Engineering Platform as Integrated Software for Model Mediated Research

Engineering software platform supports engineering activities in continuously widening disciplinary area of complex systems operated industrial and commercial products and other engineering achievements. Engineering activities increasingly include research extending the conventional product lifecycle engineering to the whole innovation cycle. Comprehensive engineering platform comprises wide range of integrated software solutions to manage complex model systems to represent situation controlled autonomous products and offers all software solutions necessary for the integrated innovation and life cycle. By now, engineering platforms are amongst the largest and most complex applications of advanced software. This paper reports recent contributions to concept and methodology of research integration representations for engineering model systems using research capabilities of engineering platform. First, concept on model organized research project (MORP) is introduced. MORP is a new model system based concept of research project which is managed using capabilities of software organized in these platforms. MORP relies on the formerly defined concept of model mediated research (MMR) which is extended to research in situation control of autonomous functions of the represented systems operated engineering achievements recognizing that situation control reorganizes engineering related research to a great extent. Following this, connection of MORP with software which provides situation based control for physical execution in cyber physical system (CPS) is analyzed and discussed. The MMR based MORP is about pilot projecting at the recently established virtual research laboratory (VRL) at the Doctoral School of Applied Informatics and Applied Mathematics (DSAIAM) at the Óbuda University.

Integration as a Process: Applying Iterative Multiple Correspondence Analysis to Surface Dynamic Findings

A defining characteristic of mixed methods research, integration receives considerable attention in the field, yet evidence suggests that the process of integration may be challenging in practice. Crossover analyses, in which methods typically used with one data type are applied to a different data type, can deepen integration. Using an example from the field of education, this article demonstrates the iterative application of multiple correspondence analysis as a crossover analysis through a four-stage integration process. Contributions to the field of mixed methods include (a) the utility and potential of multiple correspondence analysis to surface new dimensions of integrated findings, (b) considerations for rigor in the application of crossover methods, and (c) considerations for making sense of diffractive or dynamic findings.

Organizational supports for knowledge translation in paediatric health centres and research institutes: insights from a Canadian environmental scan

Background Organizational supports are thought to help address wide-ranging barriers to evidence-informed health care (EIHC) and knowledge translation (KT). However, little is known about the nature of the resources and services that exist within paediatric health care and research settings across Canada to facilitate evidence use in health care delivery. This survey examined existing supports for EIHC/KT within these organizations to inform the design of similar EIHC/KT support programmes. Methods A national environmental scan was conducted using a bilingual online survey distributed to leaders at Canadian paediatric academic health science centres and their affiliated research institutes. Participants were invited through email, social media and webinar invitations and snowball sampling. Supports of interest included personnel, resources, services, organizational structures or processes, and partnerships or collaborations; barriers and successes were also probed. Data were compiled by site, reported using descriptive statistics, or grouped thematically. Supports were described using the AIMD (Aims, Ingredients, Mechanism, Delivery) framework. Results Thirty-one respondents from 17 sites across seven provinces represented a 49% site response rate. Eleven (65%) sites reported an on-site library with variable staffing and services. Ten (59%) sites reported a dedicated KT support unit or staff person. Supports ranged from education, resource development and consultation to protocol development, funded initiatives and collaborations. Organizations leveraged internal and external supports, with the majority also employing supports for clinical research integration. Supports perceived as most effective included personnel, targeted initiatives, leadership, interdepartmental expertise, external drivers and logistical support. Barriers included operational constraints, individual-level factors and lack of infrastructure. Conclusions This first survey of organizational supports for EIHC/KT identified the range of supports in place in paediatric research and health care organizations across Canada. The diversity of supports reported across sites may reflect differences in resource capacity and objectives. Similarities in EIHC/KT and research integration supports suggest common infrastructure may be feasible. Moreover, stakeholder engagement in research was common, but not pervasive. Tailored support programmes can target multi-faceted barriers. Findings can inform the development, refinement and evaluation of EIHC/KT support programmes and guide the study of the effectiveness and sustainability of these strategies.

Personality trait differences across types of entrepreneurs: a systematic literature review

The personality traits that define entrepreneurs have been of significant interest to academic research for several decades. However, previous studies have used vastly different definitions of the term “entrepreneur”, meaning their subjects have ranged from rural farmers to tech-industry start-up founders. Consequently, most research has investigated disparate sub-types of entrepreneurs, which may not allow for inferences to be made regarding the general entrepreneurial population. Despite this, studies have frequently extrapolated results from narrow sub-types to entrepreneurs in general. This variation in entrepreneur samples reduces the comparability of empirical studies and calls into question the reviews that pool results without systematic differentiation between sub-types. The present study offers a novel account by differentiating between the definitions of “entrepreneur” used in studies on entrepreneurs’ personality traits. We conduct a systematic literature review across 95 studies from 1985 to 2020. We uncover three main themes across the previous studies. First, previous research applied a wide range of definitions of the term “entrepreneur”. Second, we identify several inconsistent findings across studies, which may at least partially be due to the use of heterogeneous entrepreneur samples. Third, the few studies that distinguished between various types of entrepreneurs revealed differences between them. Our systematic differentiation between entrepreneur sub-types and our research integration offer a novel perspective that has, to date, been widely neglected in academic research. Future research should use clearly defined entrepreneurial samples and conduct more systematic investigations into the differences between entrepreneur sub-types.

Digit ratio (2D:4D) researchers on 2D:4D research: An expert survey

Research into the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), an assumed negative correlate of prenatal testosterone, has grown substantially over the past decade, so interim stocktaking of this field seems appropriate. Forty-four (38% of all) corresponding authors of 2D:4D articles participated in an expert opinion survey, indicating their perceptions of 2D:4D research (top insights/achievements, gaps/desiderata, problems/pitfalls, prospects/expectations). Major themes emerging from these researchers’ content-analyzed survey responses included: calls for a general framework and research integration; for more theoretical rigor, experimental evidence, longitudinal studies, and animal research; and for measurement, methodology, study design, and data analysis standards in 2D:4D research. Mentioned high-priority issues of 2D:4D research, needed to be addressed and solved, included: lacking validation studies of 2D:4D (what it actually indexes, why it is influenced by prenatal hormones, including elucidation of its genetics), small effects, inconsistent or unreplicable findings, prevalence of correlational or underpowered studies, publication bias, and sparseness of meta-analyses.