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Useful research ethics documents now available – participant information sheet and consent form

BU research, Research Ethics

The University has produced two useful research ethics documents; the first is a helpful guide to preparing your participant information sheet and the second is a sample consent form. Both documents can be accessed on the Research Ethics page on the blog.

If your research involves human participation, please take a look at the documents and discuss them with your supervisor/ethics representative if you have any questions.

These documents were drafted in consultation with the school’s ethics representatives and they are meant to be guidelines of best practice.

eBU: Online Journal

BU research, Fusion, PG research, Publishing, Research news, Research themes

Following on from my last post ‘Developing a Working Paper at BU’ in January of this year, we are now within sight of having an exciting new online journal at BU. eBU will provide both an internal and external forum for the development of research papers by undergraduate to Professor around the eight BU research themes:

 

–          Creative & Digital Economies

–          Culture & Society

–          Entrepreneurship & Economic Growth

–          Environmental Change & Biodiversity

–          Green Economy & Sustainability  

–          Health, Wellbeing & Ageing 

–          Leisure & Recreation

–          Technology & Design

Submissions will be open to immediate publication (in a safe internal environment) and open peer review by 2 appropriate BU academics. Authors will be encouraged to act upon these reviews by either reworking papers for submission to an external journal or by opting for publication on the external eBU site.

For BU academics this is a great opportunity to get critical appraisal on your research papers or ideas from colleagues. For academics it also an opportunity to encourage the submission of high quality student output, and possibly to facilitate the co-creation and co-production of publishable material to an external journal or to publish externally with eBU. For students, this is a fantastic opportunity to turn high quality essays or dissertations into scholarly outputs, which will be attractive to employers across many sectors and industries.

It is anticipated that author guidelines will be circulated in the coming weeks, and staff and students alike should begin to think about how they could submit to eBU.

If you have any questions or would like to become involved in this exciting venture, please get in touch with me via email aharding@bournemouth.ac.uk or by telephone 01202 963025

The perfect academic career path

BU research

Knowing what kind of grant you should go for can be a little tricky when you start your academic career. The ESRC have produced this very handy diagram which outlines at what stage you should ideally submit proposals for different types of grants and values.

 

If you need any help or advice on what types of grant to go for, come and speak to us in R&KEO.

 

School of Health and Social Care – PhD / Open Research Seminar Wednesday 22nd May 2013 @ 1pm in R301, Royal London House

PG research

Nepali boy drinking milk tea.You are cordially invited to the lunch time seminar below which is one of a regular series of HSC PhD seminars which are open to all. Please feel free to bring your lunch.

A comparative study on nutritional problems in pre-school aged children of Kaski, Nepal – Jib Acharya

Background
Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world and malnutrition is a one of most pressing serious health problems especially among rural children. Malnutrition during childhood can also affect future growth and an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in later years of life. About half of all child deaths are associated with malnutrition, of which three quarters are linked to mild and moderate forms. Since Nepal has geographical variation, socio-economic inequalities and cultural beliefs which significantly affect food practices in different areas of the country. In order to overcome this situation pragmatic approaches are required.

Methods
A cross sectional study using mixed methods, was conducted among preschool children, aged 3-5 years old, from urban and rural areas of the Kaski district of Nepal. There were interviews with semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions on various aspects of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, food recommendations and its barriers.  This seminar reports on 524 mothers from rural and urban areas who completed a questionnaire.

Results
A total of 61.6% mothers from urban and 38.4% from rural area, participated in the questionnaire study. The study shows nearly 37% children are not provided with nutritious food (meat, fish & eggs) regularly. Similarly, nearly 5% of families cannot afford meat, 7.1% juice and 7% fruit. Nearly 17% of mothers cannot choose nutritious food from grocery stores. Likewise, 4.3% of children like fish, meat & eggs, 33.2% noodles, 35.1% biscuits & chocolates and 22.9% rice, pulses & vegetables.

Conclusion
The knowledge and attitudes towards nutritious food of rural and urban mothers are still poor in both societies. However, a belief about food practice is still strongly embedded in rural mothers compared to those in urban areas. Urban mothers are significantly better in food recommendation compared to rural mothers who face huge barriers.

Biography
Jib is at the transfer stage of his PhD

There is no need to book but general enquiries should be directed to Sara Glithro

Grants Academy – June grant writing workshop: only a few spaces left !

Awarded & submitted bids, BU research, Funding opportunities, Grants Academy, Training

We are holding an additional Grants Academy,  2 Day Grant Writing Workshop in June with Martin Pickard on the:

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th of June 2013

However on this workshop we have only a few spaces left and these are available on a first come basis so we urge you to act fast if you wish to secure a space.

By clicking on the Grants Academy page on the Research Blog you can find further details about the Grants Academy, what assistance is available to you and the expectations from you going forward.

Please note: if you would like to attend we will need you to bring a draft proposal you are currently working on. Please also be aware as a member of the Grants Academy you will be required to work on a proposal after the session, using the resources available to Grants Academy members, and to submit this proposal for external funding within six months of completing the training programme.  Membership of the Academy is for a maximum of 18 months during which time you will be expected to have submitted a minimum of three external bids.

If you would like a place on this workshop please email me (Dianne Goodman) and confirm you are able to bring a proposal. Please also forward an email from your line manager supporting your membership of the Grants Academy. We look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Call for papers and special BU staff rate: 2nd International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business

Research news, Training

You are invited to attend the 2nd International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business to be held at Bournemouth University, UK, on September 5-6, 2013. The purpose of the conference is to create a networking opportunity for both researchers and practitioners to discuss recent insights on socially responsible practices in the non- and for-profit sector.

Although academic in nature, representatives in the business environment will deliver case studies on sustainability practices and will reflect on the challenges and opportunities that corporate social responsibility brings to different industries. The main topics of the conference, but not limited to these, are: CSR and Sustainability, CSR and Business Ethics, CSR and Social Media, CSR and Education, Communicating CSR, CSR initiatives/strategies, Corporate Governance, NGO Marketing.

Keynote speakers

David Crowther, Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility and Head of the Centre for Research into Organisational Governance at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. He is a qualified accountant with many years business experience. His research is into corporate social responsibility with a particular emphasis on the relationship between social, environmental and financial performance. David has published over 30 books and has also contributed to more than 350 articles to academic, business and professional journals and to edited book collections. He has also spoken widely at conferences and seminars and acted as a consultant to a wide range of government, professional and commercial organisations.  He is a member of a number of international advisory boards and is also founding chair of the Social Responsibility Research Network: series editor of the Gower Applied Research in Responsibility Journal and convenor of the International Conference Series on Corporate Social Responsibility.

 Wim J.L. Elving, (PhD U of Twente, 1999) finished an MA in Social and Organizational Psychology (U of Groningen, 1993). His PhD was on the care of cancer patients, and especially the constraints in cooperation and communication of health care professionals. In 2000 he started working as assistant professor at the Department of Communication, Amsterdam School of Communications Research at the U of Amsterdam. His research shifted from organizational and or internal communication (Communicating Organizational Change) to Corporate Communications in general. In the last years he did several studies in Branding, use of Social Networking Sites, and CSR Communications. As visiting professor he taught students at reputable institutions in Finland, Denmark, the UK, Slovenia, Italy and Spain. Since 2006 he is editor in chief of Corporate Communications, an International Journal, member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Brand Management and the Dutch Journal in Communication Science. He has co-authored almost 100 different articles in Communication Journals and 4 books.

Please send an abstract of 300 words in a Word document format via email to icsr2013@bournemouth.ac.uk by May 20, 2013 (extended). No more than two papers will be accepted from any author. The deadline for the full paper is August 1, 2013. The abstracts of the papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings and the intention is to publish selected papers in an edited collection.

Abstract Submission Deadline: May 20, 2013 (extended)

Acceptance Notification: May 25, 2013

Registration Deadline: July 10, 2013

Full Papers Deadline: August 1, 2013

Conference: September 5-6, 2013

Conference Fee: £200 academic/practitioner; £150 PhD student **BU staff rate £60*

Website: http://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/icsr2013/about-2/

Organizing Committee

Dr Georgiana F. Grigore, The Media School, Bournemouth University

Dr Anastasios Theofilou, The Media School, Bournemouth University

Dr Dan Jackson, The Media School, Bournemouth University

Dr Alin Stancu, Faculty of Marketing, Bucharest University of Economic Studies

Cristian Ducu, Centre for Advanced Research in Management and Applied Sciences

Does Guinness taste different in Dublin?

BU research, Featured academics

In August 2012 a call was put out through the midwifery networks by the Preterm Birth Clinical Study Group (CSG) who were seeking to recruit new members. The Preterm Birth CSG aims to identify important research questions around preterm birth and to work with the originators of supported studies around preterm birth, and to improve clinical outcomes following preterm birth by prevention or intervention.

This group, one of 11 CSGs, is a Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG) specialist group supported by British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (BMFMS), British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) and by Action Medical Research. Applications were welcomed from obstetricians, neonatologists and midwives who were interested in preventing preterm birth or in improving outcomes. I (Luisa Cescutti-Butler) was successful in my application and attended my first meeting on the 23rd April 2013 in Dublin.

Most of us were new to the group and following introductions we set to business. An urgent consideration was the representation of lay members. There were a number of suggestions put forward as to how lay members could be approached and groups such as MumsNet, Bliss and Bounty were to be approached for their views on research priorities within preterm birth. The group also felt that establishing a focus group of women who had experienced a preterm birth would be valuable and I offered to facilitate this.

A number of research projects were discussed and whilst many of these studies were focused on RCT’s and not within my comfort zone, I was able to provide input into some where a qualitative approach would work. Many of the professors around the table were comfortable with scientific methodologies, but were open to the possibilities of where proposed projects might benefit from a qualitative perspective, i.e. inviting women to speak about their experiences of possible interventions to prevent preterm birth.

Following the Preterm Birth Clinical Study Group meeting on the 23rd April 2013, I was fortunate to attend on the following two days a conference arranged by the British Maternal and Fetal Medicine Society (BMFMS) of which I am a member. The programme, which consisted of high quality clinical and basic science key lectures and presentations were fascinating for me as a midwife, although I did feel at various points throughout the two days that if it were left to ‘science’, women would never have an opportunity to have a normal pregnancy and birth. It appeared that every step of the childbirth continuum could be researched, with outcomes managed in some way because of ‘evidence,’ which for some women who experience life threatening conditions such as pre-eclampsia is of vital importance. In the event, I was able to gain information that would benefit BU undergraduate midwifery students. At the end of the conference I was in awe of all the high quality research being undertaken in the UK to prevent preterm birth and obstetric conditions such as pre-eclampsia, but also a little sad. Sad at the prospect that if midwives don’t continue to protect normality for women, it might fall forever within the realms of ‘medicine’ and who knows where pregnant women will end up? And finally in conclusion, I never did get to taste a Guinness in one of the many traditional Irish Pubs scattered around the city, so couldn’t say whether it tasted better in Dublin or not!

BUDI Open House at RLH and Talbot Campus

Uncategorized

Hello everybody,

Bournemouth University Dementia Institute have new offices at Talbot Campus (PG 63) and at Royal London House (3rd Floor), and we would like to invite you to drop in and say hello on the 22nd May from 12.00 to 13.00 in PG63 and on the 5th June from 12.00 to 13.00 at RLH. Bring yourselves, we will supply cake, tea and coffee.

We hope to see you there,

The BUDI team.

An Introduction to the BRAD Framework and Development Sessions

BU research, Publishing, Training

Calling all BU Researcher Staff,

We invite you to: An Introduction to the BRAD Framework and Development Sessions– Wednesday the 18th of September 2-3.30pm (location to be confirmed).

The University has created Bournemouth Researcher/Academic Development-BRAD. BRAD is a tailor designed research development framework with supporting development sessions, for BU’s Research/Academic staff. The aims and objectives of BRAD are aligned to the Universities Strategic Plan 2012-2018, our Visions & Values-BU 2018, and Vitae’s researcher development framework. BU is providing professional and personal development sessions and online courses throughout the next academic year 2013-2014, which are all free to attend. The development sessions will cover a range of topics, from statistics, NVivo, personal effectiveness, research management and publishing in journals and books.

 

Please email Bridie at: bapplebygunnill@bournemouth.ac.uk to confirm your attendance to the Introduction to BRAD Session

Research Seminar – organized by Creative Technology Research Centre

Uncategorized

Date:  Wed, 15/05/2013

Time: 14:00

Venue: P302 (Poole House)

Speaker: Hana Almakky

Title: Saudi Culture and User Interface Design – Facebook

Abstract:

Culture is the key aspect of any society that influences the style and perpetuation. It plays vital role in the desires of user viewing Social networking sites.

User interfaces can be more successful if the cultural characteristics are reflected in the interface design. Culturability (Culture and usability) is therefore an acceptable phenomenon and most commonly a requirement while designing user interfaces (Barber and Badre 2001).

Social networking sites have gained huge popularity over the past few decades. They have evolved the modes of communication extensively. In fact, they have contributed to globalization by making communication stronger and effective.

It has been broadly understood that Facebook has been successful in introducing a unique social and a conversational experience. About 900 million users on monthly basis, 526 million users on daily basis, generate 3.2 billion comments and likes in the first quarter of the year 2012 (Pratley, N. 2012).

Throughout 2013, social media continued to grow significantly in Saudi Arabia. Millions of Saudi is using social networking not for only for entertainment and friendship, but also for daily socializing routine.

This seminar will be discussing the initial research findings in respected Facebook user interface design for Saudi Arabia.

Service Computing Seminar Slides

BU research, Fusion

Ontology-based Software Architecture Documentation by Dr. Peng Liang

Speaker: Dr. Peng Liang, Free University Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Slides: Ontology-based Software Architecture Documentation

Abstract. A common approach to software architecture documentation in industry projects is the use of file-based documents (e.g., Word documents). This documentation approach offers a single-dimensional perspective on the software architectural knowledge contained. Knowledge retrieval from file-based architecture documentation is efficient if the perspective chosen fits the needs of the readers; it is less so if the perspective does not match the needs of the readers. In this talk, I will describe an approach we developed aimed at addressing architecture documentation retrieval issues. We employed software ontology in a semantic wiki optimized for architecture documentation. We also evaluated this ontology-based documentation approach in a controlled industry experiment involving software professionals. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach is found to be better than that of the traditional file-based approach.

 

The Smart Grid’s Big Data Generating Potentials by Prof. Marco Aiello

Speaker: Prof. Marco Aiello, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Slides: The Smart Grid’s Big Data Generating Potentials

Abstract. The Smart Power Grid promises to not only provide for a more reliable distribution infrastructure, but also give the end-users better pricing, information, and freedom. The promise is fuelled by a pervasive digitalization of the energy production and distribution network that will finally involve utilities, governments, and end-users. The real advantages of the smart grid will be available to all, only if the physical infrastructure of energy distribution is supported by adequate information systems. In this talk, I will review the current state and possible evolutions of the concept of a smart grid, I will point to the (big) data that future information systems will need to manage and, finally, indicate possible uses for such information.

Image Quality Assessment

Image Quality Assessment by Prof. Xinbo Gao

Speaker: Prof. Xinbo Gao, Xidian University, China

Slides: Image Quality Assessment

Abstract. With the development of imaging technologies, visual information, recorded by images and videos, has become the main source for knowledge acquisition. In the process of image acquisition, processing, transmission, and storage, some artefacts or noise maybe introduced to images, which will degrade the visual quality. To improve the performance of image processing, it is necessary to assess image quality. Therefore, image quality assessment (IQA) is the prerequisite and foundation of imaging or image processing system optimization. The objective of IQA is to provide computational models to measure the perceptual quality of a given image. Recently, a large number of methods have been designed to evaluate the quality of images. In this talk, I will introduce some popular IQA metrics, especially several IQA metrics proposed by my group. They are organized into 3 categories, full-reference metrics, reduced-reference metrics and no-reference metrics.

Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) Annual Report

BU research, Research news

At the Bournemouth University Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) we think it is important to review our activities on a regular basis, to document our achievements and to outline our plans for the future. We have decided that the best way to do this is to prepare an Annual Report. It was completed some months ago and now we would like to share it more widely with our colleagues in the University. It can be found on our microsite at http://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/bucru/news/ we hope it is of interest.

The support and collaborations we offer are available to staff within the University, and to staff in the NHS. In the next year we will be particularly trying to develop new collaborations between University and health service staff that will lead to high quality grant applications.

If you would like further information please contact Louise Ward (wardl@bournemouth.ac.uk Tel: 01202 961939)

http://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/bucru/ 

“Workforce Development in the Care of Older Adults: Perspectives from the U.S.”

Uncategorized

Dr. Phillip G. Clark, Professor and Director of the Program in Gerontology and the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center at the University of Rhode Island, US and Visiting Professor at the School of Health and Social Care, will be giving a seminar on Workforce Development in the Care of Older Adults: Perspectives from the U.S.

Wednesday 8 May 2013
1-1.50 pm, B126, Bournemouth House

All welcome.

Dr. Phillip G. Clark is Professor and Director of both the Program in Gerontology and the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center at the University of Rhode Island in the US, where he has been on the faculty since 1981. He was awarded a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard University in 1979. He has served as Visiting Professor at the Universities of Guelph and Toronto in Canada (1988-89), and was a Fulbright Scholar at Buskerud University College in Norway (2007). His experience includes teaching health care teamwork, developing interprofessional health care research and demonstration projects, and consulting on interprofessional educational program development and evaluation. He is co-author of Health Care Teamwork: Interdisciplinary Practice and Teaching (Auburn House/Greenwood, 2000); his work has been published in The Gerontologist, Canadian Journal on Aging, Journal of Aging and Health, Ageing and Society, Educational Gerontology, Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, and the Journal of Interprofessional Care. Dr. Clark is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.  He is Visiting Professor at the School of Health and Social Care, Bournemouth University and on the leadership group of the Special Interest Group IN-2-THEORY (Interprofessional scholarship, education and practice).