Peace Corps' Information Collection and Exchange

Abstract

President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, and a library has served staffers and volunteers since its beginning. In this issue, Serials Review visits the Information Collection and Exchange (ICE) at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC, and learns about some of the unique things this library does to support its users all over the world.     

Knowledge transfer practices in multinational corporations in China's information technology industry

Abstract

The goals of this study were to explore existing practices used to facilitate knowledge transfer in MNCs in the information technology industry in China, and to investigate the frequency of use and the influence of each practice on knowledge transfer. In addition, this study examined which types of knowledge could be transferred by a given practice. The study used a two-stage method that included two surveys. The first survey was designed to develop an inclusive list of knowledge transfer practices. Thirty-three practices were identified in the first survey. The second survey found: 1) the frequency of use and the influence on knowledge transfer varied from one practice to another; 2) MNCs frequently used those practices with higher influence on knowledge transfer; 3) certain practices are better suited in transferring certain types of knowledge.     

Exploring the relationship between our learning,E-learning and HRD: E-Learn 2005 conference report

Abstract

This report provides a personal reflection on the E-Learn Conference held in Vancouver, Canada, in October 2005. First, I provide a brief review of previous conference reports and then share my experiences of this particular conference, focusing on technical, social, pedagogical and cultural aspects.     

Issues of collaboration,representation, meaning and emotions: utilising participant-led visual diaries to capture the everyday lives of people in mid to later life

In recent years there has been an increasing use of visual methods in ageing research. There are, however, limited reflections and critical explorations of the implications of using visual methods in research with people in mid to later life. This paper examines key methodological complexities when researching the daily lives of people as they grow older and the possibilities and limitations of using participant-generated visual diaries. The paper will draw on our experiences of an empirical study, which included a sample of 62 women and men aged 50 years and over with different daily routines. Participant-led photography was drawn upon as a means to create visual diaries, followed by in-depth, photo-elicitation interviews. The paper will critically reflect on the use of visual methods for researching the daily lives of people in mid to later life, as well as suggesting some wider tensions within visual methods that warrant attention. First, we explore the extent to which photography facilitates a ‘collaborative’ research process; second, complexities around capturing the ‘everydayness’ of daily routines are explored; third, the representation and presentation of ‘self’ by participants within their images and interview narratives is examined; and, finally, we highlight particular emotional considerations in visualising daily life.     

Generalized confidence intervals for proportions of total variance in mixed linear models

Exact confidence intervals for a proportion of total variance, based on pivotal quantities, only exist for mixed linear models having two variance components. Generalized confidence intervals (GCIs) introduced by Weerahandi [1993. Generalized confidence intervals (Corr: 94V89 p726). J. Am. Statist. Assoc. 88, 899–905] are based on generalized pivotal quantities (GPQs) and can be constructed for a much wider range of models. In this paper, the author investigates the coverage probabilities, as well as the utility of GCIs, for a proportion of total variance in mixed linear models having more than two variance components. Particular attention is given to the formation of GPQs and GCIs in mixed linear models having three variance components in situations where the data exhibit complete balance, partial balance, and partial imbalance. The GCI procedure is quite general and provides a useful method to construct confidence intervals in a variety of applications.     

SR visits: bringing electronic access to the census bureau library

The United States Census Bureau Library, acting on a study commissioned in 2002, has undertaken to improve electronic access for their patrons. The library provides e-journal and database access. The staff relies on usage statistics from these resources to sharpen the focus of the collection. Through an aggressive outreach program Census Bureau employees learn about these new products and services. Future plans include adding more e-journals, an open OPAC, and a new library building.