Finding Known Journal Articles: Comparing a Citation Linker to an A-to-Z List

OpenURL links provide access to full-text articles from citation databases; however, end users who have found citations outside of library databases must find the full text of their journal articles another way. Many OpenURL link resolvers offer a citation finder service which allows the end user to search for specific known items at the article level. This paper studies the usability of the “citation linker” search from Ex Libris' SFX®. Twenty-one volunteers tested finding known journal articles using both a standard A-to-Z list and SFX' citation linker search. The researchers compare results from the two search interfaces, document the problems found, recommend which interface makes the best default search interface, and suggest improvements to the citation linker interface.     

Contextual Variation in Stereotype Content: An Investigation of Children's Central Tendency and Group Variability Judgements

Drawing upon self‐categorization theory, we predicted that the content of children's stereotypes concerning the gender ingroup would be contextually variable. Two studies are reported, each looking at five‐, seven‐, and 10‐year‐old children's stereotypes of the gender in‐group in two different contexts. Study 1 examined judgements of the perceived central tendency of the in‐group on specified dimensions. Study 2 addressed judgements of perceived variability within the gender in‐group on the same dimensions. Overall multivariate analysis of the data indicated that central tendency judgements were influenced by the context in which a group is considered, but that group variability judgements were not. Individual‐level analyses showed that the most typical pattern of response over the two conditions, in both Studies 1 and 2, was for children to provide consistent rather than varying judgements. However, in Study 1 (but not Study 2 ), among those children who changed their judgements, the nature of change was precisely as predicted by self‐categorization theory.     

The historical universal: the role of cultural value in the historical sociology of Pierre Bourdieu

Best known for his pioneering study Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, in which the aesthetic attitude of disinterestedness is accounted for as the expression of a class ethos, Bourdieu has become something of an icon of relativism. In thus effecting a Bakhtinian 'discrowning' of official hierarchies of the arts, he is often celebrated for his concern to place all tastes, popular and high, on a similar footing, equally rooted in specific class practices. Only a careless inattention could support such a conclusion. From his early interventions in French cultural policy debates up to and including The Rules of Art and Pascalian Meditations (1996), Bourdieu has consistently repudiated the view that a sociological approach to questions of aesthetic judgment must result in a levelling form of relativism. In exploring why this should be so, this paper considers the issues at stake in the forms of 'historical universalism' that are associated with Bourdieu's account of the autonomy of the aesthetic sphere. It does so with a view to identifying some of the difficulties underlying his understanding of sociology as a historical practice.     

Reliability: Its implications in production systems design

Research on production systems design has in recent years tended to concentrate on ‘software’ factors such as organisational aspects, work design, and the planning of the production operations. In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to maximising the contributions made by fixed assets, particularly machines and equipment. However, as the cost of unproductive machine time has increased, reliability, particularly of machine tools, has become ever more important. Reliability theory and research has traditionally been based in the main on electrical and electronic equipment whereas mechanical devices, especially machine tools, have not received sufficiently objective treatment. A recently completed research project has considered the reliability of machine tools by taking sample surveys of purchasers, maintainers and manufacturers. Breakdown data were also collected from a number of engineering companies and analysed using both manual and computer techniques. Results obtained have provided an indication of those factors most likely to influence reliability and which in turn could lead to improved design and selection of machine tool systems. Statistical analysis of long-term field data has revealed patterns of trends of failure which could help in the design of more meaningful maintenance schemes.     

Computers in the elementary school classroom

Children now use computers throughout their education. As schools have focused on purchasing computers and providing internet access, there has been little consideration of ergonomics. Even if educators and school administrators acknowledge students would benefit from better ergonomics, they may assume it is too expensive or not know where to begin. This paper describes one process used to implement low cost ergonomic improvements and provide training for teachers, staff and students in an elementary school.     

少数民族自治县经济发展差距分析

少数民族自治县经济发展落后于全国县域经济平均水平,同时内部各县域之间发展也不平衡,在产值、收入、经济结构等方面存在着差异和差距。本文在分析120个少数民族自治县经济发展差距的基础上,提出对策思考。