. Second, constituents presented lengthy and detailed descriptions of their difficulties. These descriptions gave space to manage issues of legitimacy and entitlement, while simultaneously recruiting assistance. Third, we examine ways in which constituents display uncertainty about how the institution of the constituency office functions, and what services are available. The paper offers original insights into how constituency services are provided, and how constituency offices give access and support to ordinary citizens, while expanding the conversation analytic literature on institutional service provision.

PERKEMBANGAN HUKUM SEKTOR JASA KEUANGAN DALAM UPAYA PERCEPATAN PERTUMBUHAN EKONOMI NASIONAL

Indonesia’s financial services sector shows a rapid development in line with changes in the regional and global sector. Taking a role in promoting the acceleration of national economic growth, financial services sector is directed to optimally play a role in stability of the financial system as a foundation for sustainable development, and realizing the financial independence of the community and supporting efforts to increase equity in Development (inclusive). This research uses normative juridical approach with analytical descriptive research specification. Data were analyzed by qualitative juridical. Based on the results of the research, the regulation in the financial services sector is growing rapidly as a result of regional and global demands, especially facing the ASEAN Banking Integration Framework (ABIF). Legal developments in the financial services sector are reflected in regulatory changes on institutional, service and product aspects as well as dispute resolution. There is still a need for legal reform that can provide a solid legal basis for the financial services sector, namely civil law reform and banking law.