Full-Text Aggregator Database Vendors and Journal Publishers: A Study of a Complex Relationship

Abstract

To acquire journal content rights for full-text aggregator databases, database vendors must enter into negotiations and sign contractual agreements with journal publishers. Through a survey, librarians at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs examined vendors and publishers relationships and the impact of those relationships on full-text journal content in aggregator services.     

Refusal to Answer Specific Questions in a Survey: A Case Study

It is well known that non ignorable item non response may occur when the cause of the non response is the value of the latent variable of interest. In these cases, a refusal by a respondent to answer specific questions in a survey should be treated sometimes as a non ignorable item non response. The Rasch-Rasch model (RRM) is a new two-dimensional item response theory model for addressing non ignorable non response. This article demonstrates the use of the RRM on data from an Italian survey focused on assessment of healthcare workers’ knowledge about sudden infant death syndrome (that is, a context in which non response is presumed to be more likely among individuals with a low level of competence). We compare the performance of the RRM with other models within the Rasch model family that assume the unidimensionality of the latent trait. We conclude that this assumption should be considered unreliable for the data at hand, whereas the RRM provides a better fit of the data.     

Exploring Accessibility in DOAJ: A Case Study

Abstract

This study explores the accessibility of HTML articles indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The researchers tested a random sample of journals that possessed the DOAJ seal of approval, added content in 2019, were published in English and had 50 or more indexed articles. From this sample, HTML full-text articles were randomly selected for accessibility testing, using the W3C Easy Checks. 131 journals on 22 platforms were reviewed. All content reviewed provided unique web page titles. The majority of articles reviewed allowed for increases in text size and had meaningful heading structure. The application of alternative text tags for images and form labels was inconsistent, as was the ability to use keyboard controls for page navigation. Further, most content did not clearly indicate cursor location. The most egregious accessibility issues came from design choices, which generated a variety of contrast errors. More in-depth studies of DOAJ and other OA indexes and content providers are recommended, as is requiring adherence to WCAG 2.0 accessibility criteria as a condition of article submission.     

Benefits of Model-based Drug Development: A Rigorous,Planned Case Study

Model-based drug development (MBDD) is useful to make better quantitative decisions within drug development. However, rigorous evaluation of the benefits has been scarce in the literature. In this study, we take a completed development program, retrospectively repeat it in a virtual setting using MBDD methodologies, and compare it to the traditional drug development process. The conclusion is that the use of MBDD could have facilitated more efficient use of resources.     

Developing a Freely Accessible/Open Access Resource Management Policy at Duke University Libraries: A Case Study

Abstract

Freely accessible and open access resources present unique challenges for librarians working with electronic resources. Due to the fact that many of these resources lack high-quality metadata or the technical support provided by traditional publishers, making them discoverable and maintaining access over time can be tricky. Creating a policy allows for a systematic approach to the management of freely accessible/open access (OA) resources, alleviating problems surrounding lack of staff time or expertise. Many of these resources are already important parts of collections and will only continue to grow in importance. Freely accessible/OA resources allow for a more diverse representation of content, both by subject and format type, and allow a wider array of authors to have their work appear in library collections. This case study will provide a review of freely accessible/OA policies in other libraries, describe why these resources are important to add to our collections, discuss challenges libraries face with managing these resources, and explain how Duke University Libraries is addressing some of these challenges through the development of a policy.     

消费者自述偏好与现实选择比较研究——以有机牛奶为例

基于山东省586个消费者样本数据,以有机牛奶为例,对消费者自述偏好与现实选择行为之间的偏差进行了比较研究,并借助有序Logistics模型研究了相应影响因素。结果表明,在对有机牛奶有自述偏好的被调查者中,自述偏好与现实选择间偏差总体较大。受教育程度、年龄、家庭收入、家中是否有18岁以下的孩子等个体特征以及价格评价、购买便利性、食品安全意识、健康意识与环境意识等因素显著影响自述偏好与现实选择间偏差。供应商应采取相应营销策略,促使消费者自述偏好向现实选择转化,有效开发市场潜在需求。     

Forecasting Economic Time Series With Structural and Box-Jenkins Models: A Case Study

The basic structural model is a univariate time series model consisting of a slowly changing trend component, a slowly changing seasonal component, and a random irregular component. It is part of a class of models that have a number of advantages over the seasonal ARIMA models adopted by Box and Jenkins (1976). This article reports the results of an exercise in which the basic structural model was estimated for six U.K. macroeconomic time series and the forecasting performance compared with that of ARIMA models previously fitted by Prothero and Wallis (1976).     

Discreteness Causes Bias in Percentage-Based Comparisons: A Case Study From Educational Testing

Discretizing continuous distributions can lead to bias in parameter estimates. We present a case study from educational testing that illustrates dramatic consequences of discreteness when discretizing partitions differ across distributions. The percentage of test takers who score above a certain cutoff score (percent above cutoff, or “PAC”) often describes overall performance on a test. Year-over-year changes in PAC, or ΔPAC, have gained prominence under recent U.S. education policies, with public schools facing sanctions if they fail to meet PAC targets. In this article, we describe how test score distributions act as continuous distributions that are discretized inconsistently over time. We show that this can propagate considerable bias to PAC trends, where positive ΔPACs appear negative, and vice versa, for a substantial number of actual tests. A simple model shows that this bias applies to any comparison of PAC statistics in which values for one distribution are discretized differently from values for the other.     

Questions from Newbies—Facilitating Communication and Professional Development: A Case Study

Abstract

For new collection managers, it may be intimidating to ask questions about processes that seem to be common knowledge for their more experienced colleagues. To help with this issue, the Collections & Research Strategy department at North Carolina State University Libraries uses a shared document where new collection managers can log questions as they arise. The questions are shared at regular Collections Interest Group meetings and often generate interesting discussions that librarians both new and experienced can benefit from. This case study will provide an overview of the structure of the document, how it is used, and the types of questions that get asked.     

Journal Prices Revisited: A Regression Analysis of Prices in the Scholarly Journal Market

Increasing prices of scholarly journals have been subject to fierce discussion for several decades. In this paper the authors integrate influence factors of journal prices analyzed in different previous studies in a unified regression model based on current data. Three different models are calculated. In the first model (overall market) the largest influence was found for the size of the journal. Additionally, the authors calculate separate regression models for STM (Scientific, Technical, Medical) vs. HSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) journals and for for-profit vs. not-for-profit journals. The first comparison found that the influence of the number of published articles is much lower for HSS journals. The comparison between for-profit and not-for-profit journals showed that the influence of the circulation of a journal on its price is higher in the for-profit segment.     

Regression Using Pairs vs. Regression on Differences: A Real-life Case Study for a Master's Level Methods Class

When teaching regression classes real-life examples help emphasize the importance of understanding theoretical concepts related to methodologies. This can be appreciated after a little reflection on the difficulty of constructing novel questions in regression that test on concepts rather than mere calculations. Interdisciplinary collaborations can be fertile contexts for questions of this type. In this article, we offer a case study that students will find: (1) practical with respect to the question being addressed, (2) compelling in the way it shows how a solid understanding of theory helps answer the question, and (3) enlightening in the way it shows how statisticians contribute to problem solving in interdisciplinary environments. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.     

New England Technical Services Librarians Spring 2011 Conference: 2020 Vision: A New Decade for Technical Services

This report discusses the program of the 2011 New England Technical Services Librarians (NETSL) annual spring conference, held on Friday, April 8 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and entitled “2020 Vision: A New Decade for Technical Services.” NETSL is a section of the New England Library Association and a regional group of the American Library Association.     

我国经济增长质量的实证分析

建国40多年来,我国的经济发展取得了长足的发展,尤其是改革开放以来的近20年,中国经济发展的成就更是举世瞩目,中国经济现已步入快速稳定发展的上升通道。但是,我国经济在高速增长的同时,经济增长中的一些问题也逐渐暴露出来,其中尤其突出的问题就是经济增长质量问题。在此,笔者就经济增长稳定性、协调性、持续性和增长潜能四个方面作一实证研究。     

人民币汇率均衡水平的实证兼实证方法研究

Based on the mathematical model of RMB equilibrium exchange rate, a case study is made on RMB equilibrium of exchange rate for 1981-1993.     

例践透视中国统计40年

以峨嵋会议1978年年底召开为始点以来40年,回顾了"峨眉会议"时代的统计教育,包括本科和研究生,阐述国民经济核算研究成果所内涵的经济社会统计精髓,投入产出分析研究中的分配系数与消除UV法中负投入系数等成果,"宏观经济统计分析"课程开创发展,统计学与交叉学科研究,国际竞争力与创新指数研究,互联网统计与广义统计学研究成果,以及统计学学科做大做强的确定性统计与随机性统计的深入融合发展。     

A Case Study in Nonresponse: Plaintiff vs. California State Board of Equalization

In any sample survey, nonresponse bias is a potential issue. Even with a moderately high nonresponse rate, however, covariates can sometimes be used to show that the nonresponse bias is likely to be small. This note presents such an argument, which was used by the winning side in a tax case.