Knowledge Visualization for Research Design

This chapter presents a case of information and communication technology use in doctoral research processes. In particular, it presents the use of the Idea Puzzle software as a knowledge visualization tool for research design at the University of Auckland. The chapter begins with a review of previous contributions on knowledge visualization and research design. It then presents the Idea Puzzle software and its application at the University of Auckland. In addition, the chapter discusses the results of a large-scale survey conducted on the Idea Puzzle software in 71 higher education institutions as well as its first usability testing at the University of Auckland. The chapter concludes that the Idea Puzzle software stimulates visual integrative thinking for coherent research design in the light of Philosophy of Science.

Effect of maternal height on the risk of caesarean section in singleton births: evidence from a large-scale survey in India

ObjectiveThis study examines the association of maternal height with caesarean section (CS) in India. It is hypothesised that maternal height has no significant effect on the risk of undergoing caesarean section.DesignA cross-sectional study based on a nationally representative large-scale survey data (National Family Health Survey-4), conducted in 2015–2016.Setting and participantsAnalysis is based on 125 936 women age 15–49 years, having singleton live births. Logistic regression has been performed to determine the contribution of maternal height to the ORs of CS birth, adjusting for other exposures. Restricted cubic spline was used as a smooth function to model the non-linear relationship between height and CS. Height data were decomposed using the restricted cubic spline with five knots located at the 5th, 27.5th, 50th, 72.5th and 95th, percentiles.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe main outcome variable of interest in the study is CS. Maternal height is the key explanatory variable. Other explanatory variables are age, parity, sex of child, birth weight, wealth index, place of residence, place of child delivery and household health insurance status.ResultsThe results reveal that the odds of undergoing CS significantly decrease with increase in maternal heights. Mothers with a height of 120 cm (adjusted OR (AOR): 5.08; 95% CI 3.83 to 6.74) were five times more likely, while mothers with height of 180 cm were 23% less likely (AOR: 0.77; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.95) to undergo CS as compared with mothers with height of 150 cm.ConclusionsShorter maternal height is linked to a higher risk of CS. Our findings could be used to argue for policies that target stunting in infant girls and avoid unnecessary CS, as there is potential effect on growth during adolescence and early adulthood, with the goal to increase their adult heights, thereby lowering their risk of CS and adverse delivery outcomes.

Considerations Underlying Parents’ Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines for Their Child: Evidence from Denmark

Background: Since the initial phases of vaccination campaigns, health authorities across the world have recommended vaccination of children between 15 and 18; and since the summer of 2021, vaccinations of children between 12 and 15 have been recommended. Recently, American and European Health Authorities have approved the use of a vaccine against COVID-19 for children between age 5 and 11. In this article, we ask what predicts parents’ intention to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Methods: We use empirical data from a large-scale survey in Denmark about vaccine intentions. The survey included a subsample of 794 parents to children aged 6-15. For this group of parents, we assess key predictors (including demographics, predispositions, vaccine perceptions, and vaccine barriers) of parents’ acceptance of a vaccine for their child against COVID-19. Results: We propose that the vaccine decision follows a stepwise process: demographic variables shape parents’ predispositions, which again shape their specific perceptions of the safety and effectiveness - both in general and for their children - of the particular vaccine. Moreover, we argue that vaccine barriers will moderate this process. Our results demonstrate that parents’ intention to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 is not driven by considerations regarding the disease of COVID-19 but by considerations of the safety of vaccines and added benefits of vaccination such as normalizing societal and everyday life. The balance of these considerations shift depending on the child's age, with lower acceptance for younger children. Furthermore, the content of considerations are shaped by trust in the health authorities and factual vaccine knowledge. Conclusion: To increase parents' acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine for their children, health authorities should focus on establishing and communicating evidence for the safety of vaccines and the impact of vaccination for their everyday lives.

‘The challenge now is for us to remain relevant’: Australian public libraries and the COVID-19 crisis

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on public libraries around the world. In Australia, almost all public libraries experienced some period of building closure, requiring libraries to adapt their services and delivery models. This article reports findings from a large-scale survey of public library managers in Australia, which was conducted in August 2020. In particular, it presents the results of a thematic analysis of the participants’ free-text responses to open questions asked as part of the survey. This analysis reveals important insights relating to responses to library closures, staffing issues, new and expanded services and programmes, relationships with parent bodies, and the role of public libraries during the crisis and beyond. While public libraries are perceived by managers to have been agile and adaptable, and to have utilised technology effectively, the findings clearly demonstrate the value to users of library buildings, with important consequences for understanding the role of public libraries.

How Simple Messages Affect Voters' Knowledge and Their Perceptions of Politicians - Evidence From a Large-Scale Survey Experiment

Public discourse is increasingly concerned with the way that politicians communicate. This is fuelled by a new generation of politicians, such as Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and representatives of populist parties, who evidently communicate less sophisticated than mainstream politicians. However, the question of whether and how linguistic styles affect citizens is largely unexplored. We argue that both citizens and politicians might benefit from simple political communication. First, mechanically, citizens should have a better chance to understand political positions if political discourse is less sophisticated. Second, linguistic simplicity can function as a heuristic for citizens by signaling that politicians are among the "people" instead of being part of the "elites". We test our arguments using a pre-registered three-wave vignette survey experiment in Germany (N = 5,800). Our findings show that simple messages (as compared to sophisticated messages) indeed increase citizens' comprehension of political positions. Moreover, we find that citizens use language sophistication as a heuristic to fill informational gaps about politicians. Politicians who communicate less sophisticated are perceived to have rather modest socioeconomic backgrounds. As a result, the use of simple language can benefit politicians' claims to belong to the people instead of the elite. Our findings add important new insights to our understanding of the effects of political communication in contemporary democracies.

Implications of green HRM on the firm's green competitive advantage: the mediating role of enablers of green culture

PurposeThe available literature demonstrates that green human resource management (GHRM) practices enhance the firm's green performance. However, the studies fail to show how GHRM practices give rise to green culture and how such green culture influences the green competitiveness of a firm. Anchored on the Ability Motivation Opportunity (AMO) theory, this study investigates how firms can build green competitive advantage from GHRM. The study focuses on four enablers of green culture (EGC): leadership emphasis, message credibility, peer involvement and employee empowerment. The study tests the mediating role of each EGC in the relationship between GHRM and green competitive advantage (GCA). The study findings provide managers with a deeper understanding of how GHRM supports the development of the EGC and how they explain the firm's GCA.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from a large-scale survey of Malaysia's manufacturing firm. We managed to collect 96 valid and useable questionnaires.FindingsWe find that GHRM practices give rise to EGC and the EGC mediate the relationship between GHRM and GCA.Originality/valueThe study presents the EGC in the green competitiveness context and goes further to test its mediating role in the GHRM–GCA relationship. We also develop a novel conceptual framework that manufacturing firms can deploy to attain green competitive advantage.

Generation rent” in the wake of the pandemic

What fate awaits millions of tenants with rent arrears and piling debt as emergency rent relief measures and eviction moratoria that were rolled out in response to the Covid-19 crisis are phased out? A US Census Bureau survey in August showed that 8 million Americans were behind on rent, with 3.5 million of them stating that they were at risk of eviction. In the United Kingdom (UK), a large-scale survey carried out in May warned that 400,000 renting households (5% of all renters) had either been served an eviction notice or had been told they may be evicted. More than double that number expressed fear of eviction in the following months. In Spain, the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH, in Spanish) estimated in July that there were 80,000 households facing the risk of eviction, a figure that surpasses the evictions registered during the harshest year of the fallout from the previous financial crisis.

Satisfaction with travel, ideal commuting, and accessibility to employment

This paper explores relationships between commuting times, job accessibility, and commuting satisfaction based on a large-scale survey applied in the Greater London Area (GLA), the municipality of São Paulo (MSP) and the Dutch Randstad (NLR). Potential accessibility to jobs is estimated under 3 different scenarios: reported actual commuting times (ACT), ideal commuting times (ICT), and maximum willingness to commute (MCT). In addition, binary logistic regression models, estimated using generalized linear modeling (GLM), are performed to assess the impact of these temporal preferences on the likelihood of being satisfied with commuting. As expected, ideal and maximum commuting preferences strongly impact the volume and spatial distribution of the measured accessibility to jobs. In the selected case studies, estimated ICT-based job accessibility significantly decreases total measured accessibility (60 to 100 percent), with those living in the lowest accessibility zones impacted most. Furthermore, although specific results varied between regions, the overall findings show an association between ACT and satisfaction. Likewise, commuting mode is found to be a strong predictor of travel satisfaction. Those actively traveling in all three metropolitan regions tend to be more satisfied with their commutes. Potential job accessibility is found to be only weakly associated with travel satisfaction.