BU Research Blog

22 July 2013

I’ll bet you it’s a baby!

The new royal baby has been born. Good news for Kate and William and also for the betting shops. Apparently a large number of people bet on a girl being born on the estimated due date July 13^th, and the punters seem to believe the gender would be female. As a consequence, a large amount of money was made by UK betting shops. The next bet is, of course, on his name. Some websites seem to suggest the bookmakers favoured the name James, such as a website in the Netherlands (http://wereldnieuws.blog.nl/politiek/2013/07/19/britse-baby-kan-nu-ieder-moment-komen). A Canadian website suggested a few days before the birth that “James or George were the favourites” for a boy (http://o.canada.com/2013/07/17/escape-from-royal-baby-media-circus-leads-to-londons-betting-shops/. On the webpages of one of the UK’s larger betting shops today’s (22^nd July) top 13 boys’ names were: George, James, Alexander, Louis, Arthur, Henry, Phillip, Albert, Spencer, David, Thomas, Richard & Edward.

Betting on aspects of the royal birth and baby is a way of being involved in the same way that betting on your football team to win its first away-game of the season is part of being a supporter for some. Luckily, there are many more options to waste your money, punters can also put money on the colour of his hair, baby’s first word, and if you want to wait a little longer for your money: the name of his first love, age of first nightclub visit photograph, first official visit overseas, whether the prince will ever compete in the Olympics, and the university where he will study.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health

School of Health & Social Care

Bournemouth University, UK

17 July 2013

‘The Heart of the Work’: Exploring and enhancing child protection processes

Public engagement Jonathan Parker

HSC has held a practice-changing symposium on Tuesday 16th July to launch its work evaluating child protection processes across Bournemouth and Poole and hopefully Dorset. The multi-stakeholder event expressed the aim to ensure that Eileen Munro’s recommendations that parents, children and young people are at the ‘heart of the work’. (Prof Eileen Munro of LSE was commissioned by the Government in 2010-11 to review child care social work.)

Our research, commissioned by the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), was undertaken by Richard Williams, Emily Rosenorn-Lanng and Prof Jonathan Parker of the Centre for Social Work, Sociology and Social Policy, in collaboration with the LSCB, Bournemouth and Poole Local Authorities, and latterly including representatives from Dorset County Council.

We were asked to evaluate Bournemouth and Poole child protection processes, child protection strategy planning, core group meetings and the all-important involvement of parents or guardians and children and young people themselves. Unlike many negative and emotionally charged newspaper reports since the serious case review inquiries into the death of Peter Connelly, published in 2008 and 2009 (http://media.education.gov.uk/…./20to%20peter%20connelly%20dated%20november%202008.pdf http://media.education.gov.uk/…/to%20peter%20connelly%20dated%20march%202009.pdf), our research found much in which social workers in the Bournemouth and Poole area can take pride; and much that may resonate elsewhere.

There was considerable evidence of high quality social work and child safeguarding practice. The majority of respondents to our survey (both professional and familial) agreed or strongly agreed that the child protection process has made a positive difference to the family (90.5%). Forty-seven per cent (47%) of children and young people responding, indicated that their feelings of safety rose from 13% to 47% after engagement in the child protection process. Importantly, over 25% of parents or guardians indicated their willingness to contribute further to the on-going evaluation.

Of course, there were elements of the process that indicated areas for development. For instance:

1. Ensuring that minutes of Core Group meetings are disseminated to all involved
2. Ensuring the Core Group follows and monitors the Child Protection Plan
3. Discussing reports fully with Parents and Guardians before the Review Conference
4. Facilitating the involvement of all key people at the Review Conference
5. Monitoring and facilitating the inclusion of the views of Children and Young People continuously

In an innovative approach to change, the day presented findings from the research and explored with social workers, medical and health practitioners, teachers, police officers, managers, and academics to ensure this emotive and complex work was of the highest quality. A commitment was made to continue working together on these matters of great import to children and families, and to addressing some of the areas for development.

Jonathan Parker, Richard Williams, Emily Rosenorn-Lanng

16 July 2013

Argyro Karanasiou’s article featured in the International Forum for Responsible Media Blog (Inforrm)

Public engagement, Publishing unknown

The article “Debunking the PBS myth: Media in Crisis ?” written by Argyro Karanasiou, Lecturer in Law and member of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) is featured in the International Forum for Responsible Media Blog (Inforrm), the influential media policy blog set up to debate issues of media responsibility. As stated in the article, this issue is not only of local interest but it also encompasses certain parameters pertaining to constitutional and EU law matters. This contribution comes in a timely manner: the issue was discussed last week in the European Parliament while the bill for its substitution has been submitted to the Greek Parliament only a few days ago. Argyro notes:

The long standing debate over interventionism and liberalism in the EU market of services is also reflected in the regulation of competition for broadcasting services in the EU. And while the EU Parliament and the Commission remain undecided as to how PBS should be treated in terms of the market’s internal policy, the case of ERT faces us with the following paradox: a public broadcaster officially shut down by the state yet transmitted through the EBU satellite operators to this day.

The case of ERT furnishes us with a great example of how myths are deconstructed in times of crisis. However, as in every myth, what is of particular value is always the epimythion, the moral of the story. And if there is something to be learnt from the ERT switch-off that is that the current financial crisis is not simply a fiscal issue of local nature; it also threatens the societal foundations of democracy and EU cohesion in total.

To read the article in full please click here.

For updates follow Argyro on twitter @ArKaranasiou

15 July 2013

eBU in final stages before launch – please submit now!

Publishing, Research themes aharding

eBU is going through the final IT phases before the anticipated launch at the end of July.

I have been delighted with the interest that eBU has generated from all sections of the BU community. Academics, students and professional and support staff have all shown an interest in submitting to and signposting others to eBU, and it is clear that eBU will play a significant role in developing academic output.

eBU has champions in each school (I’m happy to put people in contact), and section editors across all of the research themes under which submissions will sit.

Authors will be encouraged to submit by logging in to the eBU site. However, if you’re interested in submitting to eBU before the live date, please get in touch and email submissions to me at eBU@bournemouth.ac.uk or aharding@bournemouth.ac.uk

We already have some submissions, and submissions sent to me before the launch date will be among the first to be published by eBU and undergo immediate publication and open peer review.

Author guidelines can be found here – eBU guidelines.

10 July 2013

A new Portal addressing questions on Copyright is launched in London

Awarded & submitted bids, Funding opportunities, Fusion, Post-award, Public engagement cippm

A BETA version of the ‘Copyright User Portal’, funded by Bournemouth University’s Fusion Investment Fund (awarded 2012) was launched at the Law Society of England & Wales on 2 July 2013. The main event of the day was the launch of the UK Intellectual Property Office’s Commissioned Report on Copyright and Orphan Works co-authored by academics from CIPPM, Bournemouth University and CREATe, University of Glasgow. It also provided a platform to launch a BETA version of the Copyright User Portal.

The Copyright User Portal is an online resource aimed at making UK copyright law accessible to creators and members of the public. In particular the Portal aims to clarify UK copyright law for musicians, filmmakers, performers, writers, visual artists and interactive developers. The goal is to inform creators about how to protect their work, how to license and exploit it, and how to legally re-use the work of others. As such, the aim of the Copyright User Portal is to provide answers to the most pressing concerns creators have about copyright.

To find the answers to the most pressing queries which creators have, the research used two specific approaches. First, the 200 most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about copyright law was analysed which was then filtered down to the most important 20 FAQs. The second approach consisted of directly engaging with various creators, including musicians, filmmakers, performers, writers, visual artists and interactive developers and producing videos consisting of interviews with these creators, their artistic process, thoughts and questions about copyright. These two approaches helped the research team to create a rich resource capturing the common concerns faced by media professionals in their day-to-day work.

During Summer 2013, a complete version of the Copyright User Portal will be launched. A BETA Version of the resource can be accessed here

The Copyright User Project team consists of Mr. Bartolomeo Meletti (Lead Multimedia Producer), Dr. Kris Erickson (Principal Investigator and Executive Producer, CEMP), Dr. Dinusha Mendis (Co-Investigator and Executive Producer CIPPM), Professor Martin Krestchmer (Co-Investigator and Executive Producer CREATe, University of Glasgow) and Ms. Hayleigh Bosher (Research Assistant and Assistant Producer, CIPPM).

9 July 2013

CEMP Conversation / Cluster

Funding opportunities, PG research, Publishing jmcdougall

Audio extracts of our CEMP conversation last week are here:

(1) Discussion of Marketa Zezulkova’s book chapter on a holistic approach to media literacy:

Marketa’s article: discussion

(2) Discussion of Richard Wallis’ journal article on media literacy and policy discourse: Richard’s article – discussion

And a reminder that the final CEMP Research & Innovation cluster meeting of the year is this Thursday the 11th July, 10-11am in the CEMP office, Iain MacRury is joining us to discuss a new AHRC call. The latest version of the CEMP R&I bulletin is here: CEMP Cluster bulletin and agenda 4.7.13

8 July 2013

Reality Television Conference at Bournemouth

Public engagement, Publishing Christopher Pullen

The Bournemouth Media School conference ‘Reality Television: Media Convergences and Narrative Futures’ has just finished, taking place between July 5-6. Funded by the Media School’s Narrative Research Group, and drawing a wide range of international contributors, we were delighted with the outcomes. Key note speakers Reader Deborah Jermyn (University of Roehampton) and Professor Helen Wood (DeMontfort University), offered great insight, respectively, into aspects of (post) feminism, and the significance of labour use and exchange within the reality television genre. Notably Helen Woods discussion on ‘precarious labour’, whilst identifying key contexts of gender performance within the the reality television programme ‘Georgie Shaw’, offered stimulating insight into aspects of commodity, and the objectification of male and female sexual agency. Also Nouredinne Miladi’s (Qatar University) discussion of ‘Arab Idol’ offered great insight into the transgressive potential of factual television in considering the recent support for the Palestinian winner of the ‘Arab Idol’ series. In addition Anne Ganzert’s (University of Konstanz, Germany) examination of convergence and branding, foregrounding a case study on Kandi Burruss, was highly insightful. Offering a new perspective on participatory audiences and examining the television phenomenon ‘Gogglebox’, Richard McCulloch’ of University of East Anglia considered new layers of audience identification and issues of celebrity. Every paper was a delight, and generally there was a great sense of camaraderie in the conference cohort, stimulated by the social event in the evening, where the great sunny weather offered even more optimism. Significantly the conference offered great benefits in the exchange of ideas, and this will be extended as the conference organisers Chris Pullen and Peri Bradley, are working on an edited collection focusing on the subject area. Additionally it is intended that this will be the first of a series of annual conference events on the study of reality television. Finally thanks again to Bronwen Thomas (of the NRG) not only for supporting us, but also for creating the Twitter feed #realitybu – this became a very engaging focal point, adding to both the academic and social benefit.

8 July 2013

Commissioned Report on Copyright and Orphan Works by academics at BU and Glasgow is launched in London

Awarded & submitted bids, PG research, Public engagement, Research themes cippm

Copyright and the Regulation of Orphan Works, a report commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and co-authored by Dr. Marcella Favale, Dr. Fabian Homberg, Dr. Dinusha Mendis and Dr. Davide Secchi of the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) at Bournemouth University and Professor Martin Krestchmer of CREATe, University of Glasgow was launched at the Orphans and Images event at the Law Society in London. It took place on 2 July 2013. Marcella Favale and Fabian Homberg introduced by Professor Martin Kretschmer presented the report.

The event was sponsored by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and CREATe, the Research Council UK Centre for Copyright and New Business Models in the Creative Economy.

The report consisting of two Studies, included a comparative international review of actual and proposed orphan works legislation in several jurisdictions aimed at identifying key characteristics of orphan works licensing schemes and simulated rights clearance for six scenarios in order to identify pricing models in the studied jurisdictions.

A panel discussion chaired by The Honourable Mr. Justice Arnold followed the launch of the Report. The panel included Richard Boulderstone (British Library); Matthew Cope (Intellectual Property Office); David Hoffman (Editorial Photographers EPUK / Hoffman Photos), Dr. Ros Lynch (Copyright Hub), Professor Derek McAuley (University of Nottingham and TSB Connected Digital Economy Catapult) and Dr. Jeremy Silver (Bridgeman Art Library).

The event also provided an opportunity to launch the the research agenda of CREATe and to launch the CREATe working paper series. For more information, please see http://www.create.ac.uk/

The Report, titled ‘Copyright and the Regulation of Orphan Works: A Comparative Review of Seven Jurisdictions and a Rights Clearance Simulation’ can be accessed here

3 July 2013

CEMP Research & Innovation bulletin & cluster meeting

Awarded & submitted bids, Funding opportunities jmcdougall

The updated CEMP bulletin is here: CEMP Cluster bulletin and agenda 4.7.13

The final CEMP cluster meeting of this academic year is on Thursday 11th July, in the CEMP office, from 10-12.

Please note it’s a game of two halves:

10-11: bulletin review (to include discussion around the new AHRC Collaborative Skills call, attended by Iain MacRury).

11-12: CEMP staff website development meeting

And the ‘broken record’ says – all are very welcome to join us or if you spot something in the bulletin that takes your fancy or have a different idea for a project that CEMP can help set up, but can’t join the cluster, please email Julian.

1 July 2013

Yawning Up-State Post-Visit Report Part 2 – Santander Travel Scholarship – Dr Simon Thompson

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion, Post-award, REF Subjects, Research themes Simon Thompson

Science Center, Bard College, Rhinebeck, New York State.

Bard College, Rhineback, New York State.

Circada.

L-R: Dr Andrew Gallup; Dr Simon Thompson.

Most people can relate to yawning as all of us have done this at some time, with some of us being prolific yawners. However, little is known about the reasons for us yawning or the mechanisms involved.

My work on the link between cortisol and yawning has been published and is gaining momentum in the scientific community with presentations at the First International Conference on Yawning in Paris in 2010 and a forthcoming symposium being planned by me at Bournemouth University.

My travel scholarship enabled me to visit key workers in the field in upstate New York and with affliations with Prinecton University and Bard College (see photos). This has been so successful that we envisgae research collaboration between BU and the USA. I was even able to meet with the assistant to the world famous Professor Oliver Sack’s to discuss my resaerch and to “put it on the map” in the neurological community!

A bonus of my trip was to encounter first hand an extremely rare circada that hatches in the region I visited only every 17 years! What a privilege!

I am most grateful to Santander for their generous support and I believe this trip will help me make significant steps forward in my clinical research i yanwing and multiple sclerosis at BU.

27 June 2013

Fusion supports Euro PR History Network advance

Tom Watson

Delegates to the EPRHN Planning Meeting

With financial support from the Fusion Investment Fund, the European Public Relations History Network (EPRHN) held its first planning meeting at BU on Wednesday June 26.

The network was founded virtually in 2012 by Prof Tom Watson of the Media School and drew interest from 33 academics and practitioners in 11 European countries. It was approved.as a project by EUPRERA (Europe’s PR education and research association) in autumn last year.

Its aims are to develop and produce information about the history and historiography of public relations in Europe through the identification and formation of archives, transnational research, joint research bids and the production of publications in print and online formats.

The meeting of EPRHN’s core group brought seven historical researchers from Germany, Romania, Spain, Scotland, Turkey and Bournemouth. Fusion assisted their attendance through travel bursaries.

Among the actions to be progressed are a bid to the EU’s COST (Cooperation in Science and Technology) scheme, which was facilitated on Wednesday by Paul Lynch of RKE; a second edition of its Archives Record publication; and a panel session on ‘developing the history of European public relations’ at EUPRERA’s annual conference in October.

Prof Watson, who was supported by Dr Tasos Theofilou in the organisation of the meeting, said it had been highly productive. “There’s a limit to what we can achieve by email and Skype. The EPRHN made a big forward step because FIF helped bring key members together”. It will also assist Prof Watson and Dr Theofilou to fully launch the group at the October conference.

“At present, 13 countries are represented in the network. We hope to widen that base and engage many more historical researchers in its activities”, said Prof Watson.

For more information about EPRHN and BU’s contribution to the burgeoning field of PR history, go to: http://historyofpr.com.

27 June 2013

CEMP Conversations this week and next

PG research jmcdougall

An extract from this morning’s conversation is here: CEMP conversation Tom Stacey

Tom Stacey shared an article about second language acquisition and related this to his own PHD research into coding as language acquisition.

He also talked about the practice-based element of his research, of which this robot is an example.

Next week – on Friday 5th July, at 11.30 – 12.30, in the CEMP office, our final CEMP conversation of the academic year will take place.

We’ll be discussing two related items:

(1) Marketa Zezulkova’s book chapter on a holistic approach to media literacy education: Marketa Book Chapter

(2) Richard Wallis’s recently published article, co-authored with David Buckingham, on the construction of media literacy within the policy context of the Communications Act: European Journal of Communication-2013-Wallis-0267323113483605

It should be a cracker, and,as always, all colleagues are very welcome to join us, in the current CEMP office, for the last time!

26 June 2013

Papers from 19 countries at 4th PR history conference

Tom Watson

Boston University (BU) speakers at IHPRC 2013

: Aussie academics at IHPRC 2013

The fourth International History of Public Relations Conference, held at BU on June 24-25, attracted papers from 19 countries. Organised by the Institute for Media & Communication Research in The Media School, it covered topics as diverse as the Royal Family’s first PR adviser to PR in Kazakhstan, and publicity for the launch of Gone With The Wind in 1939.

Held at the Executive Business Centre, there were two strong themes: the historiography of public relations and historical aspects of the professionalisation of PR. They symbolised the conference’s development since 2010 from largely descriptive narratives to a more analytic, sometimes critical approach.

The conference welcomed the authors of five new or recent books and witnessed the launch of the first title in Routledge’s New Directions on Public Relations and Communication Research series which has been developed and edited by Dr Kevin Moloney of the Media School. The book, Public Relations and Nation Building: Influencing Israel, was written by Dr Margalit Toledano and Prof David McKie.

Prof Tom Watson gave the keynote presentation about the state of scholarship in public relations history. He called for historians to move away from “comfortable” topics to more critical investigation into the use and abuse of public relations.

The conference dinner was addressed by Bob (Robert S.) Leaf, a pioneers of international public relations in the 1960s to 1980s, when he was the international chairman of the leading public relations consultancy Burson-Marsteller. Mr Leaf recently published a memoir, The Art of Perception. Delegates also attended a “meet the editors” session which featured contributions on research and publishing by the editors of four major academic journals in the field.

Papers and presentations will be published on the conference website, http://historyofpr.com, in the late summer. Planning for the 2014 conference, which will be held at the EBC on July 2-3 next year, will start shortly.

24 June 2013

CEMP Research & Innovation Funding Bulletin & Cluster Meeting

Funding opportunities jmcdougall

Here is the slightly late, but updated, CEMP Research and Innovation Funding Bulletin: CEMP Cluster bulletin and agenda 20.6.13

The next cluster meeting is on Thursday 27th June, 10-11.30 in the CEMP office and, as always, anyone interested in a funding opportunity in the bulletin or wanting to develop another idea for a CEMP project, is very welcome indeed.

Or if you are interested in discussing a project / funding call but cannot attend the meeting, please contact Julian McDougall.

24 June 2013

Law Department’s CIPPM Showcases Research into IP Law as part of the Festival of Learning

Festival of Learning, Fusion, PG research, Public engagement, Research themes cippm

On Tuesday 11th June 2013, the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management (CIPPM) showcased its research as part of the Law Department’s Festival of Learning event. The Law event showcased placement opportunities for students; various law provisions at Bournemouth and research carried out by the Law Department – which included a CIPPM Stall. The Stall was divided into three sections: Experience, Learn and Connect. The event was attended by academics, legal practitioners and students.

Under the theme, ‘Experience’, CIPPM showed videos on copyright law produced in 2012 in the run up to the implementation of copyright exceptions recommended as part of the Hargreaves Review. Videos shown on the day also demonstrated Intellectual Property issues surrounding 3D printing and evidence based copyright.

As part of the ‘Learn’ theme, CIPPM showcased its members’ research publications. These varied from peer reviewed journal articles to commissioned reports and recently published monographs. The collection of high quality research publications was also reflective of the various areas of research that CIPPM members are involved in. It was also an opportunity for CIPPM’s PhD students to exhibit their research.

Apart from demonstrating CIPPM’s various involvements in the areas of IP law, the Festival of Learning was an opportunity to present a platform for future collaboration which was carried out under the ‘Connect’ theme.

By representing previous partnerships leading to successful research projects, those with an interest in research into IP law were invited to collaborate and join forces with CIPPM.

Keeping up with CIPPM’s cake-cutting tradition and in celebrating 20 years of Law at Bournemouth University, the event was brought to a close by cutting and eating a very large cake!

21 June 2013

CEMP Conversation: 27:6:13

PG research jmcdougall

The next CEMP conversation – our fortnightly readers’ and writers’ group – will take place on Thursday June 27th 12 – 1pm in the CEMP office.

This time we’ll be discussing this article, provided by CEMP research student Tom Stacey:

Psychological Science-2013-Frost-0956797612472207

Tom will make a link from the article to his own PHD research and open the discussion.

As always, anyone who wants to read the article and join the discussion is very welcome indeed.

17 June 2013

eBU staff drop in sessions to be held in each school

PG research, Publishing, Research themes aharding

I am pleased to announce that I am holding drop in sessions in each school for the BU community to ask questions about eBU: Online Journal.

These sessions will be:

Mon 24th June – DEC 12 -2pm in P411

Mon 24th June – School of Applied Sciences 2-4pm in C122

Tues 25th June – HSC 9-11am in the Wellbeing Centre, B112 Bournemouth House

Tues 25th June – Business School 2-4pm in EB205

Thurs 27^thJune – School of Tourism 1.30-3.30 in P410

Fri 28^thJune – Media School 8-10am in CAG04

10 June 2013

Festival of Learning – Testament to a Successful Morning (Dr Simon Thompson, DEC Psychology Research Centre)

BU Challenges, Festival of Learning, Fusion, Research Ethics, Research Integritiy, Training Simon Thompson

‘Testamentary Capacity in Dementia’ (03 June 2013 10:00h – 13:00h) – Presentation followed by in-depth plenary session about the complexities of leaving an estate to beneficiaries following a diagnosis of dementia.

‘Dementia’ is an umbrella term used to describe many types of deteriorating diseases – the most common ones are Alzhiemer’s disease, Vascular dementia, and Lewy body dementia.

Many married couples own property as ‘joint tenants’. Upon death, ownership automatically passes to the survivor. If property is owned as ‘tenants in common’, one half of the estate belonging to the deceased is dealt with by their Will. Problems arise when there is no Will, when others make a claim, or when another Will is executed.

‘Testamentary capacity’ is a person’s legal and mental ability to make a
valid Will. There are three premises: Presumption of capacity; Requirements; Proof of testamentary capacity.

It is proposed that the law should allow testators alternative means of satisfying the testamentary capacity standard such as an option to validate a testator’s capacity during their lifetime through forensic assessment measuring cognitive elements of testamentary capacity.

It does not remove the difficulty of knowing the status of person at a specific time line. However, it goes some way to describing a person during their lifetime in terms of mental ability and capacity.

Thompson, SBN (2006). Dementia and memory: a handbook for students and professionals. Aldershot: Ashgate.

Thompson, SBN (2012). Dementia. In SBN Thompson (Ed), Psychology of trauma: clinical reviews, case histories, research (pp169-202). Portsmouth: Blackwell-Harvard-Academic.

Category / Communities, Cultures and Conflicts